Christchurch Central

Electoral district in Canterbury, New Zealand

This article is about the Christchurch Central electorate. For the Christchurch central city suburb, see Christchurch Central City.

Christchurch Central

Single-member constituency
for the New Zealand House of Representatives

Location of Christchurch Centralwithin Canterbury

Region| Canterbury
Area| 31.56 km2 (12.19 sq mi)
Current constituency
Current MP| Duncan Webb
Party| Labour

Christchurch Central is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the South Island city of Christchurch. The electorate was established for the 1946 election and, until 2011 had always been won by the Labour Party. Since 2008, the incumbent was Brendon Burns but the election night results for the 2011 election resulted in a tie; the special vote results combined with a judicial recount revealed a 47-vote majority for Nicky Wagner, the National list MP based in the electorate. Wagner significantly increased her winning margin in the 2014 election after having declared the electorate "unwinnable" for National earlier in the year following a boundary review. At the 2017 election Wagner lost the seat to Labour's Duncan Webb, who retained it at the 2020 election.

## Population centres

[edit]

Christchurch Central electorate boundaries for the 2008 and 2011 elections

The 1941 New Zealand census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth and movements into account. The North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the country quota through the Electoral Amendment Act, 1945 reduced the number and increased the size of rural electorates. None of the existing electorates remained unchanged, 27 electorates were abolished, eight former electorates were re-established, and 19 electorates were created for the first time, including Christchurch Central.[1]

As the name suggests, the electorate covers the Christchurch Central City, plus several inner suburbs to the north and east of the central city. Since the 2008 election, the following suburbs, in alphabetical order, are at least partially located in the electorate: Avonside, Central City, Edgeware, Linwood, Mairehau, Merivale, North Linwood, Northcote, Papanui, Phillipstown, Redwood, Richmond, Shirley, St Albans, Sydenham, and Waltham.[2] In the 2013/14 redistribution, the electorate lost Mairehau and Shirley to Christchurch East and gained more of Sydenham and Beckenham from Port Hills and more of Redwood from Waimakariri.[3]

## History

[edit]

The Christchurch Central electorate was created in 1946.[4] Labour held the seat for the next 65 years, though a high turnout for the Alliance saw Tim Barnett's 1996 majority come in at under a thousand. The incumbent, Brendon Burns, had a majority in the 2008 election of also just under one thousand.[5]

The first representative was Robert Macfarlane, who had earlier represented the Christchurch South electorate. He held Christchurch Central until the 1969 election, when he retired. He was succeeded by Bruce Barclay, who died in office in 1979. This caused the 1979 by-election held on 18 August, which was won by Geoffrey Palmer. Palmer eventually went on to become Prime Minister.[6]

Palmer retired at the 1990 election and was succeeded by Lianne Dalziel. At the 1996 election, i.e. with the advent of MMP, Dalziel did not contest an electorate but stood as a list candidate only. Tim Barnett succeeded her and held the electorate until the 2008 election, when he retired. Brendon Burns succeeded Barnett.

The election night results for the 2011 election resulted in a tie; Burns and Nicky Wagner of the National Party received 10,493 votes each. The outcome of the election thus depended on the special votes.[7] This was the first time a tie result had been achieved since 1928.[8] When the final vote count was announced on 10 December, Wagner was declared the winner with a majority of 45 over Burns, making the result the second-smallest majority after Waitakere. Due to the closeness of the results a judicial recount was held where Wagner's majority increased by 2 votes to 47.[9][10]

When draft electoral boundary changes were released, Wagner declared the electorate "unwinnable" for National. Although she was expected to not contest the 2014 general election, she announced at the end of January 2014 that she would try to defend her seat.[11] Labour chose Tony Milne as their candidate for Christchurch Central.[12] Wagner had a 2,420 majority over Milne.[13] The Labour Party chose Duncan Webb as its candidate for the 2017 general election. He is a prominent lawyer and earthquake claims advocate.[14] Webb narrowly won the seat in 2017, and massively increased his majority at the 2020 election amid that year's Labour landslide.

### Members of Parliament

[edit]

Christchurch Central has been represented by eight MPs. Since its creation in 1946 until the 2011 general election it had been a safe seat for the Labour Party. It was then held by the National Party until the 2017 general election when it swung back to Labour.

Key Labour Alliance NZ First National

Election  | Winner

|

1946 election |  | Robert Macfarlane
1949 election
1951 election
1954 election
1957 election
1960 election
1963 election
1966 election
1969 election |  | Bruce Barclay
1972 election
1975 election
1978 election
1979 by-election |  | Geoffrey Palmer
1981 election
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election |  | Lianne Dalziel
1993 election
1996 election |  | Tim Barnett
1999 election
2002 election
2005 election
2008 election |  | Brendon Burns
2011 election |  | Nicky Wagner
2014 election
2017 election |  | Duncan Webb
2020 election
2023 election

### List MPs

[edit]

Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Christchurch Central electorate.

Election  | Winner

|

1996 election |  | Ron Mark
| Liz Gordon
1999 election |
2005 election |  | Nicky Wagner
2008 election
2017 election
2023 election |  | Kahurangi Carter

## Election results

[edit]

### 2023 election

[edit]

2023 general election: Christchurch Central[15]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Labour | Y Duncan Webb | 15,553  | 39.68  | -19.60  | 11,357  | 28.49  | -24.73
| National | Dale Stephens  | 13,712  | 34.98  | +10.62  | 12,403  | 31.11  | +11.66
| Green | Kahurangi Carter | 5,441  | 13.88  | +7.49  | 7,746  | 19.43  | +6.74
| NZ First | Mark Arneil  | 1,563  | 3.98  | +2.63  | 2,073  | 5.20  | +3.08
| ACT | Matthew Fisken  | 1,395  | 3.55  | +0.90  | 2,646  | 6.63  | +0.48
| Legalise Cannabis | Michael Britnell  | 680  | 1.73  | -0.01  | 174  | 0.43  | -0.20
| Animal Justice | Sarah Jackson  | 376  | 0.95  |  | 106  | 0.26  |
| Opportunities |  | 2,042  | 5.12  | -2.93
| Te Pāti Māori |  | 405  | 1.01  | +0.66
| New Zealand Loyal |  | 253  | 0.63  |
| NewZeal |  | 108  | 0.27  | +0.04
| DemocracyNZ |  | 82  | 0.20  |
| New Conservative |  | 78  | 0.19  | -0.98
| Freedoms NZ |  | 71  | 0.17  |
| Women's Rights |  | 59  | 0.14  |
| Leighton Baker Party |  | 51  | 0.12  |
| New Nation |  | 36  | 0.09  |
Informal votes  | 472  |  |  | 166  |  |
Total valid votes | 39,192  |  |  | 39,856  |  |
Turnout | 39,856  |  |  |
| Labour hold | Majority | 1,841  | 4.56  | -30.36  |

### 2020 election

[edit]

2020 general election: Christchurch Central[16]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Labour | Y Duncan Webb | 23,931  | 59.28  | +11.81  | 21,681  | 53.22  | +12.65
| National | Dale Stephens  | 9,833  | 24.36  | −14.91  | 7,921  | 19.45  | −19.49
| Green | Chrys Horn  | 2,566  | 6.36  | +0.78  | 5,168  | 12.69  | +2.95
| ACT | Abigail Johnson  | 1,071  | 2.65  | —  | 2,507  | 6.15  | +5.72
| Legalise Cannabis | Michael Britnell  | 704  | 1.74  | +0.88  | 257  | 0.63  | +0.33
| NZ First | Mark Arneil  | 544  | 1.35  | -1.76  | 862  | 2.12  | −3.09
| New Conservative | Benjamin Price  | 430  | 1.07  | —  | 478  | 1.17  | +0.91
| Advance NZ | Carole Church  | 355  | 0.88  | —  | 325  | 0.80  | —
| ONE | Ken Webb  | 143  | 0.35  | —  | 92  | 0.23  | —
| Independent | Hayden Laurie  | 93  | 0.23  | —  |
| Opportunities |  | 887  | 2.19  | −1.29
| Māori Party |  | 142  | 0.35  | −0.03
| Outdoors |  | 24  | 0.06  | +0.01
| Sustainable NZ |  | 24  | 0.06  | —
| Vision NZ |  | 22  | 0.05  | —
| Social Credit |  | 20  | 0.05  | +0.04
| TEA |  | 11  | 0.03  | —
| Heartland |  | 2  | 0.005  | —
Informal votes  | 699  |  |  | 312  |  |
Total valid votes | 40,369  |  |  | 40,735  |  |
Turnout | 40,735  |  |  |
| Labour hold | Majority | 14,098  | 34.92  | +26.72  |

### 2017 election

[edit]

2017 general election: Christchurch Central[17]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Labour | Duncan Webb | 16,631  | 47.47  | +8.54  | 14,541  | 40.57  | +14.31
| National | N Nicky Wagner | 13,760  | 39.27  | −6.95  | 13,956  | 38.94  | −5.72
| Green | Peter Richardson  | 1,957  | 5.58  | −2.85  | 3,492  | 9.74  | −6.08
| NZ First | Phil Robinson  | 1,091  | 3.11  | −0.64  | 1,869  | 5.21  | −1.98
| Opportunities | Doug Hill  | 879  | 2.50  | —  | 1,246  | 3.47  | —
| Legalise Cannabis | Janine Shufflebotham  | 304  | 0.86  | —  | 108  | 0.30  | −0.18
| United Future | Ian Gaskin  | 80  | 0.22  | —  | 45  | 0.12  | −0.05
| ACT |  | 155  | 0.43  | −0.06
| Māori Party |  | 139  | 0.38  | −0.08
| Conservative |  | 94  | 0.26  | −2.85
| Outdoors |  | 21  | 0.05  | —
| Ban 1080 |  | 21  | 0.05  | −0.03
| People's Party |  | 16  | 0.04  | —
| Mana Party |  | 11  | 0.03  | −1.00[a]
| Internet |  | 8  | 0.02  | −1.01[b]
| Democrats |  | 5  | 0.01  | −0.08
Informal votes  | 331  |  |  | 111  |  |
Total valid votes | 35,033  |  |  | 35,838  |  |
Turnout | 36,220  | 81.01[18] | +2.51  |
| Labour gain from National | Majority | 2,871  | 8.20  | +15.49  |

### 2014 election

[edit]

2014 general election: Christchurch Central[19]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| National | Y Nicky Wagner | 15,346  | 46.22  | +1.69  | 15,301  | 44.66  | +0.03
| Labour | Tony Milne  | 12,926  | 38.93  | −5.43  | 8,995  | 26.25  | −3.15
| Green | David Moorhouse  | 2,800  | 8.43  | −0.14  | 5,419  | 15.82  | −0.44
| NZ First | George Abraham  | 1,245  | 3.75  | +3.75  | 2,462  | 7.19  | +2.23
| Conservative | Michael Cooke  | 598  | 1.80  | +0.18  | 1,065  | 3.11  | +1.37
| ACT | Toni Severin | 122  | 0.37  | −0.04  | 167  | 0.49  | −0.29
| Māori Party | Lenis Davidson  | 109  | 0.33  | +0.33  | 157  | 0.46  | −0.04
| Democrats | Robin Columbus  | 57  | 0.17  | +0.17  | 30  | 0.09  | +0.06
| Internet Mana |  | 353  | 1.03  | +0.67[c]
| Legalise Cannabis |  | 165  | 0.48  | −0.16
| United Future |  | 79  | 0.23  | −0.31
| Civilian |  | 40  | 0.12  | +0.12
| Ban 1080 |  | 27  | 0.08  | +0.08
| Independent Coalition |  | 3  | 0.01  | +0.01
| Focus |  | 1  | 0.00  | +0.00
Informal votes  | 281  |  |  | 108  |  |
Total valid votes | 33,203  |  |  | 34,264  |  |
Turnout | 34,480  | 78.01  | +6.32  |
| National hold | Majority | 2,420  | 7.29  | +7.12  |

### 2011 election

[edit]

2011 general election: Christchurch Central[20]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| National | Nicky Wagner | 12,064  | 44.53  | +3.61  | 12,506  | 44.63  | +7.05
| Labour | N Brendon Burns | 12,017  | 44.36  | +0.52  | 8,240  | 29.40  | -9.96
| Green | David Moorhouse  | 2,321  | 8.57  | +0.14  | 4,556  | 16.26  | +5.09
| Conservative | Michael Cooke  | 439  | 1.62  | +1.62  | 487  | 1.74  | +1.74
| Independent | Luke Chandler  | 138  | 0.51  | +0.51  |
| ACT | Toni Severin | 110  | 0.41  | -1.09  | 219  | 0.78  | -1.93
| NZ First |  | 1,391  | 4.96  | +1.83
| Legalise Cannabis |  | 180  | 0.64  | +0.08
| United Future |  | 151  | 0.54  | -0.18
| Māori Party |  | 139  | 0.50  | -0.20
| Mana |  | 100  | 0.36  | +0.36
| Alliance |  | 24  | 0.09  | -0.04
| Libertarianz |  | 22  | 0.08  | +0.01
| Democrats |  | 9  | 0.03  | -0.02
Informal votes  | 532  |  |  | 237  |  |
Total valid votes | 27,089  |  |  | 28,024  |  |
| National gain from Labour | Majority | 47  | 0.17  | +3.08  |

Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 39,419[21]

### 2008 election

[edit]

2008 general election: Christchurch Central[22]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Labour | Brendon Burns | 14,078  | 43.83  | -8.74  | 12,999  | 39.36  | -8.95
| National | Nicky Wagner | 13,143  | 40.92  | +11.65  | 12,409  | 37.58  | +7.07
| Green | Jan McLauchlan  | 2,708  | 8.43  | +1.78  | 3,688  | 11.17  | +1.47
| Progressive | Somnath Bagchi  | 598  | 1.86  | -1.34  | 697  | 2.11  | +0.25
| Legalise Cannabis | Michael Britnell  | 487  | 1.52  | –  | 187  | 0.57  | +0.20
| ACT | Toni Severin | 482  | 1.50  | +0.49  | 897  | 2.72  | +1.66
| Kiwi | Andrew Beaven  | 353  | 1.10  | –  | 218  | 0.66  | –
| Workers Party | Byron Clark[d] | 164  | 0.51  | +0.24  | 33  | 0.10  |
| Alliance | Greg Kleis  | 103  | 0.32  | –  | 41  | 0.12  | +0.01
| NZ First |  | 1,036  | 3.14  | -0.90
| United Future |  | 239  | 0.72  | -2.32
| Māori Party |  | 230  | 0.70  | 0.36
| Bill and Ben |  | 187  | 0.57  | –
| Family Party |  | 87  | 0.26  | –
| Pacific |  | 31  | 0.09  | –
| Libertarianz |  | 21  | 0.06  | +0.04
| Democrats |  | 16  | 0.05  | +0.00
| RONZ |  | 5  | 0.02  | +0.00
| RAM |  | 2  | 0.01  | –
Informal votes  | 306  |  |  | 119  |  |
Total valid votes | 32,116  |  |  | 33,023  |  |
| Labour hold | Majority | 935  | 2.91  | -20.38  |

### 2005 election

[edit]

2005 general election: Christchurch Central[23]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Labour | Y Tim Barnett | 17,685  | 52.57  |  | 16,652  | 48.31  |
| National | Nicky Wagner | 9,849  | 29.28  |  | 10,515  | 30.51  |
| Green | Natalie Cutler-Welsh  | 2,236  | 6.65  |  | 3,342  | 9.70  |
| Progressive | Megan Woods | 1,077  | 3.20  |  | 643  | 1.87  |
| NZ First | Kevin Gardener  | 1,022  | 3.04  |  | 1,391  | 4.04  |
| United Future | John van Buren  | 761  | 2.26  |  | 1,048  | 3.04  |
| ACT | Shirley Marshall  | 340  | 1.01  |  | 364  | 1.06  |
| Destiny | Anita Breach  | 338  | 1.01  |  | 144  | 0.42  |
| Māori Party | Darryl Gregory  | 188  | 0.56  |  | 116  | 0.34  |
| Anti-Capitalist Alliance | Byron Clark  | 90  | 0.27  |  |
| Communist League | Annalucia Vermunt  | 53  | 0.16  |  |
| Legalise Cannabis |  | 125  | 0.36  |
| Alliance |  | 40  | 0.12  |
| Christian Heritage |  | 37  | 0.11  |
| Democrats |  | 15  | 0.04  |
| 99 MP |  | 10  | 0.03  |
| Libertarianz |  | 9  | 0.03  |
| Direct Democracy |  | 7  | 0.02  |
| RONZ |  | 5  | 0.01  |
| Family Rights |  | 4  | 0.01  |
| One NZ |  | 2  | 0.01  |
Informal votes  | 410  |  |  | 193  |  |
Total valid votes | 33,639  |  |  | 34,469  |  |
| Labour hold | Majority | 7,836  |  |  |

### 2002 election

[edit]

2002 general election: Christchurch Central[24]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Labour | Y Tim Barnett | 17,190  | 56.2  |  | 13,853  | 43.4  |
| National | Nicky Wagner | 6,837  | 22.4  |  | 5,338  | 17.0  |
| Green | Matt Morris  | 1,791  | 5.9  |  | 3,479  | 11.1  |
| United Future | Stephen Russell  | 1,160  | 3.8  |  | 2,118  | 6.8  |
| Christian Heritage | Vic Pollard  | 874  | 2.9  |  | 430  | 1.4  |
| ACT | Anthony Watson  | 762  | 2.5  |  | 1,845  | 5.9  |
| Progressive | Fleur Churton  | 761  | 2.5  |  | 930  | 3.0  |
| Alliance | Liz Gordon | 635  | 2.1  |  | 598  | 1.9  |
| Legalise Cannabis | Jeanette Saxby  | 469  | 1.5  |  | 327  | 1.0  |
| Communist League | Appu Baskaran  | 99  | 0.3  |  |
| NZ First |  | 2,106  | 6.7  |
| ORNZ |  | 280  | 0.9  |
| One NZ |  | 16  | 0.1  |
| Mana Māori |  | 10  | <0.1  |
| NMP |  | 3  | (0.1  |
Informal votes  | 516  |  |  | 135  |  |
Total valid votes | 30,578  |  |  | 31,333  |  |
| Labour hold | Majority | 10,353  |  |  |

### 1999 election

[edit]

1999 general election: Christchurch Central[25][26]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Labour | Y Tim Barnett | 17,229  | 52.80  |  | 13,407  |  |
| National | John Stringer  | 7,825  | 23.98  |  | 8,887  |  |
| Alliance | Liz Gordon | 2,690  | 8.24  |  | 3,369  |  |
| Green | Diana Pennell  | 1,658  | 5.08  |  | 2,421  |  |
| ACT | Katherine Sillars  | 951  | 2.91  |  | 1,731  |  |
| Christian Heritage | John Bryant  | 689  | 2.11  |  | 695  |  |
| NZ First | John Ballantyne  | 641  | 1.96  |  | 880  |  |
| Christian Democrats | Daryl Gregory  | 481  | 1.47  |  | 423  |  |
| McGillicuddy Serious | Cecil G. Murgatroyd | 232  | 0.71  |  | 56  |  |
| Independent | David Ball  | 132  | 0.40  |  |
| Communist League | Ruth Gray  | 51  | 0.16  |  |
| National Democrats | Anton Foljambe  | 44  | 0.13  |  |
| Dominion Workers  | Clifford Mundy  | 9  | 0.03  |  |
| Legalise Cannabis |  | 584  |  |
| United NZ |  | 154  |  |
| Libertarianz |  | 132  |  |
| South Island |  | 69  |  |
| Animals First |  | 58  |  |
| Natural Law |  | 17  |  |
| Mauri Pacific |  | 7  |  |
| One NZ |  | 7  |  |
| Republican |  | 7  |  |
| Mana Māori |  | 6  |  |
| NMP |  | 4  |  |
| Freedom Movement  |  | 2  |  |
| People's Choice Party |  | 2  |  |
Informal votes  |  |  |  | 267  |  |
Total valid votes |  |  |  | 32,918  |  |
| Labour hold | Majority | 9,404  |  |  |

### 1996 election

[edit]

1996 general election: Christchurch Central[27][28][29]

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 Y or N denotes status of any incumbent, win or lose respectively.

Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%  | Party votes  | %  | ±%
| Labour | Tim Barnett | 9,689  | 32.28  |  | 9,967  | 32.79  |
| National | Kerry Sullivan  | 9,036  | 30.10  |  | 9,355  | 30.77  |
| Alliance | Liz Gordon | 6,377  | 21.25  |  | 4,372  | 14.38  |
| NZ First | Ron Mark | 3,067  | 10.22  |  | 2,434  | 8.01  |
| ACT | Matthew Ball  | 953  | 3.18  |  | 1,517  | 4.99  |
| Progressive Greens | Gillian Baillie  | 386  | 1.29  |  | 106  | 0.35  |
| United NZ | Jacinta Grice  | 224  | 0.75  |  | 226  | 0.74  |
| Natural Law | Raymond Cain  | 112  | 0.37  |  | 66  | 0.22  |
| Independent | David Christopher Ball  | 102  | 0.34  |  |
| Communist League | Patrick Brown  | 69  | 0.23  |  |
| Christian Coalition |  | 1,162  | 3.82  |
| Legalise Cannabis |  | 931  | 3.06  |
| McGillicuddy Serious |  | 102  | 0.34  |
| Animals First |  | 85  | 0.28  |
| Green Society |  | 19  | 0.06  |
| Superannuitants & Youth |  | 16  | 0.05  |
| Mana Māori |  | 11  | 0.04  |
| Ethnic Minority Party |  | 10  | 0.03  |
| Conservatives |  | 8  | 0.03  |
| Libertarianz |  | 7  | 0.02  |
| Advance New Zealand |  | 3  | 0.01  |
| Asia Pacific United |  | 1  | 0.00  |
| Te Tawharau |  | 1  | 0.00  |
Informal votes  | 476  |  |  | 92  |  |
Total valid votes | 30,015  |  |  | 30,399  |  |
| Labour hold | Majority | 653  | 2.18  |  |

### 1993 election

[edit]

1993 general election: Christchurch Central[30] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Lianne Dalziel | 9,841  | 55.21  | +6.69
| National | Andrew Rowe  | 3,652  | 20.49  |
| Alliance | Michael Vercoe  | 3,501  | 19.64  |
| Christian Heritage | Tony Le Cren  | 413  | 2.32  | +0.06
| McGillicuddy Serious | Kieran Kelly  | 240  | 1.35  |
| Natural Law | Glenda Martin  | 126  | 0.71  |
| Communist League | Carmen Bain  | 52  | 0.29  |
Majority  | 6,189  | 34.72  |
Informal votes  | 764  | 4.11  |
Turnout | 18,589  | 82.61  | +3.70
Registered electors | 22,502  |  |

### 1990 election

[edit]

1990 general election: Christchurch Central[31] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Lianne Dalziel | 8,487  | 48.52  |
| National | Ross Gluer  | 4,718  | 26.97  |
| NewLabour | Sidonie Bradbury-Moore  | 1,963  | 11.22  |
| Green | Ruth Gardner  | 1,541  | 8.81  |
| Christian Heritage | Tony Le Cren  | 396  | 2.26  |
| Democrats | Joe Pounsford  | 164  | 0.93  | −2.27
| McGillicuddy Serious | Shane Dion Murphy  | 101  | 0.57  |
| Social Credit | Neville Minchington  | 94  | 0.53  |
| Communist League | Brigid Rotheram  | 27  | 0.15  |
Majority  | 3,769  | 21.54  |
Turnout | 17,491  | 78.91  | −3.33
Registered electors | 22,163  |  |

### 1987 election

[edit]

1987 general election: Christchurch Central[32] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Geoffrey Palmer | 11,836  | 65.28  | +1.92
| National | Graham Burnett  | 5,031  | 27.75  |
| Democrats | Joe Pounsford  | 557  | 3.07  | +0.06
| Breakfast Party  | James Daniels  | 235  | 1.29  |
| Socialist Action | Felicity Brereton  | 196  | 1.08  |
| Wizard Party  | David Hanlon  | 119  | 0.65  |
| Values | Stephen Symons  | 85  | 0.46  |
| NZ Party | Lynn Yeoman  | 70  | 0.38  |
Majority  | 6,805  | 37.53  | −2.72
Turnout | 18,129  | 82.24  | −7.32
Registered electors | 22,043  |  |

### 1984 election

[edit]

1984 general election: Christchurch Central[32] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Geoffrey Palmer | 13,394  | 63.36  | +0.11
| National | Tony Willy  | 4,886  | 23.11  |
| NZ Party | Murray Ludemann  | 2,072  | 9.80  |
| Social Credit | Joe Pounsford  | 662  | 3.13  |
| Independent | Suzanne Sadler  | 123  | 0.58  |
Majority  | 8,508  | 40.25  | −0.94
Turnout | 21,137  | 89.56  | +4.46
Registered electors | 23,599  |  |

### 1981 election

[edit]

1981 general election: Christchurch Central[32] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Geoffrey Palmer | 10,793  | 63.25  | −0.95
| National | Ian Wilson  | 3,765  | 22.06  |
| Social Credit | Peter Admore  | 2,426  | 14.21  |
| Independent | Warwick Iversen  | 78  | 0.45  |
Majority  | 7,028  | 41.19  | −4.64
Turnout | 17,062  | 85.10  | +49.10
Registered electors | 20,048  |  |

### 1979 by-election

[edit]

1979 Christchurch Central by-election[32] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Geoffrey Palmer | 6,149  | 64.20  | +3.03
| Social Credit | Terry Heffernan | 1,759  | 18.37  | +9.02
| National | David Duncan  | 1,634  | 17.06  | −8.55
| Tory | Suzanne Sadler  | 26  | 0.27  |
| Economic Euthenics  | Tubby Hansen  | 10  | 0.10  |
Majority  | 4,390  | 45.83  | +10.27
Turnout | 9,578  | 36.00  |
Registered electors | 26,605  |  |
| Labour hold | Swing | +11.58  |

### 1978 election

[edit]

1978 general election: Christchurch Central[32] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bruce Barclay | 10,229  | 61.17  | +8.21
| National | Gwen Clucas  | 4,282  | 25.60  |
| Social Credit | Robert Gyde  | 1,564  | 9.35  |
| Values | Robin Duff | 616  | 3.68  |
| Socialist Action | Michael William Gourley  | 30  | 0.17  |
Majority  | 5,947  | 35.56  | +17.32
Turnout | 16,721  | 52.32  | −18.19
Registered electors | 31,956  |  |

### 1975 election

[edit]

1975 general election: Christchurch Central[32] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bruce Barclay | 8,630  | 52.96  | −7.96
| National | Tim Armitage  | 5,657  | 34.71  |
| Values | Robin Duff | 1,415  | 8.68  |
| Social Credit | Alan Easterbrook  | 555  | 3.40  |
| Imperial British Conservative | Coronita Wealleans  | 37  | 0.22  |
Majority  | 2,973  | 18.24  | −12.94
Turnout | 16,294  | 70.51  | −14.49
Registered electors | 23,107  |  |

### 1972 election

[edit]

1972 general election: Christchurch Central[32] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bruce Barclay | 9,971  | 60.92  | +2.87
| National | Barbara Beaven  | 4,868  | 29.74  |
| Social Credit | Ray Thomas  | 700  | 4.27  |
| Values | Diane Roberts  | 693  | 4.23  |
| Socialist Unity | Arnold James Cox  | 68  | 0.41  |
| New Democratic | Cairn George Jensen  | 66  | 0.40  |
Majority  | 5,103  | 31.18  | +8.72
Turnout | 16,366  | 85.00  | −1.61
Registered electors | 19,252  |  |

### 1969 election

[edit]

1969 general election: Christchurch Central[33] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Bruce Barclay | 8,801  | 58.05  |
| National | Colin Knight | 5,395  | 35.58  |
| Social Credit | Stan Fitchett  | 964  | 6.35  |
Majority  | 3,406  | 22.46  |
Turnout | 15,160  | 86.61  | +6.79
Registered electors | 17,502  |  |

### 1966 election

[edit]

1966 general election: Christchurch Central[33] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 6,771  | 49.32  | −2.92
| National | Fred Francis  | 5,362  | 39.06  |
| Social Credit | Lola Thompson  | 1,455  | 10.60  | +3.11
| Communist | Jack Locke  | 138  | 1.00  | −0.26
Majority  | 1,409  | 10.26  | −2.98
Turnout | 13,726  | 79.82  | −4.10
Registered electors | 17,196  |  |

### 1963 election

[edit]

1963 general election: Christchurch Central[33] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 7,552  | 52.24  | −1.52
| National | Dave Patchett  | 5,637  | 38.99  |
| Social Credit | Lola Thompson  | 1,084  | 7.49  |
| Communist | Jack Locke  | 183  | 1.26  | +0.21
Majority  | 1,915  | 13.24  | −2.09
Turnout | 14,456  | 83.92  | −0.69
Registered electors | 17,225  |  |

### 1960 election

[edit]

1960 general election: Christchurch Central[33] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 6,786  | 53.76  | −7.01
| National | Tom Flint  | 4,851  | 38.43  |
| Social Credit | Walter Green  | 851  | 6.74  |
| Communist | Jack Locke  | 133  | 1.05  | −0.01
Majority  | 1,935  | 15.33  | −12.90
Turnout | 12,621  | 84.61  | −4.62
Registered electors | 14,916  |  |

### 1957 election

[edit]

1957 general election: Christchurch Central[33] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 8,763  | 60.77  | +6.84
| National | Colin McLachlan | 4,692  | 32.54  |
| Social Credit | William John Campbell  | 811  | 5.62  |
| Communist | Jack Locke  | 153  | 1.06  |
Majority  | 4,071  | 28.23  | +3.30
Turnout | 14,419  | 89.23  | +3.15
Registered electors | 16,158  |  |

### 1954 election

[edit]

1954 general election: Christchurch Central[33] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 7,345  | 53.93  | −8.79
| National | Oliver G. Moody  | 3,950  | 29.00  |
| Social Credit | Albert E. Willyams  | 2,185  | 16.04  |
| Communist | Alec Ostler  | 137  | 1.00  |
Majority  | 3,395  | 24.93  | −0.89
Turnout | 13,617  | 86.08  | +3.61
Registered electors | 15,819  |  |

### 1951 election

[edit]

1951 general election: Christchurch Central[34] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 6,901  | 62.72  | −1.81
| National | Alma Schumacher  | 4,103  | 37.28  |
Majority  | 2,798  | 25.42  | −5.50
Turnout | 11,004  | 82.47  | −6.90
Registered electors | 13,343  |  |

### 1949 election

[edit]

1949 general election: Christchurch Central[35] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 7,589  | 64.53  | −1.96
| National | Kevin Marlow  | 3,952  | 33.60  |
| Communist | Alec Ostler  | 218  | 1.85  | −0.56
Majority  | 3,637  | 30.92  | −4.49
Turnout | 11,759  | 89.37  | +0.40
Registered electors | 13,157  |  |

### 1946 election

[edit]

1946 general election: Christchurch Central[36] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 8,300  | 66.49  |
| National | Alan J. Wills  | 3,880  | 31.08  |
| Communist | Alec Ostler  | 302  | 2.41  |
Majority  | 4,420  | 35.41  |
Turnout | 12,482  | 88.97  |
Registered electors | 14,028  |  |

## Table footnotes

[edit]

1. ^ 2017 Mana Party swing is relative to the votes for Internet-Mana in 2014; it shared a party list with the Internet Party in the 2014 election
2. ^ 2017 Internet Party swing is relative to the votes for Internet-Mana in 2014; it shared a party list with Mana Party in the 2014 election
3. ^ 2014 Internet Mana swing is relative to the votes for Mana in 2011; it shared a party list with Internet in the 2014 election.
4. ^ Byron Clark contested the seat in the 2005 election for the same party, which was then called the Anti-Capitalist Alliance.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 91–96.
2. ^ "Electorate Boundaries". Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
3. ^ Report of the Representation Commission 2014 (PDF). Representation Commission. 4 April 2014. p. 10\. ISBN 978-0-477-10414-2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
4. ^ Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer. p. 156.
5. ^ New Zealand Parliament — Brendon Burns MP
6. ^ "Geoffrey Palmer". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
7. ^ "Unprecedented dead heat in ChCh central". The Press. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
8. ^ "Nail-biting dead heat in Christchurch". 27 November 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2013.
9. ^ "Election results to declare new Govt". The New Zealand Herald. 10 December 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
10. ^ Chapman, Kate (14 December 2011). "Recount confirms Christchurch central seat". Stuff. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
11. ^ Conway, Glenn (30 January 2014). "Wagner to defend Chch Central seat". The Press. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
12. ^ Robinson, Shelley (8 March 2014). "Tony Milne to run for Chch Central". The Press. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
13. ^ Mathewson, Nicole; Stylianou, Georgina; Fulton, Tim (21 September 2014). "Election 2014: Canterbury decides". The Press. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
14. ^ Stylianou, Georgina (4 May 2016). "Claims advocate to seek election". The Press. p. A7. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
15. ^ "Christchurch Central – Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
16. ^ "Christchurch Central – Official Result". Electoral Commission. n.d. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
17. ^ "Official Count Results – Christchurch Central (2017)". Electoral Commission. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
18. ^ "Party Votes and Turnout by Electorate". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
19. ^ "Official Count Results – Christchurch Central". Electoral Commission. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
20. ^ Christchurch Central results, 2011
21. ^ "Enrolment statistics". Electoral Commission. 11 November 2011. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
22. ^ Official Count Results – Christchurch Central 2008
23. ^ "Official Count Results – Christchurch Central". Electoral Commission. 1 October 2005. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
24. ^ 2002 election results
25. ^ "Official Count Results (1999) – Electoral Votes for registered parties by electorate". NZ Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
26. ^ "Official Count Results (1999) – Candidate Vote Details". NZ Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
27. ^ "Electorate Candidate and Party Votes Recorded at Each Polling Place – Christchurch Central, 1996" (PDF). Retrieved 9 July 2013.
28. ^ "Part III – Party Lists of Successful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
29. ^ "Part III – Party Lists of unsuccessful Registered Parties" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
30. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1993. pp. 12, 161.
31. ^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1990. p. 17.
32. ^ a b c d e f g Norton 1988, p. 206.
33. ^ a b c d e f Norton 1988, p. 205.
34. ^ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1951–52". Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
35. ^ "The General Election, 1949". National Library. 1950. pp. 1–5, 8. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
36. ^ "The General Election, 1946". National Library. 1947. pp. 1–11, 14. Retrieved 1 January 2014.

## References

[edit]

* McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
* 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.
* Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

## External links

[edit]

* Electorate Profile — 2005 Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Parliamentary Library
* Electorate Profile — 2008, Parliamentary Library

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