Epsom (New Zealand electorate)
Epsom is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. As of the 2014 general election, its member of parliament is David Seymour.
Epsom has been an important electorate in New Zealand politics as it has allowed the ACT Party to gain seats in parliament without meeting the five percent party vote threshold.
Population centres
Epsom is based around central and eastern Auckland City. It contains the suburbs of Parnell, Remuera, Mount Eden, Newmarket, half of Greenlane and the eponymous suburb of Epsom. Under boundary changes resulting from the 2006 census, Epsom was enlarged to include the central city suburb of Grafton, but most of the area was lost again following the 2013 census. It is New Zealand's smallest electorate, covering just 20 km2 (8 sq mi).[1]
Epsom was created ahead of the first Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) election in 1996, carved out of the Remuera and Eden seats. Remuera was a safe seat for the National Party, having never elected a Member of Parliament from the Labour Party, while Eden was a bellwether seat, changing hands with the change of government. Both of these seats were held by National MPs - Christine Fletcher in Eden and Doug (later Sir Douglas) Graham in Remuera.
The electorate's population is predominately New Zealand European with a significant Asian population. The median household income is $118,300 - the highest of all New Zealand electorates.[1]
History
The Epsom seat was first contested in New Zealand's first MMP election in 1996. The National party candidate was Christine Fletcher; she came out of the election with the nation's biggest personal majority: a 19,000 vote margin over the second placed Labour candidate, Helen Duncan.
With Fletcher standing down at the 1999 election to focus on her role as the newly elected Mayor of Auckland, the electorate battle was a contest between new National candidate Richard Worth and ACT List MP Rodney Hide. Worth won the seat by approximately 1,900 votes. In 2002, he easily retained Epsom, with other parties contesting only the party vote.
The 2005 race for Epsom was won by Rodney Hide[2] after a tough contest for the personal vote. As the leader of ACT, Hide was determined to contest Epsom in order to guarantee his part's representation in the next parliament, should ACT not break the five percent threshold - under New Zealand electoral law, a party can gain representation by either getting five percent of the vote or by winning one or more electoral seats.
As it became more likely ACT would not break five percent, the campaign in Epsom became more intense, with Hide lobbying voters to vote strategically to keep ACT in Parliament, a message that ultimately prevailed, with National MP Richard Worth, defeated by 3,102 votes on election night and returned to Parliament via the National Party list. Hide's win in Epsom also allowed ACT member Heather Roy to enter parliament.
Hide increased his majority in 2008, and winning Epsom allowed four other ACT MPs to enter parliament. But Hide stepped down as ACT leader in April 2011 after succumbing to a leadership challenge from Don Brash.[3] The ACT party selected former Auckland Mayor John Banks as their candidate for the 2011 election, who won the contest.[4]
In 2013, John Banks announced that he would leave Parliament at the 2014 election, and so would not contest the Epsom electorate. After being found guilty at trial for electoral fraud, he announced his resignation effective 13 June 2014, leaving the Epsom seat vacant.[5] Due to the proximity of the next general election, Parliament voted by supermajority to avoid a by-election.[6]
Members of Parliament
Key
Election | Winner | |
---|---|---|
1996 election | Christine Fletcher | |
1999 election | Richard Worth | |
2002 election | ||
2005 election | Rodney Hide | |
2008 election | ||
2011 election | John Banks | |
2014 election | David Seymour |
List MPs
Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Epsom electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.
Election | Winner | |
---|---|---|
1998 | Helen Duncan1 | |
1999 election | Rodney Hide | |
2002 election | Rodney Hide | |
Keith Locke | ||
2005 election | Keith Locke | |
Richard Worth | ||
2008 election | Keith Locke | |
Richard Worth2 | ||
2011 election | Paul Goldsmith | |
David Parker | ||
2014 election | Julie Anne Genter | |
Paul Goldsmith |
1Replaced Jill White as list MP
2Resigned June 2009, list place taken by Cam Calder
Election results
2014 election
General election, 2014: Epsom[7] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Notes: Green background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
| |||||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party Votes | % | ±% | ||
ACT | David Seymour | 15,966 | 43.08 | −1.02 | 1,023 | 2.72 | +0.17 | ||
National | Paul Goldsmith | 11,716 | 31.61 | −6.19 | 23,904 | 63.45 | −1.07 | ||
Labour | Michael Wood | 3,470 | 9.36 | −1.09 | 5,045 | 13.39 | −2.16 | ||
Green | Julie Anne Genter | 3,021 | 8.15 | +2.14 | 4,706 | 12.49 | +0.46 | ||
Conservative | Christine Rankin | 1,725 | 4.65 | +3.70 | 932 | 2.47 | +1.35 | ||
NZ First | Cliff Lyon | 621 | 1.68 | +1.68 | 1,308 | 3.47 | +0.86 | ||
Mana | Patrick O'Dea | 106 | 0.29 | +0.11 | |||||
Independent | Grace Haden | 59 | 0.16 | +0.16 | |||||
Independent | Matthew Goode | 37 | 0.10 | −0.06 | |||||
Independent | Susanna Kruger | 31 | 0.08 | +0.08 | |||||
Independent | Adam Holland | 21 | 0.06 | +0.06 | |||||
Internet Mana | 312 | 0.83 | +0.67[lower-alpha 1] | ||||||
Māori | 174 | 0.46 | −0.13 | ||||||
Legalise Cannabis | 76 | 0.20 | −0.12 | ||||||
United Future | 61 | 0.16 | −0.16 | ||||||
Civilian | 17 | 0.05 | +0.05 | ||||||
Democrats | 10 | 0.03 | +0.01 | ||||||
Ban 1080 | 7 | 0.02 | +0.02 | ||||||
Focus | 4 | 0.01 | +0.01 | ||||||
Independent Coalition | 3 | 0.01 | +0.01 | ||||||
Informal votes | 286 | 93 | |||||||
Total Valid votes | 37,059 | 37,675 | |||||||
Turnout | 37,768 | 78.09 | +2.36 | ||||||
ACT hold | Majority | 4,250 | 11.28 | +4.98 |
2011 election
General election 2011: Epsom [4] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Notes: Green background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
| |||||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party Votes | % | ±% | ||
ACT | John Banks | 15,835 | 44.10 | -11.96 | 939 | 2.55 | -3.67 | ||
National | Paul Goldsmith | 13,574 | 37.80 | +15.96 | 23,725 | 64.52 | +1.93 | ||
Labour | David Parker | 3,751 | 10.45 | -3.13 | 5,716 | 15.55 | -4.54 | ||
Green | David Hay | 2,160 | 6.01 | -1.39 | 4,424 | 12.03 | +5.10 | ||
Conservative | Simon Kan | 342 | 0.95 | +0.95 | 412 | 1.12 | +1.12 | ||
Independent | Penny Bright | 124 | 0.35 | +0.35 | |||||
Mana | Patrick O'Dea | 66 | 0.18 | +0.18 | 91 | 0.16 | +0.16 | ||
Independent | Matthew Goode | 59 | 0.16 | +0.16 | |||||
NZ First | 959 | 2.61 | +1.16 | ||||||
Māori | 217 | 0.59 | +0.01 | ||||||
Legalise Cannabis | 118 | 0.32 | +0.14 | ||||||
United Future | 116 | 0.32 | -0.35 | ||||||
Libertarianz | 31 | 0.08 | +0.03 | ||||||
Alliance | 12 | 0.03 | -0.001 | ||||||
Democrats | 9 | 0.02 | +0.01 | ||||||
Informal votes | 443 | 160 | |||||||
Total Valid votes | 35,911 | 36,769 | |||||||
ACT hold | Majority | 2,261 | 6.30 | -27.92 |
Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 48,761[8]
2008 election
General election 2008: Epsom[9] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Notes: Green background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
| |||||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party Votes | % | ±% | ||
ACT | Rodney Hide | 21,102 | 56.06 | +13.44 | 2,389 | 6.22 | +2.83 | ||
National | Richard Worth | 8,220 | 21.84 | -12.11 | 24,030 | 62.60 | +4.09 | ||
Labour | Kate Sutton | 5,112 | 13.58 | -3.57 | 7,711 | 20.09 | -7.14 | ||
Green | Keith Locke | 2,787 | 7.40 | +3.18 | 2,662 | 6.93 | +1.60 | ||
United Future | Janet Tuck | 163 | 0.43 | -0.52 | 258 | 0.67 | -1.07 | ||
Kiwi | Grace Haden | 114 | 0.30 | - | 80 | 0.21 | - | ||
RAM | Rafe Copeland | 79 | 0.21 | - | 27 | 0.07 | - | ||
Human Rights | Andrena Bishop | 68 | 0.18 | +0.09 | |||||
NZ First | 557 | 1.45 | -0.98 | ||||||
Māori | 222 | 0.58 | +0.28 | ||||||
Progressive | 133 | 0.35 | -0.22 | ||||||
Bill and Ben | 120 | 0.31 | - | ||||||
Legalise Cannabis | 70 | 0.18 | -0.11 | ||||||
Family Party | 67 | 0.17 | - | ||||||
Libertarianz | 19 | 0.05 | -0.01 | ||||||
Alliance | 13 | 0.03 | +0.00 | ||||||
Workers Party | 13 | 0.03 | - | ||||||
Pacific | 10 | 0.03 | - | ||||||
Democrats | 6 | 0.02 | -0.00 | ||||||
RONZ | 2 | 0.01 | +0.00 | ||||||
Informal votes | 259 | 96 | |||||||
Total Valid votes | 37,645 | 38,389 | |||||||
ACT hold | Majority | 12,882 | 34.22 | +25.55 |
2005 election
Beige denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink denotes a candidate elected to Parliament from their party list.[10]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Party Votes | % |
ACT | Rodney Hide | 15,251 | 42.62 | 1,237 | 3.40 |
National | Richard Worth | 12,149 | 33.95 | 21,310 | 58.51 |
Labour | Stuart Nash | 6,138 | 17.15 | 9,915 | 27.22 |
Green | Keith Locke | 1,513 | 4.23 | 1,941 | 5.33 |
United | Janet Tuck | 340 | 0.95 | 636 | 1.75 |
Progressive | Fatima Ashrafi | 149 | 0.42 | 205 | 0.56 |
Destiny | Rod Gabb | 114 | 0.32 | 66 | 0.18 |
Direct Democracy | Tin Yau Chan | 97 | 0.27 | 28 | 0.08 |
IND | Anthony Van Den Heuvel | 34 | 0.10 | - | - |
NZ First | - | - | - | 887 | 2.44 |
Māori Party | - | - | - | 107 | 0.29 |
Christian Heritage | - | - | - | 33 | 0.09 |
ALCP | - | - | - | 25 | 0.07 |
Libertarianz | - | - | - | 20 | 0.05 |
Alliance | - | - | - | 11 | 0.03 |
Democrats | - | - | - | 6 | 0.02 |
One NZ | - | - | - | 3 | 0.01 |
99 MP | - | - | - | 6 | 0.02 |
Family Rights PP | - | - | - | 3 | 0.01 |
Republic of NZ | - | - | - | 1 | 0.00 |
informal votes | 245 | 94 | |||
total valid votes | 35,785 | 36,421 | |||
ACT gain from National | Majority | 3,102 |
1996 election
General election 1996: Epsom[11][12][13] | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Notes: Green background denotes the winner of the electorate vote.
| |||||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Party Votes | % | ±% | ||
National | Christine Fletcher | 25,217 | 69.95 | 14,870 | 41.09 | ||||
Labour | Helen Duncan | 4,575 | 12.69 | 6,935 | 19.16 | ||||
Alliance | Mary Tierney | 1,787 | 4.96 | 1,611 | 4.45 | ||||
NZ First | Gavin Logan | 1,342 | 3.72 | 2,067 | 5.71 | ||||
ACT | John Boscawen | 1,134 | 3.15 | 7,976 | 22.04 | ||||
Christian Coalition | Ewen McQueen | 577 | 1.60 | 1,116 | 3.08 | ||||
Libertarianz | Lindsay Perigo | 534 | 1.48 | 58 | 0.16 | ||||
Progressive Green | Rob Fenwick | 360 | 1.00 | 149 | 0.41 | ||||
McGillicuddy Serious | Kerry Hoole | 247 | 0.69 | 91 | 0.25 | ||||
Green Society | Sam Cunningham | 112 | 0.31 | 54 | 0.15 | ||||
Natural Law | Bryan Lee | 89 | 0.25 | 53 | 0.15 | ||||
United NZ | Bryan Mockridge | 78 | 0.22 | 451 | 1.25 | ||||
Legalise Cannabis | 427 | 1.18 | |||||||
Ethnic Minority Party | 219 | 0.61 | |||||||
Animals First | 53 | 0.15 | |||||||
Advance New Zealand | 17 | 0.05 | |||||||
Superannuitants & Youth | 15 | 0.04 | |||||||
Asia Pacific United | 11 | 0.03 | |||||||
Mana Māori | 11 | 0.03 | |||||||
Conservatives | 8 | 0.02 | |||||||
Te Tawharau | 0 | 0.00 | |||||||
Informal votes | 232 | 92 | |||||||
Total Valid votes | 36,052 | 36,192 | |||||||
National win new seat | Majority | 20,642 | 57.26 |
Table footnotes
References
- 1 2 "Epsom -- Electorate Profile". Parliamentary Library. September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ↑ "Hon Rodney Hide". New Zealand Parliament. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
- ↑ Satherley, Dan (27 April 2011). "Rodney Hide resigns, makes way for Brash". 3 News.
- 1 2 "Official Count Results -- Epsom". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
- ↑ Audrey Young (8 June 2014). "John Banks to resign from Parliament". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
- ↑ "Parliament avoids calling by-election". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
- ↑ Electoral Commission (10 October 2014). "Official Count Results – Epsom". Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ↑ "Enrolment statistics". Electoral Commission. 21 October 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ↑ 2008 election results Archived December 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Official Count Results -- Epsom". Wellington: Chief Electoral Office. 2005. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
- ↑ "Electorate Candidate and Party Votes Recorded at Each Polling Place - Epsom, 1996" (PDF). Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ↑ "Part III - Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
- ↑ "Part III - Party Lists of unsuccessful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
External links
- Electorate Profile Parliamentary Library