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in: Pages with script errors, New Zealand electorates, Politics of the Wellington Region,
and 5 more

Wellington Central (electorate)

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Wellington Central is an electorate, represented by a Member of Parliament in the New Zealand House of Representatives. Its MP since November 2008 has been Labour Party's Grant Robertson.

Population centres[]

Through the City Single Electorates Act, 1903, the three-member electorates of the four main centres were split again, and this became effective at the end of the 15th Parliament and was thus used for the 1905 election. The City of Wellington electorate split into the Wellington East, Wellington Central, and Wellington North electorates.[1]

As of 1999 Wellington Central covered the central city and its immediate suburban periphery, stretching from Karori, Wilton and Wadestown in the west, to the summit of Mount Victoria in the east, and southwards to a boundary with the Rongotai electorate near Wellington Hospital. Prior to the 1999 election, its boundaries extended further north to include the affluent suburbs of Ngaio and Khandallah.

Wellington Central has one of the most affluent and well-educated constituencies in New Zealand. It is home to many government agencies, as well as to the New Zealand Parliament Buildings and to two universities.

Following the 2014 boundary review, Wellington Central lost the suburb of Wadestown to the Ōhāriu electorate.

History[]

Wellington Central was established in 1905 when the multi-member urban electorate City of Wellington was replaced by three new seats: Wellington East, Wellington North and Wellington Central. It was nominally abolished in 1993, when a redistribution moved its boundary west, resulting in the new name of Wellington-Karori. Three years later, a new, larger Wellington Central was created as one of the 65 original MMP constituencies in time for the 1996 election. A prominent holder of the seat was Labour Party leader Peter Fraser, who was Prime Minister from 1940 to 1949.

The first elected MMP representative was ACT Party leader Richard Prebble, controversially elected in 1996 after National Party leader Jim Bolger indicated that National voters should give their electorate vote to Prebble rather than to National's candidate Mark Thomas, in order for ACT to get into parliament. Prebble would eventually become the third representative from Wellington Central in three elections to face defeat after a single term in office. Labour's Marian Hobbs held the seat from 1999, when she defeated Prebble, until 2008, when she retired. Grant Robertson retained Labour's hold on the seat in 2008 and 2011.

A documentary, Campaign, produced by Tony Sutorius, highlighted the events surrounding the 1996 campaign in the electorate.[1]

Members of Parliament[]

Key

  New Liberal     Independent     Reform     Liberal  
  Labour     National     ACT     Green  
Election Winner
1905 election Francis Fisher
1908 election
1911 election
1914 election Robert Fletcher
1918 by-election 1919 election 1922 election 1925 election 1928 election 1931 election 1935 election 1938 election 1943 election Peter Fraser
1946 election 1949 election 1951 election Charles Henry Chapman
1954 election 1957 election Frank Kitts
1960 election 1963 election 1966 election 1969 election Dan Riddiford
1972 election 1975 election 1978 election Ken Comber
1981 election 1984 election 1987 election 1990 election Fran Wilde
1992 by-election Chris Laidlaw
(electorate abolished 1993–1996, see Wellington-Karori)
1996 election Richard Prebble
1999 election 2002 election 2005 election Marian Hobbs
2008 election 2011 election 2014 election Grant Robertson

List MPs[]

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

Election Winner
1999 election Richard Prebble
2002 election Stephen Franks
Sue Kedgley
2005 election Mark Blumsky
Sue Kedgley
2008 election Sue Kedgley
Heather Roy
2013 Paul Foster-Bell1
2014 election James Shaw
Paul Foster-Bell

1Foster-Bell was elected from the party list in May 2013 following the resignation of Jackie Blue.

Election results[]

2014 election[]

General election, 2014: Wellington Central[2]
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 % ±%
Labour Green tickY Grant Robertson 19,807 51.64 +2.49 9,306 23.78 −2.78
National Paul Foster-Bell 11,540 30.09 −2.42 14,689 37.54 −0.88
Green James Shaw 5,077 13.24 −0.39 11,545 29.50 +1.81
NZ First Hugh Barr 580 1.51 +0.78 1,399 3.58 +0.70
Legalise Cannabis Alistair Gregory 353 0.92 −0.13 127 0.32 −0.09
Conservative Brian Hooper 307 0.80 +0.18 590 1.51 +0.82
Internet Callum Valentine 217 0.57 +0.57
Independent Peter Robinson 90 0.23 +0.23
Democrats James Knuckey 57 0.15 +0.15 26 0.07 +0.03
Independent Puhi Karena 52 0.14 +0.06
Internet Mana   578 1.48 +0.85[lower-alpha 1]
Māori   300 0.77 +0.06
ACT   274 0.70 −0.47
United Future   117 0.30 −0.35
Civilian   49 0.13 +0.13
Ban 1080   20 0.05 +0.05
Focus   5 0.01 +0.01
Independent Coalition   5 0.01 +0.01
Informal votes 273 101
Total Valid votes 38,353 39,131
Turnout 39,232 84.14 +2.33
Labour hold Majority 8,267 21.56 +4.92

2011 election[]

General election, 2011: Wellington Central[3]
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 % ±%
Labour Green tickY Grant Robertson 18,836 49.15 +6.97 10,459 26.56 -8.01
National Paul Foster-Bell 12,460 32.51 -4.96 15,128 38.42 +3.01
Green James Shaw 5,225 13.63 -1.14 10,903 27.69 +7.08
ACT Stephen Whittington 412 1.07 -1.21 462 1.17 -2.78
Legalise Cannabis Michael Appleby 404 1.05 +0.05 161 0.41 +0.15
NZ First Ben Craven 279 0.73 +0.73 1,132 2.88 +1.35
Pirate Gynn Rickerby 277 0.72 +0.72
Conservative Paul Stipkovits 236 0.62 +0.62 270 0.69 +0.69
Libertarianz Reagan Cutting 69 0.18 -0.01 40 0.10 -0.01
Alliance Kelly Buchanan 52 0.14 +0.14 18 0.05 -0.003
New Economics Laurence Boomert 44 0.11 +0.11
Independent Puhi Karena 32 0.08 +0.08
Māori   278 0.71 -0.15
United Future   256 0.65 -0.35
Mana   250 0.63 +0.63
Democrats   15 0.04 +0.03
Informal votes 411 153
Total Valid votes 38,326 39,372
Labour hold Majority 6,376 16.64 +11.92

Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 48,316[4]

2008 election[]

General election, 2008: Wellington Central[5]
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 % ±%
Labour Grant Robertson 17,046 42.18 14,244 34.57
National Stephen Franks 15,142 37.47 14,589 35.41
Green Sue Kedgley 5,971 14.78 8,494 20.62
ACT Heather Roy 922 2.28 1,628 3.95
Legalise Cannabis Michael Appleby 407 1.01 108 0.26
United Future Vaughan Smith 226 0.56 412 1.00
Workers Party Don Franks 171 0.42 38 0.09
Progressive David Somerset 141 0.35 272 0.66
Kiwi Rebekah Clement 106 0.26 84 0.20
Libertarianz Bernard Darnton 75 0.19 48 0.12
RAM Grant Brookes 61 0.15 13 0.03
Independent Al Mansell 58 0.14 -
RONZ Justin Harnish 46 0.11 5 0.01
Alliance Richard Wallis 39 0.10 20 0.05
NZ First   629 1.53
Māori   351 0.85
Bill and Ben   215 0.52
Family Party   38 0.09
Pacific   8 0.02
Democrats   4 0.01
Informal votes 229 86
Total Valid votes 40,411 41,200
Labour hold Majority 1,904

2005 election[]

General election, 2005: Wellington Central[6]
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 % ±%
Labour Green tickY Marian Hobbs 20,199 49.32 +8.26 17,936 43.26
National Mark Blumsky 14,019 34.23 +4.69 13,513 32.59
Green Sue Kedgley 3,737 9.12 -3.93 6,530 15.75
ACT Stephen Franks 1,254 3.06 848 2.05
United Future Fiona McKenzie 593 1.45 1,068 2.58
Legalise Cannabis Michael Appleby 426 1.04 98 0.24
Progressive David Somerset 173 0.26 309 0.75
Anti-Capitalist Alliance Stephen Hay 107 0.26
Libertarianz Bernard Darnton 79 0.19 42 0.10
Alliance Kane O'Connell 79 0.19 35 0.08
NZ First   707 1.71
Māori   168 0.41
Destiny   67 0.16
Christian Heritage   24 0.06
Democrats   10 0.02
99 MP   8 0.02
RONZ   4 0.01
Family Rights   3 0.01
Direct Democracy   2 0.00
One NZ   1 0.00
Informal votes 288 86
Total Valid votes 40,954 41,459
Labour hold Majority 6,180 15.09 +3.57

1992 by-election[]

Template:Wellington Central by-election, 1992

1990 election[]

1990 general election: Wellington Central[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Fran Wilde 9,069 41.39 -19.1
National Pauline Gardiner 8,823 40.26
Green Stephen Rainbow 3,164 14.45
NewLabour Jeff Montgomery 604 2.76
McGillicuddy Serious P P Clarke 175 0.80
Democrats R Henderson 49 0.22
Communist League J M Roth 29 0.13
Majority 246 1.12 -22.9
Turnout 21,913 88.67 -4.5
Registered electors 24,714

1987 election[]

General election, 1987: Wellington Central[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Fran Wilde 13,064 60.5 +12.2
National John Feast 7,873 36.5 +11.7
Democrats M D Binney 398 1.8
McGillicuddy Serious M A Servian 160 0.8
Wizard Party Anthony Catford 84 0.4 +0.1
Majority 5,191 24.0 +6.8
Turnout 23,949 93.1 -4.7

1984 election[]

General election, 1984: Wellington Central[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Fran Wilde 11,579 48.3 +0.2
National Rosemary Young-Rouse 7,463 31.1
NZ Party John Feast 4,501 18.8
Social Credit M Belchamber 314 1.3
Wizard Party Anthony Catford 76 0.3 ±0
Independent D S Matthews 51 0.2
Majority 4,116 17.2 +11.5
Turnout 25,200 97.8 +6.6

1981 election[]

General election, 1981: Wellington Central[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Fran Wilde 10,719 48.1
National Ken Comber 9,436 42.4 -2.4
Social Credit D W C Rose 1,898 8.5
Independent W R A Manson 90 0.4
Wizard Party Anthony Catford 76 0.3
Independent J F Stuart 43 0.2
Majority 1,283 5.7
Turnout 24,410 91.2 +35.6

1978 election[]

General election, 1978: Wellington Central[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Ken Comber 9,741 44.8 -3.4
Labour Neville Pickering 8,825 40.6
Social Credit Ron England 1,893 8.7 +6.4
Values K W Roper 1,217 5.6
Tory M G Robinson 51 0.2
Progressive Kiwi David Mitchell 29 0.1 ±0
Majority 916 4.2 -1.3
Turnout 39,435 55.6 -20.8

1975 election[]

General election, 1975: Wellington Central[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Ken Comber 9,553 48.2 +3.3
Labour David Shand 8,477 42.7 -2.0
Values Des Kelly 1,326 6.7
Social Credit Ron England 467 2.3
Progressive Kiwi David Mitchell 13 0.1 -0.5
Majority 1,076 5.5 +5.3
Turnout 26,083 76.4 -14.2

1972 election[]

General election, 1972: Wellington Central[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Ken Comber 8,088 44.9
Labour David Shand 8,061 44.7
Values R N S Overend 1,232 6.8
Social Credit W R Hill 455 2.5
New Democratic David Mitchell 97 0.6
Independent K A Brown 87 0.5
Majority 27 0.2
Turnout 20,111 90.6 +5.5

1969 election[]

General election, 1969: Wellington Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Dan Riddiford 8,467 51.6 -0.8
Labour Olive Smuts-Kennedy 6,267 38.2
Social Credit Godfrey Healy 842 5.1 -0.2
Independent Michael Mitchell 489 3.0
Independent Harry Low 264 1.6
Socialist Action George Fyson 76 0.5
Majority 2,200 13.4 +2.1
Turnout 19,131 85.1 +4.8

1966 election[]

General election, 1966: Wellington Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Dan Riddiford 7,927 52.4 -0.3
Labour Rolland O'Regan 6,214 41.1
Social Credit Godfrey Healy 799 5.3
Independent H J Hughes 185 1.2
Majority 1,713 11.3 +2.3
Turnout 18,954 80.3 -8.6

1963 election[]

General election, 1963: Wellington Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Dan Riddiford 8,852 52.7 +3.6
Labour Frank Kitts 7,344 43.7 -2.9
Social Credit D T Grooby 409 2.4
Communist Kenneth Stanton 111 0.7 -0.1
Independent H Trewby 92 0.5
Majority 1,508 9.0 +6.5
Turnout 19,049 88.9 +3.2

1960 election[]

General election, 1960: Wellington Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
National Dan Riddiford 7,373 49.1
Labour Frank Kitts 6,992 46.6 -6.3
Social Credit A H Norris 526 3.5 -0.6
Communist Kenneth Stanton 127 0.8
Majority 381 2.5
Turnout 17,632 85.7 -6.3

1957 election[]

General election, 1957: Wellington Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Frank Kitts 8,980 52.9 +3.4
National Max Wall 7,295 43.0
Social Credit A H Norris 699 4.1
Majority 1,685 9.9 +5.9
Turnout 18,579 92.0 +3.8

1954 election[]

General election, 1954: Wellington Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Frank Kitts 7,752 49.5
National Allan Highet 7,125 45.5
Social Credit E B Elliot 791 5.0
Majority 627 4.0
Turnout 18,367 86.2 +2.8

1951 election[]

General election, 1951: Wellington Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Charles Henry Chapman 4,463 51.6 -1.4
National Berta Burns 4,186 48.4
Majority 277 3.2 -2.8
Turnout 10,407 83.5 -4.8

1949 election[]

General election, 1949: Wellington Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Charles Henry Chapman 5,078 53.0 -4.8
National Will Appleton 4,503 47.0
Majority 575 6.0 -9.4
Turnout 10,944 88.3 +0.5

1946 election[]

General election, 1946: Wellington Central[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Charles Henry Chapman 6,201 57.83
National Agnes Louisa Weston[nb 1] 4,521 42.17
Majority 1,680 15.67 +7.52
Informal votes 96 0.89 -0.60
Turnout 10,818 88.35 +7.75
Registered electors 12,245

Table footnotes:

  1. ↑ McRobie, 1989, pp. 66ff
  2. ↑ Official Count Results (2014) -- Wellington Central. Electoral Commission (10 October 2014).
  3. ↑ Official Count Results -- Wellington Central. Electoral Commission (10 December 2011).
  4. ↑ Enrolment statistics. Electoral Commission (26 November 2011). Retrieved on 17 December 2011.
  5. ↑ 2008 election results
  6. ↑ election result Wellington Central 2005
  7. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1 at line 4058: data for mw.loadData contains unsupported data type 'function'.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Norton, 1988, pp. 387
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Norton, 1988, pp. 386
  10. ↑ The General Election, 1946. National Library (1947). Retrieved on 1 January 2014.
  11. ↑ Gustafson, 1986, p. 389
  12. ↑ Claude Horace Weston. Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved on 28 March 2014.

1943 election[]

General election, 1943: Wellington Central[1][2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Peter Fraser 6,822 46.12 -16.74
National Will Appleton 5,616 37.97 +0.83
Independent Colin Scrimgeour 2,253 15.23
Independent William Julius Hyde 100 0.68
Majority 1,206 8.15 -17.57
Informal votes 223 1.49 +0.89
Turnout 15,014 80.59 +6.15
Registered electors 18,629

1938 election[]

General election, 1938: Wellington Central[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Peter Fraser 9,376 62.86 -6.19
National Will Appleton 5,539 37.14
Majority 3,837 25.73 -12.37
Informal votes 89 0.59
Turnout 15,004 86.74 +5.05
Registered electors 17,297

1935 election[]

General election, 1935: Wellington Central[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Peter Fraser 7,673 69.43 12.17
United/Reform Will Mason 3,380 30.57
Majority 4,293 38.84 +16.41
Turnout 11,053

1931 election[]

General election, 1931: Wellington Central[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Peter Fraser 6,308 57.26 -3.55
United Robert Darroch 3,837 34.83
Independent Edward William Nicolaus 688 6.25
Communist Richard Francis Griffin 183 1.66
Majority 2,471 22.43 -6.17
Informal votes 91 0.82 -0.37
Turnout 11,107 74.82 -8.79
Registered electors 14,845

1928 election[]

General election, 1928: Wellington Central[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Peter Fraser 7,353 60.81
Reform Andrew Sloane 3,895 32.21
Independent Labour Margaret Young 843 6.97
Majority 3,458 28.60
Informal votes 145 1.19
Turnout 12,236 83.61
Registered electors 14,635

1925 election[]

General election, 1925: Wellington Central[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Peter Fraser 5,459 64.02 -0.71
Reform Andrew Sloane 3,069 35.98
Majority 2,390 28.02 -18.65
Turnout 8,528

1922 election[]

General election, 1922: Wellington Central[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Peter Fraser 5,827 64.73 +7.40
Independent William Bennett 1,625 18.05
Liberal-Labour Archibald Sievwright 1,550 17.21
Majority 4,202 46.67 +32.03
Informal votes 102 1.13
Turnout 9,002

1919 election[]

General election, 1919: Wellington Central[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Peter Fraser 4,486 57.33 +0.79
Liberal Frederick Pirani 3,430 42.67
Majority 1,146 14.64 -19.77
Turnout 7,826

1918 by-election[]

Template:Wellington Central by-election, 1918

1914 election[]

1914 general election: Wellington Central[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Robert Fletcher 5,208 64.40
Reform Francis Fisher 2,879 35.60
Majority 2,329 28.80
Informal votes 84 1.03
Turnout 8,171 84.47
Registered electors 9,673
Liberal gain from Reform Swing

1911 election[]

First ballot[]

1911 general election: Wellington Central[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Reform Francis Fisher 2,987 39.71
Liberal Robert Fletcher 2,983 39.66
Labour Tom Young 1,372 18.24
Socialist Frank Freeman 180 2.39
Majority 4 0.05
Informal votes 121 1.58
Turnout 7,643 70.89
Registered electors 10,781

Second ballot[]

1911 general election: Wellington Central[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Reform Francis Fisher 3,813 50.87
Liberal Robert Fletcher 3,682 49.13
Majority 131 1.75
Informal votes 19 0.25
Turnout 7,514 69.70
Registered electors 10,781
Reform gain from Independent Swing

1905 election[]

General election, 1905: Wellington Central[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
New Liberal Francis Fisher 3,142 48.63
Liberal Patrick O'Regan 2,698 41.76
Ind. Labour League Albert Cooper 243 3.76
Informal votes 90 1.39
Majority 445 6.88
Turnout 6,353

Table footnotes[]

  1. ↑ The General Election, 1943. National Library (1944). Retrieved on 28 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Results from all Electorates", 27 September 1943, p. 6. Retrieved on 28 March 2014. 
  3. ↑ "City Nominations", 9 September 1943, p. 9. Retrieved on 28 March 2014. 
  4. ↑ The General Election, 1938. National Library (1939). Retrieved on 28 March 2014.
  5. ↑ (1936) The New Zealand Official Year-Book. Government Printer. Retrieved on 3 August 2013. 
  6. ↑ "Declaration of Result of Poll for the Electoral District of Wellington Central", 10 December 1931, p. 2. Retrieved on 5 March 2014. 
  7. ↑ (1929) The General Election, 1928. Government Printer, 6. Retrieved on 4 December 2013. 
  8. ↑ "Declaration of Result of Poll for the Electoral District of Wellington Central", 29 November 1928, p. 14. Retrieved on 5 March 2014. 
  9. ↑ (1926) The General Election, 1925. Government Printer, 2. Retrieved on 20 November 2014. 
  10. ↑ (1924) The New Zealand Official Year-Book. Government Printer. Retrieved on 24 November 2013. 
  11. ↑ Hislop, 1923, pp. 1–6
  12. ↑ (1921) The General Election, 1919. National Library, 1–6. Retrieved on 6 December 2014. 
  13. ↑ (1915) The General Election, 1914. Government Printer, 3. Retrieved on 15 March 2014. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 (1915) The General Election, 1914. Government Printer, 7. Retrieved on 15 March 2014. 
  15. ↑ The General Election, 1905 1–6. National Library (1906). Retrieved on 8 March 2014.

Notes[]

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. 
  • Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6. 
  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8. 
  • Wilson, James Oakley [First published in 1913] (1985). New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984, 4th, Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103. 
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