King Country (New Zealand electorate)

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King Country was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It existed from 1972 to 1996 and was represented by Jim Bolger of the National Party for those 24 years.

Contents

Population centres

Since the 1969 election, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, with continued faster population growth in the North Island leading to an increase in the number of general electorates. There were 84 electorates for the 1969 election, [1] and the 1972 electoral redistribution saw three additional general seats created for the North Island, bringing the total number of electorates to 87. [2] Together with increased urbanisation in Christchurch and Nelson, the changes proved very disruptive to existing electorates. [2] In the South Island, three electorates were abolished, and three electorates were newly created. [3] In the North Island, five electorates were abolished, two electorates were recreated, and six electorates were newly created (including King Country). [4]

The King Country electorate was formed from area that previously belonged to the Waimarino and Waitomo electorates, which were both abolished. [5] The King Country electorate covered a largely rural area with a dispersed population. It has no cities. The largest towns are Otorohanga and Te Kuiti.

History

The previous representative of the Waimarino electorate was Roy Jack who transferred to the enlarged Rangitikei electorate in 1972. [6] David Seath had held the Waitomo electorate since 1954 and he retired in 1972. [7] This gave Jim Bolger the opportunity to stand in the new King Country electorate when it was formed in 1972, and the area being a traditional stronghold for National, he won the election with ease. [8] Bolger became Prime Minister in 1990 while representing the King Country electorate. [9]

The electorate combined with the adjacent rural electorate of Taranaki in 1996 to form the Taranaki-King Country electorate for MMP.

Election results

Key

  National   

ElectionWinner
1972 election Jim Bolger
1975 election
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election
(Electorate abolished in 1996; see Taranaki-King Country)

1993 election

1993 general election: King Country [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Jim Bolger 8,396 51.8 -12.6
Labour Murray Simpson3,89024.0
Alliance Ian Herbert3,51821.7
Christian Heritage Mark Anthony Jones5393.3
McGillicuddy Serious Anand Hasyo2201.3
Natural Law Euan Frederick Williams1150.7
Majority4,50627.8-17.2
Turnout 16,678

1990 election

1990 general election: King Country [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Jim Bolger 10,406 64.4 +0.2
Labour Cameron Gordon3,13219.4
Green Laurence Cadman1,3688.4
NewLabour Dion Martin4973.0
Social Credit Mervyn Williamson4963.0
McGillicuddy Serious Craig Louis Simmons1070.6
Democrats Steven Wilton770.4
Imperial British Conservative Kate McDonald53
Majority7,27445.0+10.1
Turnout 16,136

1987 election

1987 general election: King Country [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Jim Bolger 10,942 64.2 +9.1
Labour Leo Menefy4,98829.3
Democrats Wayne Campbell Robert Morris1,1156.5
Majority5,95434.9+4.1
Turnout 20,14386.4-4.6

1984 election

1984 general election: King Country [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Jim Bolger 10,040 55.1 +6.0
Labour James Edward Simons4,42324.3
Social Credit Derek Mason2,02711.1-24.6
NZ Party Graham Short1,5808.7
Values Peter Winter1390.8
Majority5,61730.8+17.4
Turnout 20,47791.0+5.0

1981 election

1981 general election: King Country [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Jim Bolger 7,937 49.1 +4.5
Social Credit Derek Mason5,77935.7+9.2
Labour Pai Tahere2,46015.2
Majority2,15813.4-4.7
Turnout 18,87886.0+21.5

1978 election

1978 general election: King Country [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Jim Bolger 6,804 44.6 -11.5
Labour Leo Menefy4,03426.5
Social Credit Derek Mason3,99726.2+15.4
Values R Azariah4092.7
Majority2,77018.1-8.2
Turnout 23,72664.5-15.8

1975 election

1975 general election: King Country [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Jim Bolger 9,180 56.1 +8.1
Labour Thomas David Varnham4,86429.8
Social Credit Derek Mason1,75910.8+1.7
Values Richard Louis Osborn5463.3
Majority4,31626.3+17.9
Turnout 20,44080.3-7.2

1972 election

1972 general election: King Country [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Jim Bolger 7,107 48.0
Labour Brent Clifton Sakey5,86739.6
Social Credit Derek Mason1,3519.1
Liberal ReformSaxby John Telfer1911.3
Independent Richard Alan Soundy1851.3
New Democratic John William Norman1110.7
Majority1,2408.4
Turnout 17,01487.5

Notes

  1. McRobie 1989, p. 111.
  2. 1 2 McRobie 1989, p. 115.
  3. McRobie 1989, pp. 112, 116.
  4. McRobie 1989, pp. 111, 115.
  5. McRobie 1989, pp. 110, 114.
  6. Wilson 1985, p. 207.
  7. Wilson 1985, p. 233.
  8. Wilson 1985, p. 184.
  9. "NZ History online: Biographies – Jim Bolger". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  10. Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1993.
  11. Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1990.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Norton 1988, pp. 262.

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References