Owairaka (New Zealand electorate)

Owairaka was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate that existed for one parliamentary term from 1996 to 1999. Located in suburban Auckland, it was held by Helen Clark, who would become Prime Minister of New Zealand immediately after Owairaka was abolished.

Population centres

The 1996 election was notable for the significant change of electorate boundaries, based on the provisions of the Electoral Act 1993.[1] Because of the introduction of the mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system, the number of electorates had to be reduced, leading to significant changes. More than half of the electorates contested in 1996 were newly constituted, and most of the remainder had seen significant boundary changes. In total, 73 electorates were abolished, 29 electorates were newly created (including Owairaka), and 10 electorates were recreated, giving a net loss of 34 electorates.

For the 1996 election, the New Lynn electorate moved west. The Owairaka electorate gained its north-western area from what previously belonged to New Lynn. The Owairaka electorate took over the complete area that previously belonged to the Roskill electorate. The southern half of the Mount Albert electorate went to Owairaka as did the western part of the Onehunga electorate. The electorate covered a suburban part of the city of Auckland including Avondale, New Windsor, Lynfield, Hillsborough, Three Kings, the southern parts of Mount Eden, and Mount Albert.

History

The electorate was established in the first mixed-member proportional (MMP) election in 1996. The election was won by Helen Clark, who had held the Mount Albert electorate since the 1981 election.[2]

The electorate was abolished after one parliamentary term for the 1999 election. The southern half of the Owairaka electorate went to the newly established Mount Roskill electorate, whilst the northern half went to the recreated Mount Albert electorate. Clark returned to the Mount Albert electorate, which she continued to represent until her resignation in 2009.[3] From 1999 to 2008, Clark was Prime Minister of New Zealand.[4]

Members of Parliament

Key

 Labour  

Election Winner
1996 election Helen Clark
(Electorate abolished 1999; see Mount Roskill and Mount Albert)

Election results

1996 election

General election 1996: Owairaka[5][6][7]

Notes: Green 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.
A Green tickY or Red XN denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party Candidate Votes % ±% Party Votes % ±%
Labour Helen Clark 16,686 51.20 11,524 35.15
National Phil Raffills 10,706 32.85 10,657 32.51
NZ First Jason Keiller 2,297 7.05 2,710 8.27
Alliance Keith Locke 1,775 5.45 2,576 7.86
ACT Andrew Couper 768 2.36 2,218 6.77
McGillicuddy Serious Julia Johnson 217 0.67 67 0.20
Natural Law Martin Davy 90 0.28 64 0.20
Advance New Zealand Eric Chuah 50 0.15 48 0.15
Christian Coalition   1,664 5.08
Legalise Cannabis   462 1.41
Ethnic Minority Party 274 0.84
United NZ   268 0.82
Progressive Green   90 0.27
Green Society 42 0.13
Animals First   41 0.13
Superannuitants & Youth 24 0.07
Mana Māori   22 0.07
Libertarianz   16 0.05
Conservatives 10 0.03
Asia Pacific United 7 0.02
Te Tawharau 0 0.00
Informal votes 429 234
Total Valid votes 32,589 32,784
Labour win new seat Majority 5,980 18.35

References

  1. Electoral Act 1993, Act No. 87 of 17 August 1993. Retrieved on 30 June 2015.
  2. Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 189. OCLC 154283103.
  3. Young, Audrey (18 April 2009). "Haere ra Helen and Heather". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. "Helen Clark steps down after Labour's loss in NZ election". The New Zealand Herald. 8 November 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  5. "Electorate Candidate and Party Votes Recorded at Each Polling Place – Owairaka, 1996" (PDF). Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  6. "Part III – Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  7. "Part III – Party Lists of unsuccessful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
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