Electoral history of Bill Rowling

Bill Rowling in 1962.

This is a summary of the electoral history of Bill Rowling, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1974–75), Leader of the Labour Party (1974–83), Member of Parliament for Buller (1962–72) and later Tasman (1972–84).

Parliamentary elections

1960 election

General election, 1960: Fendalton^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	National	Harry Lake	9,500	55.6
	Labour	Bill Rowling	6,778	39.6
	Social Credit	JJ Forster	826	4.8
Majority			2,722	16.0
Turnout			18,904	90.7	-2.9

1962 by-election

Buller by-election, 1962^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Bill Rowling	5,242	44.98
	National	Ernie King	4,846	41.58	+5.58
	Social Credit	P. H. Matthews	1,566	13.44	-1.36
Majority			396	3.40
Informal votes			37	0.32
Turnout			11,691	79.40	-12.70
Registered electors			14,724
	Labour hold		Swing

1963 election

General election, 1963: Buller^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Bill Rowling	7,338	52.3	+7.3
	National	Ernie King	5,667	40.4	+4.4
	Social Credit	E Wells	1,033	7.3
Majority			1,671	11.9	+8.5
Turnout			15,440	91.2	+11.9

1966 election

General election, 1966: Buller^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Bill Rowling	6,510	48.3	-4.00
	National	Ernie King	4,668	34.8	-7.6
	Social Credit	WPB Doiger	2,286	16.9	+9.6
Majority			1,822	13.5	+1.6
Turnout			15,303	88.4	-2.8

1969 election

General election, 1969: Buller^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Bill Rowling	8,319	53.4	+5.1
	National	Ernie King	5,497	35.2	+0.4
	Social Credit	DL Hodgkinson	1,774	11.4
Majority			2,822	18.3	+4.8
Turnout			17,782	88.0	-0.4

1972 election

General election, 1972: Tasman^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Bill Rowling	8,046	52.5
	National	Gerald Hunt	6,212	40.6
	Social Credit	JB Bundson	882	5.8
	New Democratic	Gary Eggers	177	1.1
Majority			1,834	11.9
Turnout			17,099	89.9

1975 election

General election, 1975: Tasman^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Bill Rowling	8,344	46.1	-6.4
	National	PH Malone	7,815	43.2
	Social Credit	R Muller	1,020	5.6
	Values	PJ McGrath	693	3.8
	Independent	AG Hayter	238	1.3
Majority			529	2.9	-9.0
Turnout			20,516	88.6	-1.3

1978 election

General election, 1978: Tasman^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Bill Rowling	8,973	49.1	+3.0
	National	Ruth Richardson	7,179	39.3
	Social Credit	R Muller	1,726	9.4	+4.8
	Values	PJ McGrath	362	2.0	-1.8
	Independent	Vine	40	0.2
Majority			1,794	9.8	+6.9
Turnout			23,159	79.4	-9.2

1981 election

General election, 1981: Tasman^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Bill Rowling	8,803	46.0	-3.1
	National	EL Krammer	6,557	34.3
	Social Credit	PB King	3,664	19.2
	Independent	SK Waldron	99	0.5
Majority			2,246	11.7	+2.5
Turnout			21,176	90.3	+11.1

Leadership elections

1974 Leadership election

	Name	Votes	Percentage
	Bill Rowling	44	83.0%
	Hugh Watt	9	17.0%

1980 Leadership election

	Name	Votes	Percentage
	Bill Rowling	19	51%
	David Lange	18	49%

Notes

1. Norton 1988, pp. 224.
2. Norton 1988, p. 204.
3. Norton 1988, pp. 357.

References

• 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.
• Henderson, John (1981). Rowling: The Man and the Myth. Christchurch: Fraser Books. ISBN 0-908620-03-9.