Remuera (New Zealand electorate)

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Remuera electorate boundaries between 1993 and 1996. Remuera electorate, 1993.png
Remuera electorate boundaries between 1993 and 1996.

Remuera is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate, in the city of Auckland. It existed from 1938, when it replaced the Parnell electorate, until 1996. It was consistently held by members of the National Party.

Contents

Population centres

The 1931 New Zealand census had been cancelled due to the Great Depression, so the 1937 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth into account. The increasing population imbalance between the North and South Islands had slowed, and only one electorate seat was transferred from south to north. Five electorates were abolished, one former electorate (Onehunga) was re-established, and four electorates were created for the first time, including Remuera. [1] The Remuera electorate replaced the Parnell electorate, covering almost exactly the same area as Parnell had since the 1927 electoral redistribution. [2]

For the purposes of the country quota, the 1936 census had determined that the Remuera electorate was fully urban. [3] The electorate comprised a number of east Auckland suburbs, most notably Remuera itself. The area is high-income, and has been represented by a succession of National Party MPs.

History

The electorate existed from 1938 to 1996. The first representative was Bill Endean, who served from 1938 for one term to 1943. [4] Endean was controversial within the National Party and in the party's 50-year history written by Barry Gustafson, it is remarked that in 1938, there was "some resistance to the National MP" in the Remuera electorate. [5] His nomination for the planned 1941 general election only occurred after Sidney Holland had stepped in. [6] The 1941 election was postponed due to the war, though, and Endean failed to get selected by the National Party for the 1943 election; Ronald Algie was chosen instead. [7] Endean was overseas at the time of the selection, but even if he had been present, Gustafson believes that the "elderly, dull Endean would have been no match for the clever and witty Algie". Endean was the first sitting National MP who failed to get re-selected. [6]

On election night 1987 a shock upset in the electorate was predicted. Labour candidate Judith Tizard came within 406 votes of winning the National Party bastion of Remuera, being predicted as the winner after initial vote counting. [8] Labour's temporary surge amongst traditional National stalwarts caused Prime Minister David Lange to question the direction his government was taking. In a 1996 interview he recalled, "That election night was a great revelation for me. That was an apprehension on my part that we had actually abandoned our constituency. And it set me to think what on earth have we done that we come within 400 votes of winning the true-blue seat of Remuera. And that struck me as being a dangerous flirtation, and an act of treachery to the people we were born to represent." [9]

With the introduction of mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation in 1996, Remuera was included in the new electorate of Epsom.

Members of Parliament

Key

  National   

ElectionWinner
1938 election Bill Endean
1943 election Ronald Algie
1946 election
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election Allan Highet
1969 election
1972 election
1975 election
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election Doug Graham
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election
(Electorate abolished in 1996; see Epsom)

Election results

1993 election

1993 general election: Remuera [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Doug Graham 12,584 59.94 +0.64
Alliance Mary Tierney3,96518.88
Labour Peter Haynes3,63317.30
McGillicuddy Serious Kerry Hoole3471.65+0.68
Christian Heritage Joanne Phimster2471.17
Natural Law Graeme Lodge1290.61
Defence MovementLuke Holmes860.40
Majority8,61941.06+6.02
Turnout 20,99185.20+0.65
Registered electors 24,636

1990 election

1990 general election: Remuera [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Doug Graham 11,777 59.30 +9.80
Labour Carl Harding4,40922.20
Green Mark Fitzsimons2,68213.50
NewLabour Wayne Hope5993.01
McGillicuddy Serious Kerry Hoole1940.97
Democrats Thomas Keith Park1140.57
Blokes Liberation FrontRussell Duulroo850.42
Majority7,36837.09+35.04
Turnout 19,86084.55-3.25
Registered electors 23,487

1987 election

1987 general election: Remuera [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Doug Graham 9,770 49.50 +5.00
Labour Judith Tizard 9,36447.44
Democrats B F Clegg3191.61
NZ Party Sue Martin1750.88
Revolutionary ArmySibling Ward1070.54
Majority4062.05-14.98
Turnout 19,73587.80-2.73
Registered electors 22,477

1984 election

1984 general election: Remuera [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Doug Graham 9,102 44.50
NZ Party Kenneth Sandford5,61927.47
Labour Wayne Kingsley Sellwood4,91424.02
Social Credit Thomas Keith Park5992.92
Values Cathryn Symons2171.06
Majority3,48317.03
Turnout 20,45190.53+5.84
Registered electors 22,590

1981 election

1981 general election: Remuera [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Allan Highet 9,360 53.75 -1.59
Labour Judith Tizard 4,52525.98
Social Credit Eddie Hagen2,75515.82+3.83
Values Jeanette Fitzsimons 4752.72-4.77
Independent Malcolm Moses1891.08
Liberal Democratic B R Harker1070.61
Majority5,10529.32-4.26
Turnout 17,41184.69+28.91
Registered electors 20,557

1978 election

1978 general election: Remuera [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Allan Highet 9,511 55.34 -8.38
Labour Lee Goffin3,74021.76
Social Credit Eddie Hagen2,06211.99
Values Jeanette Fitzsimons 1,2887.49
Christian Democratic Tom Weal 3381.96
Right to Life Patricia Sue Crowther2451.42
Majority5,77133.58-14.45
Turnout 17,18455.78-23.65
Registered electors 30,806

1975 election

1975 general election: Remuera [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Allan Highet 11,483 63.72 +4.08
Labour G B Mead2,82715.68
Values Bill Davies2,36313.11
Social Credit Peggy Clark8094.48-0.91
Right to Life L D B Gee4832.68
AlphaC C Wallace550.30
Majority8,65648.03+11.06
Turnout 18,02079.43-9.12
Registered electors 22,685

1972 election

1972 general election: Remuera [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Allan Highet 9,869 59.64 -7.19
Labour Rex Stanton3,75122.67
Values Reg Clough1,73610.49
Social Credit Peggy Clark8935.39+0.04
Independent Clyde Campbell2371.43
New Democratic Bruce William Cox590.35
Majority6,11836.97-2.06
Turnout 16,54588.55+1.12
Registered electors 18,684

1969 election

1969 general election: Remuera [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Allan Highet 12,153 66.83 +0.59
Labour Hamish Keith 5,05627.80
Social Credit Peggy Clark9745.35-5.47
Majority7,09739.03-4.65
Turnout 18,18387.43-3.80
Registered electors 20,795

1966 election

1966 general election: Remuera [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Allan Highet 10,127 66.42
Labour Bill Nairn3,46722.74
Social Credit Peggy Clark1,65110.82+6.58
Majority6,66043.68
Turnout 15,24583.63-4.04
Registered electors 18,227

1963 election

1963 general election: Remuera [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ronald Algie 10,772 68.10 +0.06
Labour Frederick Nelson Goodall3,77123.84
Social Credit Peggy Clark6724.24
Liberal Owen Alfred Addison6023.80
Majority7,00144.26+3.56
Turnout 15,81787.67+0.26
Registered electors 18,041

1960 election

1960 general election: Remuera [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ronald Algie 10,212 68.04 +5.06
Labour Barry Gustafson 4,10327.34
Social Credit Margaret Morley6924.61
Majority6,10940.70+9.81
Turnout 15,00787.41-5.11
Registered electors 17,167

1957 election

1957 general election: Remuera [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ronald Algie 9,717 62.98 +3.85
Labour Russell Gordon Penney4,95132.09
Social Credit Ethel Maude Wood7594.91
Majority4,76630.89+5.99
Turnout 15,42792.52+3.79
Registered electors 16,674

1954 election

1954 general election: Remuera [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ronald Algie 8,415 59.13 -12.94
Labour Bob Tizard 4,87134.23+6.31
Social Credit Horace Leslie Richards9446.63
Majority3,54424.90-19.25
Turnout 14,23088.73+1.07
Registered electors 16,037

1951 election

1951 general election: Remuera [14]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ronald Algie 8,727 72.07 +2.04
Labour Bob Tizard 3,38127.92
Majority5,34644.15+4.09
Turnout 12,10887.66-5.17
Registered electors 13,811

1949 election

1949 general election: Remuera [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ronald Algie 8,878 70.03 +2.55
Labour Hugh Watt 3,79929.96
Majority5,07940.06+5.10
Turnout 12,67792.83+0.75
Registered electors 13,655

1946 election

1946 general election: Remuera [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ronald Algie 8,512 67.48 +10.79
Labour James Freeman4,10232.51
Majority4,41034.96+15.05
Turnout 12,61492.08-1.15
Registered electors 13,698

1943 election

1943 general election: Remuera [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ronald Algie 11,907 56.69
Labour Martyn Finlay 7,72436.77
Democratic Labour Leo Patrick McMahon4392.09
People's Movement Edward William Sinton2961.40
Independent Hugh Kendal2781.32
Real Democracy Suzanne Mabel Milne1650.78
Informal votes1930.91+0.11
Majority4,18319.91
Turnout 21,00293.23+0.99
Registered electors 22,527

1938 election

1938 general election: Remuera [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Bill Endean 9,605 58.27
Labour Mary Dreaver 6,74440.91
Informal votes1320.80
Majority2,86117.35
Turnout 16,48192.24
Registered electors 17,866

Notes

  1. McRobie 1989, pp. 87–92.
  2. McRobie 1989, pp. 86–91.
  3. McRobie 1989, p. 91.
  4. Wilson 1985, p. 195.
  5. Gustafson 1986, p. 25.
  6. 1 2 Gustafson 1986, p. 235.
  7. Gustafson 1986, p. 309.
  8. Russell 1996, p. 142.
  9. Russell 1996, p. 143.
  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. 332.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Norton 1988, pp. 331.
  14. "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1951–52". Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
  15. "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  16. "The General Election, 1946". National Library. 1947. pp. 1–11, 14. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  17. "The General Election, 1943". National Library. 1944. p. 11. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  18. "The General Election, 1938". National Library. 1939. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 8 February 2012.

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