Hastings (New Zealand electorate)

Hastings was a parliamentary electorate in the Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand from 1946 to 1996. The electorate was represented by nine Members of Parliament. The Hastings electorate was a typical bellwether electorate, frequently changing between the two main parties.

Population centres edit

The 1941 New Zealand census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth and movements into account. The North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the country quota through the Electoral Amendment Act, 1945 reduced the number and increased the size of rural electorates. None of the existing electorates remained unchanged, 27 electorates were abolished, eight former electorates were re-established, and 19 electorates were created for the first time, including Hastings.[1] The towns of Hastings and Havelock North have always been located within the electorate until the 1987 electoral redistribution, whereas the nearby Fernhill was always included in the adjacent Hawke's Bay electorate.[2][3]

History edit

The first representative was Ted Cullen of the Labour Party.[4] At the 1949 election, Cullen was defeated by Sydney Jones of the National Party.[5] After two electoral terms, Jones was in turn defeated by Labour's Ted Keating, who served until his defeat in 1960.[6] Subsequent office holders were Duncan MacIntyre (1960–1972), Richard Mayson (1972–1975), Bob Fenton (1975–1978), David Butcher (1978–1990), Jeff Whittaker (1990–1993), and Rick Barker (1993–1996).[7]

Members of Parliament edit

The Hastings electorate was represented by nine Members of Parliament:[7]

Key

  Labour   National

Election Winner
1946 election Ted Cullen
1949 election Sydney Jones
1951 election
1954 election Ted Keating
1957 election
1960 election Duncan MacIntyre
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election
1972 election Richard Mayson
1975 election Bob Fenton
1978 election David Butcher
1981 election
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election Jeff Whittaker
1993 election Rick Barker
(Electorate abolished in 1996; see Tukituki)

Election results edit

1993 election edit

1993 general election: Hastings[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rick Barker 9,000 45.02
National Cynthia Bowers 6,429 32.16
Alliance Pat Weir 2,689 13.45
NZ First John Waitere 932 4.66
Christian Heritage Rex Jones 640 3.20
McGillicuddy Serious John Morrison 128 0.64
Independent Geoffrey Charters 104 0.52 -0.60
Natural Law Martin Ouseley 66 0.33
Majority 2,571 12.86
Turnout 19,988 86.19 +0.01
Registered electors 23,188

1990 election edit

1990 general election: Hastings[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Jeff Whittaker 9,132 45.96 +3.55
Labour David Butcher 8,404 42.29 -11.54
Green Matthew Ball 1,246 6.27
NewLabour Greg Maher 688 3.46
Independent Geoffrey Charters 223 1.12
Democrats Mary Sanders 176 0.88 -2.87
Majority 728 3.66
Turnout 19,869 86.18 -3.46
Registered electors 23,055

1987 election edit

1987 general election: Hastings[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Butcher 10,879 53.83 +2.62
National Jeff Whittaker 8,572 42.41
Democrats Mary Sanders 758 3.75
Majority 2,307 11.41 -8.16
Turnout 20,209 89.64 -3.54
Registered electors 22,544

1984 election edit

1984 general election: Hastings[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Butcher 11,179 51.21 +5.97
National Peter Brown 6,906 31.64
NZ Party Sara Slavin 2,803 12.84
Social Credit John Rabarts 938 4.29
Majority 4,273 19.57 +10.74
Turnout 21,826 93.18 +1.78
Registered electors 23,423

1981 election edit

1981 general election: Hastings[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Butcher 9,453 45.24 +7.82
National Hamish Kynoch 7,608 36.41
Social Credit Gary Clover 3,764 18.01
Independent A J L D Wedekind 68 0.32
Majority 1,845 8.83 +7.22
Turnout 20,893 91.40 +19.95
Registered electors 22,857

1978 election edit

1978 general election: Hastings[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour David Butcher 7,748 37.42
National Bob Fenton 7,414 35.81 -9.48
Social Credit Jeremy Dwyer 5,373 25.95 +17.03
Values C L Amery 148 0.71
Independent R MacGregor 20 0.09
Majority 334 1.61
Turnout 20,703 71.45 -14.07
Registered electors 28,972

1975 election edit

1975 general election: Hastings[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Bob Fenton 9,071 45.29
Labour Richard Mayson 8,580 42.84 -7.52
Social Credit Jeremy Dwyer 1,788 8.92
Values Graeme Cook 587 2.93
Majority 491 2.45
Turnout 20,026 85.52 -5.36
Registered electors 23,415

1972 election edit

1972 general election: Hastings[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Mayson 9,117 50.36 +5.74
National Duncan MacIntyre 7,969 44.02 -4.66
Social Credit George Neville Whitcombe 663 3.66 -3.03
Values Robin Duff 304 1.67
New Democratic Gwendoline Alice Dick 50 0.27
Majority 1,148 6.34
Turnout 18,103 90.88 +0.97
Registered electors 19,918

1969 election edit

1969 general election: Hastings[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Duncan MacIntyre 8,458 48.68 -2.61
Labour Richard Mayson 7,752 44.62
Social Credit George Neville Whitcombe 1,163 6.69 -3.38
Majority 706 4.06 -8.59
Turnout 17,373 89.91 +1.27
Registered electors 19,321

1966 election edit

1966 general election: Hastings[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Duncan MacIntyre 8,626 51.29 -1.64
Labour Sonja Davies 6,497 38.63
Social Credit George Neville Whitcombe 1,695 10.07
Majority 2,129 12.65 +0.85
Turnout 16,818 88.64 -3.87
Registered electors 18,973

1963 election edit

1963 general election: Hastings[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Duncan MacIntyre 8,719 52.93 +5.14
Labour Ted Keating 6,775 41.14 -4.86
Social Credit George Thew 978 5.93 -1.88
Majority 1,944 11.80 +10.00
Turnout 16,472 92.51 +1.86
Registered electors 17,804

1960 election edit

1960 general election: Hastings[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Duncan MacIntyre 7,965 47.79
Labour Ted Keating 7,665 46.00 -5.11
Social Credit George Thew 1,302 7.81 +2.93
Majority 300 1.80
Turnout 16,662 90.65 -3.04
Registered electors 18,379

1957 election edit

1957 general election: Hastings[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ted Keating 8,146 50.89 +4.28
National Arthur Heary Sievewright 7,076 44.21
Social Credit George Thew 782 4.88 -3.53
Majority 1,070 6.68 +5.03
Turnout 16,004 93.69 -0.15
Registered electors 17,081

1954 election edit

1954 general election: Hastings[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ted Keating 7,087 46.61
National Sydney Jones 6,835 44.96 -8.76
Social Credit George Thew 1,280 8.41
Majority 252 1.65
Turnout 15,202 93.84 +4.56
Registered electors 16,199

1951 election edit

1951 general election: Hastings[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Sydney Jones 8,198 53.72 +0.44
Labour Henry Edward Beattie 7,060 46.27
Majority 1,138 7.45 +0.89
Turnout 15,258 89.28 -3.58
Registered electors 17,090

1949 election edit

1949 general election: Hastings[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Sydney Jones 7,965 53.28
Labour Ted Cullen 6,983 46.72 -5.00
Majority 982 6.56
Turnout 14,948 92.86 -1.75
Registered electors 16,097

1946 election edit

1946 general election: Hastings[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ted Cullen 7,292 51.72
National Eric Pryor 6,809 48.28
Majority 483 3.42
Turnout 14,101 94.61
Registered electors 14,904

Notes edit

  1. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 91–96.
  2. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 94–127.
  3. ^ Note that the source was printed in 1989; Havelock North may or may not have fallen within the electorate following subsequent electoral redistributions.
  4. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 191.
  5. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 191, 209.
  6. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 209, 215.
  7. ^ a b Wilson 1985, p. 264.
  8. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1993.
  9. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1990.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Norton 1988, pp. 236.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Norton 1988, pp. 235.
  12. ^ "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  13. ^ "The General Election, 1946". National Library. 1947. pp. 1–11, 14. Retrieved 1 January 2014.

References edit

  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.