Kapiti (New Zealand electorate)

Kapiti was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, from 1972 to 1996. A bellwether electorate, it frequently changed between National and Labour.

Since the 1969 election, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, with continued faster population growth in the North Island leading to an increase in the number of general electorates. There were 84 electorates for the 1969 election,^[1] and the 1972 electoral redistribution saw three additional general seats created for the North Island, bringing the total number of electorates to 87.^[2] Together with increased urbanisation in Christchurch and Nelson, the changes proved very disruptive to existing electorates. ^[2] In the South Island, three electorates were abolished, and three electorates were newly created.^[3] In the North Island, five electorates were abolished, two electorates were recreated, and six electorates were newly created (including Kapiti).^[4]

The main population centres in the electorate were Paraparaumu, Otaki, Raumati Beach, Raumati South and Waikanae, north of Wellington on the Kāpiti Coast.^[5] The 1977 electoral redistribution saw the electorate move south, and Otaki and Waikanae transferred to the newly created Horowhenua electorate.^[6] Waikanae came back to the Kapiti electorate through the 1987 electoral redistribution.^[7]

In 1996 with the introduction of mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation, Paraparaumu south of the airport and Raumati went into the Mana electorate, while Waikanae and the rest of Paraparaumu went into the Ōtaki electorate.

The electorate changed between National and Labour several times. National's Allan McCready had represented the Otaki electorate since 1960 and when Otaki was abolished in 1972 and the Manawatu electorate moved towards the south and included the town of Levin, McCready transferred to Manawatu.^[8][9] Frank O'Flynn of the Labour Party won the 1972 election against National's Barry Brill, but Brill in turn defeated Flynn in 1975.^[10] Brill served until 1981 when he was beaten by Labour's Margaret Shields.^[11] Shields had initially been declared the winner of the 1978 election but she lost by 83 votes on a magisterial recount.^[12]

Shields was defeated by National's Roger Sowry in the 1990 election.^[12][13]

The Kapiti electorate was abolished in 1996, and most of its area went to the re-established Otaki electorate. Sowry stood for Otaki, was defeated by Labour's Judy Keall, but remained in Parliament as a list MP.^[13]

Key

  Labour   National

• McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 266. 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.