Nelson (New Zealand electorate)

Nelson electorate boundaries used since the 2008 election

Nelson is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the House of Representatives of New Zealand. From 1853 to 1860, the electorate was called Town of Nelson. From 1860 to 1881, it was City of Nelson. The electorate is the only one that has continuously existed since the 1st Parliament in 1853.

The current MP for Nelson is Nick Smith of the National Party.[1] He has held this position since 1996.

Population centres

Nelson is based around the city of Nelson, with the dormitory town of Richmond and the smaller communities of Hope and Brightwater drafted in to bring the electorate up to the required population quota.

A significant adjustment to the electorate's boundaries was carried out ahead of the change to Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting in 1996; the decrease in South Island electorates from 25 to 16 lead to the abolition of one western South Island electorate; Tasman was split between West Coast and the then (geographically) much smaller Nelson electorate.

The Representation Commission last adjusted the boundaries in the 2007 review, which first applied at the 2008 election;[2] the electorate was not changed in the 2013/14 review.[3]

History

An electorate based on the Nelson has been contested at every election since the first Parliament in 1853. Two of the original 24 electorates from the 1st Parliament still exist (New Plymouth is the other one), but Nelson is the only original electorate that has existed continuously.[4]

The electorate was initially known as Town of Nelson. From 1866 to 1881, it was called City of Nelson. Since 1881, it has been known as simply Nelson.[5]

From 1853 to 1881, Nelson was a two-member electorate.[5] James Mackay and William Travers were the first two representatives elected in 1853. Travers and William Cautley (MP for Waimea) both resigned on 26 May 1854. Travers subsequently contested the seat that Cautley had vacated, being elected in the 21 June 1854 Waimea by-election. Samuel Stephens, who succeeded Travers in Nelson, died before the end of the first term, but the seat remained vacant.

Alfred Domett retired from politics at the end of the 3rd Parliament. Edward Stafford resigned in 1868 during the term of the 4th Parliament. Nathaniel Edwards won the resulting by-election. Martin Lightband resigned after a year in Parliament in 1872 and was succeeded by David Luckie.

Nelson became a single member electorate in 1881. Henry Levestam, who was first elected in an 1881 by-election to replace Adams was confirmed by the voters at the next three general elections (1881, 1884 and 1887), but he died in office on 11 February 1889.[6]

Joseph Harkness won the resulting 1889 by-election and was confirmed in the 1890 election.[7] He retired at the end of the parliamentary term in 1893 and was succeeded by John Graham, who with the 1893 election started a representation of the electorate that would last until his retirement in 1911.[8]

Harry Atmore an Independent Member of Parliament succeeded John Graham in the 1911 election,[9] but he was defeated at the next election in 1914 by Thomas Field of the Reform Party.[10] At the subsequent election in 1919, Atmore defeated Field and represented the electorate until his death on 21 August 1946.[9]

Atmore's death did not cause a by-election, as the 1946 election was held in November of that year. The contest was won by Edgar Neale of the National Party.[11] He held the electorate until 1957, when he retired.

Neale was succeeded by Stanley Whitehead of the Labour Party in the 1957 election. This started Labour's dominance in the electorate, which was to last for four decades. Whitehead died on 9 January 1976 in the office and this caused the 1976 by-election, which was won by Labour's Mel Courtney. In the 1981 election, Courtney stood as an Independent against Labour's Philip Woollaston, with the latter the successful candidate. Woollaston retired in 1990 and was succeeded by Labour's John Blincoe. When the electorate was enlarged for the 1996 election, it absorbed most of the former seat of Tasman, held by National's Nick Smith. Smith defeated Blincoe and has held the seat ever since.

In the 2014 election, Smith beat Labour's Maryan Street for the third time in a row. Based on preliminary results, Street has also lost the list MP seat that she has had since the 2005 election; she was the highest-ranked member on the Labour list who did not get returned or elected to Parliament.[12]

The gap between National and Labour contesting the list vote has narrowed - 43% to 36% in Labour's favour at the 2005 election versus a 45%-19% split three years earlier. Nelson is also an electorate in which the Green Party performs better than the national average - nearly nine percent in 2002 and 7.7 percent in 2005.

Members of Parliament

Key

  Independent     Conservative     Liberal     Reform     National     Labour     Green  

multi-member electorate

Election Winners
1853 election James Mackay William Travers
1854 by-election Samuel Stephens
1855 election Alfred Domett Edward Stafford
1860 election
1866 election Oswald Curtis
1868 by-election Nathaniel Edwards[13]
1871 election Martin Lightband[14]
1872 by-election David Mitchell Luckie[15]
1875 election John Sharp[16]
1879 by-election Acton Adams[17]
1879 election Albert Pitt
1881 by-election Henry Levestam

single-member electorate

Election Winner
1881 election Henry Levestam
1884 election
1887 election
1889 by-election Joseph Harkness
1890 election
1893 election John Graham
1896 election
1899 election
1902 election
1905 election
1908 election
1911 election Harry Atmore
1914 election Thomas Field
1919 election Harry Atmore
1922 election
1925 election
1928 election
1931 election
1935 election
1938 election
1943 election
1946 election Edgar Neale
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election Stanley Whitehead
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election
1972 election
1975 election
1976 by-election Mel Courtney
1978 election
1981 election Philip Woollaston
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election John Blincoe
1993 election
1996 election Nick Smith
1999 election
2002 election
2005 election
2008 election
2011 election
2014 election

List MPs

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

Election Winner
2002 election Mike Ward
2008 election Maryan Street
2011 election Maryan Street

Election results

2014 election

General election, 2014: Nelson[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 tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party Votes % ±%
National Green tickY Nick Smith 20,000 52.82 −0.32 16,904 44.28 −1.13
Labour Maryan Street 12,395 32.73 +0.11 9,401 24.63 −2.70
Green Colin Robertson 3,449 9.11 −0.37 5,381 14.10 −1.95
Conservative John Green 1,125 2.97 +1.23 2,094 5.49 +2.78
ACT Paul Hufflett 193 0.51 +0.02 151 0.40 −0.33
Money Free Richard Osmaston 175 0.46 +0.46
Democrats Adrian Bayly 138 0.36 +0.36 47 0.12 +0.02
NZ First   2,918 7.64 +2.22
Ban 1080   386 1.01 +1.01
Internet Mana   317 0.83 +0.64[lower-alpha 1]
Legalise Cannabis   202 0.53 +0.02
Māori   125 0.33 −0.13
United Future   95 0.25 −0.74
Civilian   12 0.03 0.03
Independent Coalition   11 0.03 +0.03
Focus   6 0.02 +0.02
Informal votes 392 124
Total Valid votes 37,867 38,174
Turnout 38,174 79.76 +4.43
National hold Majority 7,605 20.08 −0.44

2011 election

General election, 2011: Nelson[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 tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party Votes % ±%
National Green tickY Nick Smith 18,360 53.14 -3.99 16,016 45.41 +2.96
Labour Maryan Street 11,272 32.62 -0.87 9,639 27.33 -10.46
Green Aaryn Barlow 3,276 9.48 +2.21 5,660 16.05 +6.61
NZ First Kevin Gardener 669 1.94 +1.94 1,913 5.42 +2.38
Conservative Oliver Vitali 601 1.74 +1.74 954 2.71 +2.71
United Future Doug Stevens 204 0.59 +0.21 348 0.99 -0.08
ACT Paul Charles Hufflett 171 0.49 -0.36 259 0.73 -1.75
Legalise Cannabis   180 0.51 +0.11
Māori   161 0.46 -0.05
Mana   66 0.19 +0.19
Democrats   37 0.10 +0.04
Libertarianz   20 0.06 +0.02
Alliance   14 0.04 -0.08
Informal votes 692 250
Total Valid votes 34,553 35,267
National hold Majority 7,088 20.52 -3.13

Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 46,817[20]

2008 election

General election, 2008: Nelson[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 tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party Votes % ±%
National Green tickY Nick Smith 20,471 57.13 +1.41 15,378 42.46 +5.45
Labour Maryan Street 12,000 33.49 +5.84 13,689 37.79 -5.17
Green Diana Mellor 2,605 7.27 -4.45 3,417 9.43 +1.69
Kiwi Robin Westley 312 0.87 256 0.71
ACT Paul Hufflett 306 0.85 +0.45 900 2.48 +1.43
United Future Kelvin Deal 138 0.39 -1.17 387 1.07 -2.43
NZ First   1,104 3.05 -1.28
Progressive   282 0.78 -0.35
Bill and Ben   209 0.58
Māori   184 0.51 +0.27
Family Party   160 0.44
Legalise Cannabis   144 0.40 +0.12
Alliance   42 0.12 +0.03
Democrats   24 0.07 ±0.00
Workers Party   13 0.04
Libertarianz   12 0.03 +0.01
Pacific   11 0.03
RONZ   5 0.01 ±0.00
RAM   3 0.01
Informal votes 241 115
Total Valid votes 35,832 36,220
Turnout 36,548 81.77 -1.00
National hold Majority 8,471 23.64 -4.43


2005 election

General election, 2005: Nelson[22][23]
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 tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party Votes % ±%
National Green tickY Nick Smith 20,299 55.72 +8.45 13,619 37.01 +17.68
Labour Jen McCutcheon 10,073 27.65 -6.94 15,809 42.96 -1.96
Green Mike Ward 4,269 11.72 -0.51 2,848 7.74 -1.18
United Future Dennis Wells 568 1.56 -0.72 1,289 3.50 -3.18
Destiny Jason Thomson 383 1.05 361 0.98
Progressive Jacqueline McAlpine 252 0.69 +0.06 417 1.13 -0.18
Christian Heritage Nick Barber 209 0.57 -1.33 141 0.38 -1.48
Māori Anne Fitzsimon 165 0.45 89 0.24
ACT Mike Heine 144 0.40 388 1.05 -2.94
Direct Democracy Rex Newey 67 0.18 50 0.14
NZ First   1,593 4.33 -2.04
Legalise Cannabis   104 0.28 -0.29
Alliance   33 0.09 -1.09
Democrats   24 0.07
One NZ   11 0.03 -0.06
Libertarianz   9 0.02
Family Rights   7 0.02
99 MP   6 0.02
RONZ   4 0.01 ±0.00
Informal votes 260 113
Total Valid votes 36,429 36,802
Turnout 37,052 82.77 +3.19
National hold Majority 10,226 28.07 +15.39

2002 election

General election, 2002: Nelson[23][24]
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 tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party Votes % ±%
National Green tickY Nick Smith 15,779 47.27 +2.49 6,517 19.33 -7.70
Labour John Kennedy 11,547 34.59 +2.83 15,149 44.92 +4.30
Green Mike Ward 4,084 12.23 +2.10 3,008 8.92 +0.78
United Future Dennis Wells 762 2.28 2,254 6.68 +5.68a
Christian Heritage Nick Barber 635 1.90 -1.20 628 1.86 -2.80
Alliance Mary O'Connor 364 1.09 -6.13 398 1.18 -7.74
Progressive Adrian Bayly 211 0.63 441 1.31
NZ First   2,147 6.37 +4.27
ORNZ   1,602 4.75
ACT   1,346 3.99 -1.52
Legalise Cannabis   193 0.57 -0.13
One NZ   30 0.09 -0.01
NMP   5 0.01 -0.08
RONZ   4 0.01
Mana Māori   3 0.01 ±0.00
Informal votes 286 115
Total Valid votes 33,382 33,721
Turnout 33,923 79.58
National hold Majority 4,232 12.68 -0.35
a United Future swing is compared to the 1999 results of United NZ and Future NZ, who merged in 2000.

1999 election

General election, 1999: Nelson[23][25][26]
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 tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party Votes % ±%
National Green tickY Nick Smith 15,542 44.78 9,419 27.03
Labour Simon Fraser 11,021 31.76 14,154 40.62
Green Mike Ward 3,516 10.13 2,835 8.14
Alliance Mary O'Connor 2,505 7.22 3,108 8.92
Christian Heritage Nick Barber 1,077 3.10 1,624 4.66
ACT Philip Gully 461 1.33 1,920 5.51
NZ First Trevor Squires 296 0.85 732 2.10
McGillicuddy Serious Tim Owens 223 0.64 95 0.27
NMP Suzanne Johnston 64 0.18 32 0.09
Legalise Cannabis   278 0.80
Future NZ   216 0.62
United NZ   131 0.38
Libertarianz   114 0.33
South Island   67 0.19
Animals First   51 0.15
One NZ   34 0.10
Natural Law   14 0.04
Mana Māori   5 0.01
People's Choice 5 0.01
Freedom Movement 4 0.01
Mauri Pacific   4 0.01
Republican   3 0.01
Informal votes 485 345
Total Valid votes 34,705 34,845
National hold Majority 4,521 13.03

1996 election

General election, 1996: Nelson[27][28][29]
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 tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party Votes % ±%
National Nick Smith 20,481 59.22 10,652 30.78
Labour Red XN John Blincoe 8,057 23.30 11,012 31.82
Alliance Mike Ward 3,171 9.17 4,220 12.20
NZ First Bernard Downey 1,510 4.37 3,417 9.88
Christian Coalition Nick Barber 749 2.17 2,206 6.38
McGillicuddy Serious Tim Owens 279 0.81 187 0.54
ACT Graeme Williams 251 0.73 1,900 5.49
Natural Law Michelle McGregor 86 0.25 59 0.17
Legalise Cannabis   464 1.34
United NZ   230 0.66
Progressive Green   94 0.27
Animals First   62 0.18
Green Society   26 0.08
Asia Pacific United 21 0.06
Superannuitants & Youth   14 0.04
Libertarianz   13 0.04
Advance New Zealand 7 0.02
Conservatives   7 0.02
Mana Māori   6 0.02
Ethnic Minority Party 4 0.01
Te Tawharau 1 0.00
Informal votes 165 147
Total Valid votes 34,584 34,602
National gain from Labour Majority 12,424 35.92

1981 election

New Zealand general election, 1981 - Nelson result
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Philip Woollaston 8,198 40.41
Independent Mel Courtney 7,500 36.97
National L G H Thompson 2,749 13.55
Social Credit N J L McLean 1,545 7.61
Values Mike Ward 297 1.46
Turnout 20,289
Majority 698 3.44

1976 by-election

Nelson by-election, 1976[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Mel Courtney 8,418 48.4
National Peter Malone 6,913 39.7
Values Gwen Struik 1,583 9.1
Social Credit Rudolph Muller 452 2.6
Imperial British Conservative C P Weallens 38 0.2
Majority 1,505 8.7
Informal votes 66
Turnout 17,470 66.0
Registered electors 22,105
Labour hold Swing

1931 election

General election, 1931: Nelson[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Harry Atmore 4,749 50.53 -12.44
Reform Herbert Everett[32] 4,649 49.47
Majority 100 1.06 -24.89
Informal votes 55 0.58 -0.91
Turnout 9,453 89.18 +0.09
Registered electors 10,600

1928 election

General election, 1928: Nelson[33]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Harry Atmore 5,603 62.98 +4.64
Reform F W O Smith 3,294 37.02
Majority 2,309 25.95 -3.07
Informal votes 135 1.49
Turnout 9,032 89.09 +3.56
Registered electors 10,138

1925 election

General election, 1925: Nelson[34]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Independent Harry Atmore 4,721 58.33 -4.89
Reform A Gilbert 2,372 29.31 -7.47
Labour Tom Brindle 1,000 12.36
Majority 2,349 29.03 +2.58
Turnout 8,093 85.53 -6.33
Registered electors 9,462

1899 election

General election, 1899: Nelson[35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal John Graham 2,551 56.43 +1.89
Conservative Richmond Hursthouse 1,970 43.57
Majority 581 12.85 +3.77
Turnout 4,521 84.22 +3.15
Registered electors 5,368

1890 election

General election, 1890: Nelson[36]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Joseph Harkness 672 47.22
Liberal John Kerr 657 46.17
Liberal Francis William Flowerday 94 6.60
Majority 15 1.05
Turnout 1,423 77.71
Registered electors 1,831

Table footnotes

  1. ↑ 2014 Internet Mana swing is relative to the votes for Mana in 2011; it shared a party list with Internet in the 2014 election.

Notes

  1. ↑ New Zealand Parliament - Nick Smith MP
  2. ↑ Report of the Representation Commission 2007 (PDF). Representation Commission. 14 September 2007. p. 9. ISBN 978-0-477-10414-2. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  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. ↑ Wilson 1985.
  5. 1 2 Scholefield 1950, p. 161.
  6. ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 120.
  7. ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 112.
  8. ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 109.
  9. 1 2 Scholefield 1950, p. 94.
  10. ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 105.
  11. ↑ Scholefield 1950, p. 129.
  12. ↑ Moore, Bill (21 September 2014). "Nick Smith returned as Nelson MP". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  13. ↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "Present And Past Members Of Parliament". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  14. ↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "Present And Past Members Of Parliament". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  15. ↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "Present And Past Members Of Parliament". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  16. ↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "Present And Past Members Of Parliament". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  17. ↑ Cyclopedia Company Limited (1906). "Present And Past Members Of Parliament". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Nelson, Marlborough & Westland Provincial Districts. Christchurch. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
  18. ↑ "Official Count Results -- Nelson (2014)". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  19. ↑ 2011 election results
  20. ↑ "Enrolment statistics". Electoral Commission. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  21. ↑ 2008 election results
  22. ↑ "Official Count Results – Nelson". Elections New Zealand. 2005. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  23. 1 2 3 "Electorate Profile Nelson" (PDF). New Zealand Parliamentary Library. October 2005. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  24. ↑ "Official Count Results – Nelson". Elections New Zealand. 2002. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  25. ↑ "Votes for Registered Parties by Electorate". Elections New Zealand. 1999. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  26. ↑ "Elected Candidate Votes by Electorate". Elections New Zealand. 1999. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  27. ↑ "Electorate Candidate and Party Votes Recorded at Each Polling Place - Nelson, 1996" (PDF). Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  28. ↑ "Part III - Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  29. ↑ "Part III - Party Lists of unsuccessful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  30. ↑ Norton 1988, p. 286.
  31. ↑ The General Election, 1931. Government Printer. 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  32. ↑ "Opposing Mr Atmore". The Evening Post. CXII (110). 5 November 1931. p. 10. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  33. ↑ The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. 1929. p. 4. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  34. ↑ "South Island". Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle. XXI (1055). 10 November 1925. p. 1. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  35. ↑ "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  36. ↑ "The General Election, 1890". National Library. 1891. Retrieved 25 February 2012.

References

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