Selwyn (New Zealand electorate)

Last updated

Selwyn
Single-member general constituency for the New ZealandHouse of Representatives
Selwyn 2025 electorate boundaries.svg
Formation1866, 1946, 1978, 2008
Region Canterbury
CharacterRural
Term3 years
Member for Selwyn
GRIGG, Nicola - Selwyn (cropped).png
Nicola Grigg
since 17 October 2020
Party National
Previous MP Amy Adams (National)
Party vote distribution




Selwyn is a current electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives, composed of towns on the outskirts of Christchurch city. The electorate was first formed for the 1866 election and has been abolished three times during its history. It was last re-established for the 2008 election and has been held by Nicola Grigg for the National Party since the 2020 election.

Contents

Region and population centres

The electorate is mainly rural, stretching from the Southern Alps to the Banks Peninsula, its borders broadly defined by the Rakaia River in the south and the Waimakariri River in the north. Major towns include Rolleston, Lincoln, and Darfield, with smaller towns such as West Melton, Kirwee, Tai Tapu, Springfield, Castle Hill Village, Arthur's Pass, Leeston, Southbridge and Dunsandel. The electorate also includes parts of Christchurch city's territorial authority. [1]

History

Existence and changes to area

An electorate called Selwyn existed between 1866 and 1919. A Selwyn electorate also existed between 1946 and 1972 and again from 1978 until it was absorbed by Rakaia for the first MMP election in 1996. [2] The latest version of the Selwyn electorate was created for the 2008 election. This followed a review of electoral boundaries conducted after the 2006 Census, because of a general northwards population movement in the South Island. Even though the number of South Island electorates is fixed, the decline in the population of electorates from Rakaia south has resulted in the boundaries of electorates from Invercargill north to Rakaia shifting further northwards.

Due to the rapid growth of Selwyn relative to Christchurch (which lost population after the earthquakes), the 2013 redistribution had Selwyn losing Halswell and Westmorland to Port Hills and Harewood to Waimakariri while regaining the towns of Rakaia and Chertsey back from Rangitata. [3] Data from the 2018 census showed Selywn's population had continued to grow – it had the largest discrepancy of any electorate – and so the electorate would need to lose further area for the 2020 boundaries. [4] It shed an area around Hornby South to Wigram, the Banks Peninsula to the recreated Banks Peninsula, the area west of the Rakaia to Rangitata, and an area around Christchurch Airport to Ilam. [5] Continued rapid growth in the electorate saw the towns of Prebbleton and Templeton transferred to Wigram in the 2025 boundary review. [6]

Voting history

Edward Stevens was the electorate's first representative in 1866; he was returned elected unopposed. [7]

The dominant topic for the 1875 election was the abolition of the Provinces. William Reeves, the incumbent, favoured the retention of the provincial system of government, while his opponent, Cecil Fitzroy, was an abolitionist. Fitzroy, who was 31 years old and 20 years Reeves' junior, narrowly won the election. [8] [9] Edward Lee acted as returning officer for the election. [10]

In the 1879 election, John Hall was returned unopposed. [11] In the 1881 election, Hall beat R. Lockhead by 467 to 169 votes. [12] [13]

In the 1890 election, Alfred Saunders, Thomas Hamilton Anson, and William Jerrington Popple received 536, 485 and 237 votes, respectively. [14]

The electorate is one of the National Party's safest seats. National have held the seat, whenever it has existed since it was first recreated in 1946. In 2011, the candidate for the other major New Zealand party, Labour, received less than 11% of the electoral vote and came third, behind the Greens in the 2011 election. In that election, the only polling booths where Adams didn't receive the most votes were Arthur's Pass and Diamond Harbour.

Members of Parliament

Key:

  Independent   Conservative   Reform   Liberal   National   Green

ElectionWinner
1866 election Edward Stevens
1871 election William Reeves
1875 election Cecil Fitzroy
1879 election John Hall
1881 election
1883 by-election Edward Lee
1884 by-election Edward Wakefield
1884 election
1887 election John Hall
1890 election Alfred Saunders
1893 election
1896 election Cathcart Wason
1899 election Charles Hardy
1902 election
1905 election
1908 election
1911 election William Dickie
1914 election
(Electorate abolished 1919–1946)
1946 election John McAlpine
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election Colin McLachlan
1969 election
(Electorate abolished 1972–1978, see Rakaia)
1978 election Colin McLachlan
1981 election Ruth Richardson
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election
1993 election
1994 by-election David Carter
(Electorate abolished 1996–2008,
see Banks Peninsula & Rakaia)
2008 election Amy Adams
2011 election
2014 election
2017 election
2020 election Nicola Grigg
2023 election

List MPs

Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Selwyn electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.

ElectionWinner
2011 election Eugenie Sage

Election results

2023 election

2023 general election results: Selwyn [15]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
National Green check.svgY Nicola Grigg 31,50465.42+15.8723,95949.27+15.26
Labour Luke Jones11,72224.34-13.488,80518.10-24.02
ACT Ben Harvey2,8225.86+1.405,89512.12-0.44
NZ Loyal Logan Courtney1,0222.124300.88
New Conservatives Abe Coulter5061.05-1.101360.28-1.49
Green  4,3408.93+4.06
NZ First  2,6335.42+3.42
Opportunities  1,0372.69+1.38
Te Pāti Māori  2350.48+0.34
NewZeal  2250.46
Legalise Cannabis  1840.38+0.18
Animal Justice  910.19
DemocracyNZ  890.18
Freedoms NZ  620.13
Leighton Baker Party  410.08
Women's Rights  390.08
New Nation  300.06
Informal votes578119
Total valid votes48,15448,624
National holdMajority19,78241.08+29.35

2020 election

2020 general election: Selwyn [16]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
National Nicola Grigg 20,98649.55−16.3114,61634.01−25.00
Labour Reuben Davidson 16,01837.82+17.0518,10242.12+16.01
ACT Stuart Armstrong1,8904.46+4.015,39612.56+12.10
Green Abe O'Donnell1,7494.13−2.232,0924.87−0.44
New Conservative Bronwyn Lyell9102.157611.77+1.57
Independent Calvin Payne4361.03
Advance NZ Jerry Larason3620.853060.71
NZ First  8612.00−3.53
Opportunities  5641.31−1.25
Legalise Cannabis  850.20+0.02
Māori Party  590.14−0.03
ONE  490.11
Outdoors  380.09+0.01
Sustainable NZ  250.06
TEA  90.02
Vision NZ  50.01
Heartland  40.01
Social Credit  20.00−0.00
Informal votes654219
Total valid votes42,35142,975
National holdMajority4,96811.73−33.36

2017 election

2017 general election: Selwyn [17]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
National Green check.svgY Amy Adams 28,68665.86-4.1126,00359.00-4.58
Labour Tony Condon9,04720.77+9.2211,50826.11+13.14
Green Chrys Horn2,7726.36-5.192,3395.30-5.60
NZ First Lindy Michelle Palmer1,3453.08-2.152,4405.53-1.42
Opportunities Nicky Snoyink1,2702.911,1312.56
ACT Brian Davidson1980.45+0.212010.45+0.06
Conservative  870.2-3.29
Legalise Cannabis  790.2-0.13
Māori Party  750.17-0.14
Ban 1080  410.09-0.13
Outdoors  360.08
United Future  320.07-0.17
People's Party  110.02
Internet  60.01-0.5 [a]
Democrats  30.01-0.02
Mana  20-0.51 [b]
Informal votes23574
Total valid votes43,55344,068
National holdMajority19,63945.09-13.33

2014 election

2014 general election: Selwyn [18]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
National Green check.svgY Amy Adams 24,62569.97+0.8322,80963.58+0.93
Green Peter Selwyn Hill4,06411.55+1.373,91010.90-0.54
Labour Gordon John Dickson3,83510.90-4.374,65412.97-3.15
NZ First Bill Woods 1,8415.23+1.692,4946.95+2.20
Conservative Roger Clibborn6191.76-0.121,2533.49+1.03
Māori Party Sheryl Gardyne1290.37+0.371110.31-0.06
ACT Paul Gilbert830.24+0.241390.39-0.52
Internet Mana  1840.51+0.37
Legalise Cannabis  1200.33+0.00
United Future  870.24-0.45
Ban 1080  780.22+0.22
Civilian  160.04+0.04
Democrats  100.03-0.01
Focus  50.01+0.01
Independent Coalition  50.01+0.01
Informal votes18265
Total valid votes35,19635,875
National holdMajority20,56158.42+4.54

2011 election

2011 general election: Selwyn [19]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
National Green check.svgY Amy Adams 24,96369.14+8.6523,08662.65+7.74
Labour Jo McLean5,51215.27-14.545,94216.12-9.49
Green Eugenie Sage 3,67410.18+10.184,21511.44+3.91
NZ First Bill Woods 1,2773.54+3.541,7504.75+1.71
Conservative Wilton Gray6771.88+1.889062.46+2.46
ACT  3360.91-2.77
United Future  2560.69-0.45
Māori Party  1370.37-0.04
Legalise Cannabis  1230.33+0.07
Mana  520.14+0.14
Alliance  240.07+0.02
Democrats  130.04+0.02
Libertarianz  110.03+0.01
Informal votes526192
Total valid votes36,10336,851
National holdMajority19,45153.88+23.20

Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 46,937 [20]

2008 election

2008 general election: Selwyn [21]
Notes:

Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list.
Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent.
A Green check.svgY or Red x.svgN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

PartyCandidateVotes%±%Party votes%±%
National Amy Adams 21,83660.4920,14154.91
Labour David Coates10,76129.819,39525.61
Progressive Philippa Main1,3163.656721.83
Independent Bill Woods 6031.67
ACT Ivor Watson5391.491,3503.68
Family Party Samuel Dennis4931.371410.38
Kiwi Eleanor Williamson2960.821910.52
United Future Victoria Norman2530.704211.15
Green  2,7617.53
NZ First  1,1153.04
Bill and Ben  2010.55
Māori Party  1510.41
Legalise Cannabis  970.26
Alliance  170.05
Libertarianz  80.02
Democrats  70.02
Workers Party  50.01
RAM  30.01
Pacific  20.01
RONZ  10.00
Informal votes409155
Total valid votes36,09736,679
National win new seatMajority11,07530.68

1994 by-election

A by-election was held following the resignation of Ruth Richardson. [22]

1994 Selwyn by-election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National David Carter 8,90642.32
Alliance John Wright 8,48840.33
Labour Marian Hobbs 2,17310.33
NZ First Tim Shadbolt 1,1655.54
Christian Heritage Rosemary Francis1820.86
NORML Warren Bryson390.19
Kiwis Against Further Immigration Bruce Annan290.14
McGillicuddy Serious Tim Owens260.12
Natural Law Warwick Jones220.10
NZ CoalitionKieron Daok100.05
Christ's Ambassadors UnionVictor Bryer20.01
Majority 4181.99
Turnout 21,042

1993 election

1993 general election: Selwyn [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ruth Richardson 9,463 41.23 −12.89
Labour Ron Mark 8,57537.36
Alliance John McCaskey2,89812.62
NZ First Brooke McKenzie1,4966.51
Christian Heritage Gordon Dennis4251.85+0.91
Natural Law Russell Mack920.40
Majority 8883.86−22.47
Turnout 22,94984.48−0.14
Registered electors 27,162

1990 election

1990 general election: Selwyn [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ruth Richardson 11,183 54.12 −0.88
Labour Val Elley5,74227.79
Green Chris Newsom1,6938.19
NewLabour Maevis Watson1,2466.03
Democrats Jonathan Palmer2271.09−2.19
McGillicuddy Serious Steve Richards2251.08
Independent National Gordon Dennis1950.94−0.05
Social Credit Kieron Daok1510.73
Majority 5,44126.33+11.14
Turnout 20,66284.62−3.32
Registered electors 24,416

1987 election

1987 general election: Selwyn [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ruth Richardson 10,720 55.00 +5.02
Labour Bill Woods 7,75839.80
Democrats Jonathan Palmer6403.28
Independent National Gordon Dennis1940.99
Wizard PartyCyril Walker1770.90
Majority 2,96215.19−3.80
Turnout 19,48987.94−10.61
Registered electors 22,160

1984 election

1984 general election: Selwyn [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ruth Richardson 10,076 49.98 +2.55
Labour Charles Manning6,24730.98
NZ Party Murray MacDonald2,85914.18
Social Credit James Gribben9774.84−10.92
Majority 3,82918.99+8.36
Turnout 20,15998.55+8.75
Registered electors 20,455

1981 election

1981 general election: Selwyn [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Ruth Richardson 9,496 47.43
Labour Bill Woods 7,36736.79−1.84
Social Credit James Gribben3,15715.76+1.97
Majority 2,12910.63
Turnout 20,02089.80+23.86
Registered electors 22,293

1978 election

1978 general election: Selwyn [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Colin McLachlan 8,335 45.33
Labour Bill Woods 7,10338.63
Social Credit James Gribben2,53713.79
Values A G Fairweather4112.23
Majority 1,2326.70
Turnout 18,38665.94
Registered electors 27,882

1966 election

1966 general election: Selwyn [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National Colin McLachlan 7,374 52.46
Labour Thomas Kelvin Campbell4,77733.99
Social Credit Maurice McConnell1,90313.54
Majority 2,59718.47
Turnout 14,05484.95−2.57
Registered electors 16,542

1963 election

1963 general election: Selwyn [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National John McAlpine 8,164 56.41 +0.17
Labour Francis Edward Smith4,79333.12
Social Credit Ron Morton9426.50−0.73
Liberal Eric Lester May5723.95
Majority 3,37123.29+3.57
Turnout 14,47187.52−2.03
Registered electors 16,534

1960 election

1960 general election: Selwyn [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National John McAlpine 8,096 56.24 +3.05
Labour John Palmer5,25736.51
Social Credit Ron Morton1,0427.23+1.45
Majority 2,83919.72+7.55
Turnout 14,39589.55−2.18
Registered electors 16,074

1957 election

1957 general election: Selwyn [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National John McAlpine 7,564 53.19 +2.27
Labour Stanley Marshall Cook5,83341.01
Social Credit Ron Morton8235.78
Majority 1,73112.17−7.66
Turnout 14,22091.73+4.74
Registered electors 15,501

1954 election

1954 general election: Selwyn [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National John McAlpine 6,473 50.92 −4.94
Labour Daniel Clinton3,85230.30
Social Credit Terence Ward2,38718.77
Majority 2,52119.83+8.10
Turnout 12,71286.99−4.09
Registered electors 14,612

1951 election

1951 general election: Selwyn [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National John McAlpine 8,738 55.86 +1.47
Labour Jim Barclay 6,90244.13
Majority 1,83611.73+2.94
Turnout 15,64091.08−2.98
Registered electors 17,170

1949 election

1949 general election: Selwyn [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National John McAlpine 8,205 54.39 +2.64
Labour Alan Sharp6,87845.60−2.65
Majority 1,3278.79+5.29
Turnout 15,08394.06−0.94
Registered electors 16,035

1946 election

1949 general election: Selwyn [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
National John McAlpine 6,970 51.75
Labour Alan Sharp6,49848.25
Majority 4723.50
Turnout 13,46893.12
Registered electors 14,463

1899 election

1899 general election: Selwyn [27] [28]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Charles Hardy 1,308 38.96
Liberal John Rennie1,16834.79
Liberal John Barrett45413.52
Liberal Kenneth Wilson42712.72
Majority 1404.17−1.57
Turnout 3,35774.93−10.05
Registered electors 4,480

1896 election

1896 general election: Selwyn
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Cathcart Wason 1,676 52.87
Independent Alfred Saunders 1,49447.13
Majority 1825.74
Turnout 3,17084.99
Registered electors 3,730

1890 election

1890 general election: Selwyn [29]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Alfred Saunders 536 42.61
Conservative Thomas Hamilton Anson48538.55
Liberal William Jerrington Popple23718.84
Majority 514.05
Turnout 1,25862.49
Registered electors 2,013

1884 by-election

1884 Selwyn by-election [30]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Edward Wakefield 479 60.25
Independent John McLachlan 31639.75
Majority 16320.50
Turnout 795+177

1883 by-election

1883 Selwyn by-election [31] [32] [33]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Edward Lee 258 41.75
Independent Edward Richardson 22035.60
Independent John McLachlan 14022.65
Turnout 618
Majority 386.15

1875 election

1875 general election: Selwyn [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Cecil Fitzroy 244 51.48
Independent William Reeves 23048.52
Majority 142.95
Turnout 47468.30
Registered electors 694

Notes

  1. 2017 Internet Party swing is relative to the votes for Internet-Mana in 2014; it shared a party list with Mana Party in the 2014 election
  2. 2017 Mana Party swing is relative to the votes for Internet-Mana in 2014; it shared a party list with the Internet Party in the 2014 election

Notes

  1. "Selwyn - Electorate Profile". Parliamentary Library. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  2. McRobie 1989, pp. 91–96.
  3. Report of the Representation Commission 2014 (PDF). Representation Commission. 4 April 2014. p. 10. ISBN   978-0-477-10414-2 . Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  4. Cooke, Henry (23 September 2019). "Census 2018: New Zealand to gain one new seat in 2020 election". Stuff . Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  5. "Report of the Representation Commission 2020" (PDF). 17 April 2020.
  6. Report of the Representation Commission 2025 (PDF). Representation Commission. 8 August 2025. p. 8. ISBN   978-0-473-75233-0 . Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  7. "Election Intelligence". North Otago Times . Vol. VI, no. 107. 8 March 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  8. "Mr. C. A. Fitzroy at Doyleston". The Press . Vol. XXIV, no. 3218. 23 December 1875. p. 2. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Selwyn Poll". The Press . Vol. XXIV, no. 3224. 31 December 1875. p. 2. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  10. "Election Notices". The Press . Vol. XXIV, no. 3212. 16 December 1875. p. 4. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  11. "Selwyn nomination". Star. No. 3553. 30 August 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  12. "The General Election". Otago Daily Times . No. 6190. 10 December 1881. p. 2. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  13. "The General Elections". The Star . No. 4249. 3 December 1881. p. 3. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  14. "Election Notices". The Press . Vol. XLVII, no. 7731. 10 December 1890. p. 1. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  15. "Selwyn – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 16 November 2023.
  16. "Selwyn – Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  17. "Official Count Results – Selwyn". Wellington: New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  18. "2014 election results". Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  19. "2011 election results". Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
  20. "Enrolment statistics". Electoral Commission. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  21. "Official Count Results – Selwyn". Electoral Commission. 22 November 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  22. "Part XIV – Selwyn By-election" (PDF). Electoral Commission . Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  23. Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1993. pp. 98–9, 162.
  24. Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1990. pp. 102–3, 167.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Norton 1988, pp. 347.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Norton 1988, pp. 346.
  27. "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  28. "Untitled". The Press . Vol. LVI, no. 10516. 30 November 1899. p. 8. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  29. "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  30. "Selwyn Election". The Press . Vol. XL, no. 5755. 28 February 1884. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  31. "Selwyn Election". New Zealand Times. 20 April 1883.
  32. "Selwyn Election". New Zealand Mail. 14 April 1883.
  33. "The Result of the Selwyn Election". New Zealand Times. 20 April 1883.

References