Birkenhead (New Zealand electorate)

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Birkenhead was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate on Auckland's North Shore from 1969 to 1996, when it was absorbed into the Northcote electorate.

Birkenhead electorate boundaries between 1993 and 1996.

Population centres

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Through an amendment in the Electoral Act in 1965, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, an increase of one since the 1962 electoral redistribution.[1] It was accepted that through the more rapid population growth in the North Island, the number of its electorates would continue to increase, and to keep proportionality, three new electorates were allowed for in the 1967 electoral redistribution for the next election.[2] In the North Island, five electorates were newly created (including Birkenhead) and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished.[3] In the South Island, three electorates were newly created and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished.[4] The overall effect of the required changes was highly disruptive to existing electorates, with all but three electorates having their boundaries altered.[5] These changes came into effect with the 1969 election.[2]

This suburban electorate was on the North Shore of Auckland. Most of its original area had previously been with the Waitemata electorate.[6] It was absorbed into the Northcote electorate.

History

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Norman King of the Labour Party had first been elected to the Waitemata electorate in the 1954 election. He was the first representatives for the Birkenhead electorate when it was created for the 1969 election.[7] King was defeated in the 1975 election by Jim McLay of the National Party.[8]

The electorate was abolished in the 1996 election, the first mixed-member proportional (MMP) election.

Members of Parliament

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Key

  Labour   National

Election Winner
1969 election Norman King
1972 election
1975 election Jim McLay
1978 election
1981 election
1984 election
1987 election Jenny Kirk
1990 election Ian Revell
1993 election
(Electorate abolished in 1996; see Northcote)

Election results

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1993 election

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1993 general election: Birkenhead[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ian Revell 7,866 36.99 −12.16
Labour Ann Hartley 7,762 36.50
Alliance Bob Lack 3,314 15.58
NZ First Ruth Norman 1,681 7.90
Christian Heritage Tony Brebner 364 1.71
McGillicuddy Serious Ben Nicholson 164 0.77
Natural Law Angela Wood 68 0.31
Workers Rights Caroline Selwood-Hatt 45 0.21
Majority 104 0.48 −13.21
Turnout 21,264 85.98 −0.54
Registered electors 24,730

1990 election

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1990 general election: Birkenhead[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Ian Revell 10,094 49.15
Labour Jenny Kirk 7,281 35.45 −18.25
Green Michael Crowther 1,820 8.86
NewLabour Ross Tozer 900 4.38
Democrats Richard George Midson 179 0.87 −1.05
McGillicuddy Serious Katerina Jane Julian 161 0.78
Independent Tony Seagar 99 0.48
Majority 2,813 13.69
Turnout 20,534 85.44 −2.85
Registered electors 24,033

1987 election

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1987 general election: Birkenhead[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jenny Kirk 11,063 53.70
National Barry Gustafson 8,843 42.92
Democrats Richard George Midson 397 1.92
NZ Party Eddie Yeoman 186 0.90
Libertarian D I M Fraser 110 0.53
Majority 2,220 10.77
Turnout 20,599 88.29 −4.93
Registered electors 23,329

1984 election

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1984 general election: Birkenhead[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Jim McLay 9,547 43.82 −2.69
Labour John Course 7,830 35.94
NZ Party Janie Pearce 3,761 17.26
Social Credit Bruce Raymond Sheppard 648 2.97
Majority 1,717 7.88 −2.23
Turnout 21,786 93.22 +3.15
Registered electors 23,370

1981 election

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1981 general election: Birkenhead[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Jim McLay 9,672 46.51 −2.11
Labour Bill Smith 7,568 36.39
Social Credit Mervyn Adair 3,552 17.08
Majority 2,104 10.11 −3.06
Turnout 20,792 90.07 +18.54
Registered electors 23,082

1978 election

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1978 general election: Birkenhead[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Jim McLay 9,350 48.62 −3.14
Labour Rex Stanton 6,816 35.44
Social Credit Des Long 2,583 13.43
Values Keith Wargeant 480 2.49
Majority 2,534 13.17
Turnout 19,229 71.53 −13.30
Registered electors 26,882

1975 election

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1975 general election: Birkenhead[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Jim McLay 10,871 51.76
Labour Norman King 8,055 38.35 −11.46
Values Ray Tomes 1,253 5.96
Social Credit George Thew 907 4.31 −1.17
Independent Noel Hardie 14 0.06
Majority 2,816 13.40 −0.23
Turnout 21,000 84.83 −5.32
Registered electors 24,753

1972 election

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1972 general election: Birkenhead[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman King 8,213 49.81 −1.42
National Don McKinnon 6,680 40.51 −1.67
Social Credit George Thew 904 5.48
Values Andrew John Quaill 642 3.89
New Democratic Len Inkster 47 0.28
Majority 1,533 9.29 +0.24
Turnout 16,486 90.15 +1.33
Registered electors 18,286

1969 election

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1969 general election: Birkenhead[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman King 9,623 51.23
National Don McKinnon 7,922 42.18
Social Credit John Robert Neil 1,236 6.58
Majority 1,701 9.05
Turnout 18,781 88.82
Registered electors 21,144

Notes

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  1. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 108, 111, 112.
  2. ^ a b McRobie 1989, p. 111.
  3. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 107, 111.
  4. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 108, 112.
  5. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 111f.
  6. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 106, 111.
  7. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 210.
  8. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 210, 216.
  9. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1993.
  10. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1990.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Norton 1988, pp. 202.

References

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  • 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.