List of by-elections to the Wellington City Council
By-elections to the Wellington City Council occur to fill vacant seats in the City Council. The death, resignation, bankruptcy or expulsion of a sitting Councillor can cause a by-election to occur. By-elections were particularly frequent in the 1980s and 1990s but have become a rarity in recent years with only two occurring since 2000. The last by-election in Wellington was in 2017 triggered by Deputy-Mayor Paul Eagle's resignation upon being elected MP for Rongotai.[1]
Background
Local by-elections normally have lower turnouts than full local body elections. A noted case occurred in 1960 when a vacancy triggered a by-election which had a turnout of only 7.7% of voters, prompting Mayor Frank Kitts to label the light turnout a "deplorable state of affairs" as "...there were responsible and worthwhile citizens who were prepared to devote their time and money in service to the people".[2] By-elections on the city council were on occasion deferred if a substantial majority of the council agreed to fill the vacancy by appointment, resulting in the highest polling unsuccessful candidate at the previous election being appointed to the council unless there is a public demand for a poll to be held (known as extraordinary vacancies). This arrangement has happened several times such as in 1973 when Olive Smuts-Kennedy resigned her seat and Seton Nossiter was appointed to replace her, in 1979 when Irvine Yardley resigned and was replaced with Tala Cleverley after several higher polling candidates declined the appointment,[3] and in 1985 when Leone Harkness resigned and her council seat which was taken by Bruce Harris.[4]
Two Mayors first entered the Council via by-elections; John Luke (in 1905) and Celia Wade-Brown (in 1994).
List
1901–86
Between 1901 and 1986 municipal elections in Wellington were conducted at large.[5] The following is a list of by-elections held to fill vacancies on the Wellington City Council at large:
Key
Independent | Labour | Citizens' |
Date | Incumbent | Cause | Winner | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1904 | David Nathan | Resignation | Folk Cohen | ||
1905 | George Wiltshire | Death | John Luke | ||
1906 | Arthur Gibbs | Resignation | John Smith | ||
1910 | James Devine | Death | William Barber | ||
Thomas Ballinger | Resignation | William Thompson | |||
1912 | David McLaren | Elected as Mayor | Edward Tregear | ||
1920 | George Frost | Death | William Gaudin | ||
1922 | Sydney Underwood | Death | Alexander Parton | ||
1926 | Alec Monteith | Resignation | John Glover | ||
1927 | John Caughley | Resignation | Charlton Morpeth | ||
1933 | Frank Meadowcroft | Death | Peter Fraser | ||
1936 | William Bennett | Death | John Read | ||
1949 | Frederick Furkert | Death | Berkeley Dallard | ||
1955 | Stewart Hardy | Appointed as Magistrate | Allan Highet | ||
1960 | Mervyn Castle | Death | Robert Archibald | ||
1969 | William Scollay | Resignation | Les Chapman | ||
John Turk | Hollis Reed |
1986–present
Since 1986 municipal elections in Wellington have been held via a Wards system of local electoral districts.[6] The following is a list of by-elections held to fill vacancies on the Wellington City Council under the ward system:
Key
Independent | Labour | Citizens' | Green |
Ward | Date | Incumbent | Cause | Winner | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Otari | 1987 | Rosemary Young-Rouse | Resignation | Les Stephens | ||
Karori | 1987 | Gavin Wilson | Resignation | Arthur Kinsella | ||
Southern | 1989 | Neville Taylor | Resignation | Rodney Murphy | ||
Southern | 1991 | John Blincoe | Elected MP for Nelson | Margaret Bonner | ||
Onslow | 1994 | David Bull | Resignation | Judy Siers | ||
Southern | 1994 | Merrin Downing | Resignation | Celia Wade-Brown | ||
Southern | 1996 | John Gilberthorpe | Resignation | Bryan Pepperell | ||
Northern | 1997 | Sally Baber | Resignation | Jack Ruben | ||
Eastern | 2000 | Sue Kedgley | Elected as List MP | Ray Ahipene-Mercer | ||
Southern | 2017 | Paul Eagle | Elected MP for Rongotai | Fleur Fitzsimons |
Results
1904 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Falk Cohen | 877 | 41.64 | ||
Ind. Labour League | William Hampton | 413 | 19.61 | -12.62 | |
Independent | George Baylis | 357 | 16.95 | -16.10 | |
Independent | Robert Henry Davenport | 230 | 10.92 | -43.29 | |
Independent | Francis Loudon | 229 | 10.87 | ||
Majority | 464 | 22.03 | |||
Turnout | 2,106 | 17.20 |
1905 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | John Luke | 1,706 | 41.91 | ||
Ind. Labour League | William Noot | 745 | 18.30 | ||
Independent | George Baylis | 723 | 17.76 | -18.19 | |
Independent | Arthur Fullford | 487 | 11.96 | -20.60 | |
Independent | Nicholas McGuiness | 277 | 6.80 | ||
Independent | Mathew Henry Biggs | 132 | 3.24 | ||
Majority | 961 | 23.61 | |||
Turnout | 4,070 | 19.75 |
1906 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | John Smith | 759 | 28.18 | ||
Independent | Richard Keene | 586 | 21.76 | -7.63 | |
Independent | Martin Luckie | 330 | 12.25 | -18.22 | |
Ind. Labour League | John Ball | 266 | 9.87 | ||
Independent | Thomas Wardell | 216 | 8.02 | ||
Independent | William J. Branigan | 197 | 7.31 | -15.20 | |
Independent | Alex Rand | 140 | 5.19 | -26.14 | |
Independent | Henry Fielder | 126 | 4.67 | ||
Independent | William James Gray | 82 | 3.04 | ||
Majority | 173 | 6.42 | |||
Turnout | 2,693 | 13.30 |
1910 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens League | William Henry Peter Barber | 2,318 | 43.84 | ||
Citizens League | William Thompson | 1,468 | 27.76 | ||
Independent | James Moran | 1,221 | 23.09 | ||
Labour | Michael Reardon | 1,198 | 22.65 | +0.01 | |
Independent | James Godber | 1,184 | 22.39 | ||
Labour | Elijah Carey | 1,112 | 21.03 | -1.00 | |
Independent | Henry Hampton Rayward | 704 | 13.31 | ||
Independent | Sydney George Nathan | 516 | 9.75 | ||
Independent | James Speed | 508 | 9.60 | ||
Independent | Ernest Coleridge | 458 | 8.66 | ||
Independent | Vilhelm Jensen | 457 | 8.64 | -4.96 | |
Independent | Arthur Harry Fulford | 297 | 5.61 | ||
Independent | Andrew Hornblow | 213 | 4.02 | ||
Majority | 247 | 4.67 | |||
Turnout | 5,287 |
1912 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
United Labour | Edward Tregear | 4,487 | 53.16 | ||
Citizens League | William Thompson | 3,694 | 43.76 | +8.86 | |
Independent | Arthur Fulford | 259 | 3.06 | ||
Majority | 793 | 9.39 | |||
Turnout | 8,440 |
1920 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens League | William Gaudin | 5,159 | 63.87 | +24.91 | |
Labour | Tom Brindle | 2,917 | 36.13 | -3.62 | |
Majority | 2,239 | 27.73 | |||
Turnout | 8,073 | 24.13 |
1922 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens League | Alexander Parton | 5,743 | 56.82 | +22.67 | |
Labour | John Glover | 4,147 | 41.03 | +9.87 | |
Independent | Patrick Cavanagh | 217 | 2.14 | -4.07 | |
Majority | 1,596 | 15.79 | |||
Turnout | 10,107 | 23.95 |
1926 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John Glover | 2,114 | 53.03 | +18.52 | |
Civic League | William Gaudin | 1,845 | 46.28 | ||
Informal votes | 27 | 0.67 | |||
Majority | 269 | 6.74 | |||
Turnout | 3,986 | 9.03 |
1927 by-election
![](../I/m/Wellington_City_Council_by-election%2C_1927.jpg)
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Civic League | Charlton Morpeth | 3,738 | 54.52 | +22.44 | |
Labour | John Glover | 3,096 | 45.16 | +5.74 | |
Informal votes | 21 | 0.30 | |||
Majority | 642 | 9.36 | |||
Turnout | 6,855 | 15.33 |
1933 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Peter Fraser | 11,607 | 48.64 | ||
Citizens' | Robert Alexander Wright | 11,288 | 47.31 | ||
Independent | John Castle | 517 | 2.16 | ||
Communist | Richard Webb | 311 | 1.30 | -13.81 | |
Informal votes | 136 | 0.57 | |||
Majority | 319 | 1.33 | |||
Turnout | 23,859 | 42.94 |
1936 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | John Read | 10,032 | 49.29 | +5.89 | |
Citizens' | Thomas Forsyth | 9,217 | 45.29 | +1.35 | |
Independent | Bruce Mabin | 919 | 4.51 | ||
Informal votes | 182 | 0.89 | |||
Majority | 815 | 4.00 | |||
Turnout | 20,350 | 29.13 |
1949 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens' | Berkeley Dallard | 5,271 | 33.14 | ||
Independent | Leslie Austin | 3,375 | 21.21 | ||
Independent | Stanley Dean | 3,291 | 20.69 | ||
Independent | William Bacon | 2,961 | 18.61 | ||
Independent | Thomas Callingham | 848 | 5.33 | ||
Informal votes | 159 | 0.99 | |||
Majority | 1,896 | 11.92 | |||
Turnout | 15,905 | 15.0 |
1955 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens' | Allan Highet | 12,464 | 54.07 | ||
Labour | Ernie Langford | 10,488 | 45.50 | +9.14 | |
Informal votes | 97 | 0.42 | |||
Majority | 1,976 | 8.57 | |||
Turnout | 23,049 | 27.0 |
1960 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Robert Archibald | 2,588 | 37.68 | +6.53 | |
Citizens' | John Turk | 2,028 | 29.52 | -9.54 | |
Labour | Charles Troughton | 1,741 | 25.34 | -1.70 | |
Independent | Annette Griffin | 297 | 4.32 | -7.26 | |
Communist | Paul Potiki | 203 | 2.95 | ||
Informal votes | 11 | 0.16 | |||
Majority | 560 | 8.15 | |||
Turnout | 6,868 | 7.70 |
1969 by-election
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens' | Les Chapman | 6,325 | 47.13 | +8.59 | |
Citizens' | Hollis Reed | 5,876 | 43.78 | +11.01 | |
Labour | Peter Butler | 5,154 | 38.40 | +0.12 | |
Labour | Edward Hill | 4,881 | 36.37 | -2.22 | |
Independent | Saul Goldsmith | 2,301 | 17.14 | +0.86 | |
Civic Reform | Donald McMillain | 1,280 | 9.53 | -0.78 | |
Independent | Harry Hughes | 1,021 | 7.60 | -6.19 | |
Majority | 722 | 5.38 | |||
Turnout | 13,419 | 19.80 |
1987 by-election, Otari Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens' | Les Stephens | 4,388 | 49.31 | ||
Labour | Valerie Taylor | 3,326 | 37.38 | ||
Independent | Bob Monks | 884 | 9.93 | ||
Independent | Darryl Ward | 299 | 3.36 | ||
Majority | 1,062 | 11.93 | |||
Turnout | 8,897 | 51.23 |
1987 by-election, Karori Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens' | Arthur Kinsella | 2,750 | 56.41 | ||
Labour | Tracey Crampton-Smith | 2,125 | 43.59 | -20.14 | |
Majority | 625 | 12.82 | |||
Turnout | 4,875 | 55.42 |
1989 by-election, Southern Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Rodney Murphy | 1,566 | 36.79 | ||
Citizens' | Brian Barraclough | 1,496 | 35.15 | ||
Independent | Warwick Taylor | 786 | 18.46 | ||
Independent | Owen Henderson | 408 | 9.58 | ||
Majority | 70 | 1.64 | |||
Turnout | 4,256 | 35.36 |
1991 by-election, Southern Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Margaret Bonner | 2,492 | 27.92 | ||
Independent | Helene Ritchie | 1,564 | 17.52 | ||
Citizens' | Ann Nolan | 1,406 | 15.75 | ||
Green | Liz Thomas | 1,136 | 12.72 | ||
NewLabour | Jeff Montgomery | 903 | 10.11 | ||
Independent | Silvio Bartholomeo Famularo | 807 | 9.04 | ||
Independent | Bill Maung | 278 | 3.11 | -10.11 | |
People's Party | Christopher Ellis | 116 | 1.29 | -8.99 | |
Independent | Harry Hughes | 110 | 1.23 | ||
Independent | Isiona Harmer | 97 | 1.08 | ||
Communist League | Patrick Brown | 15 | 0.16 | ||
Majority | 928 | 10.39 | |||
Turnout | 8,924 | 43.02 |
1994 by-election, Onslow Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Citizens' | Judy Siers | 1,762 | 37.33 | ||
Independent | Helene Ritchie | 997 | 21.12 | ||
Independent | Jill Main | 925 | 19.60 | ||
Alliance | Philip Lyth | 502 | 10.63 | ||
Independent | Bob Monks | 328 | 6.95 | -4.80 | |
McGillicuddy Serious | Jonathan Wharton | 93 | 1.97 | ||
Independent | Alexander Schiff | 88 | 1.86 | -2.29 | |
Informal votes | 24 | 0.50 | -3.73 | ||
Majority | 765 | 16.21 | |||
Turnout | 4,719 | 45.42 |
1994 by-election, Southern Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alliance Greens | Celia Wade-Brown | 2,429 | 29.61 | -6.90 | |
Labour | Hola Taue | 2,197 | 26.78 | ||
Independent | Eddie Mollier | 1,404 | 17.11 | ||
Independent | Bryan Pepperell | 886 | 10.80 | ||
Independent | Alan Chambers | 666 | 8.11 | ||
Independent | John Ulrich | 396 | 4.82 | ||
McGillicuddy Serious | John Morrison | 184 | 2.24 | ||
Informal votes | 40 | 0.48 | -3.79 | ||
Majority | 232 | 2.82 | |||
Turnout | 8,202 | 39.54 |
1996 by-election, Southern Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Bryan Pepperell | 2,381 | 30.51 | -7.24 | |
Labour | Hola Taue | 2,322 | 29.76 | -17.91 | |
Alliance | Roland Sapsford | 1,347 | 17.26 | -7.42 | |
Independent | Alan Chambers | 1,115 | 14.29 | ||
Independent | Jonathan Mosen | 441 | 5.65 | ||
Asia Pacific | Mano'o Lutena Mulitalo | 196 | 2.51 | ||
Majority | 59 | 0.75 | |||
Turnout | 7,802 | 36.89 |
1997 by-election, Northern Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Jack Ruben | 3,737 | 33.23 | ||
Citizens' | Ian Hutchings | 2,949 | 26.22 | ||
Independent | Helene Ritchie | 2,820 | 25.08 | ||
Alliance | John Fanning | 1,453 | 12.92 | -13.76 | |
Independent | Penelope Donovan | 284 | 2.52 | ||
Informal votes | 98 | 0.87 | |||
Majority | 788 | 7.00 | |||
Turnout | 11,243 | 41.73 |
2000 by-election, Eastern Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Ray Ahipene-Mercer | 3,034 | 33.12 | ||
Independent | Richard Griffin | 1,691 | 18.46 | ||
Future NZ | Linda Dring | 902 | 9.84 | ||
Independent | Jo Morgan | 847 | 9.24 | ||
Independent | Gareth Rapson | 843 | 9.20 | ||
Independent | Jack Ruben | 738 | 8.05 | ||
Independent | Rama Ramanathan | 601 | 6.56 | ||
Legalise Cannabis | Michael Appleby | 245 | 2.67 | ||
Independent | Phil Sprey | 145 | 1.58 | ||
McGillicuddy Serious | Vince Terreni | 86 | 0.93 | ||
Informal votes | 27 | 0.29 | |||
Majority | 1,343 | 14.66 | |||
Turnout | 9,159 | 38.50 |
2017 by-election, Southern Ward
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Fleur Fitzsimons | 2,805 | 42.79 | ||
Independent | Laurie Foon | 2,473 | 37.72 | ||
Independent | Vicki Grecko | 1,765 | 26.92 | ||
Independent | Mohamud Mohamed | 569 | 8.68 | ||
Independent | Merio Marsters | 295 | 4.50 | ||
Independent | Rob Goulden | 255 | 3.89 | ||
Independent | Thomas Morgan | 73 | 1.11 | ||
Independent | Don McDonald | 61 | 0.93 | ||
Informal votes | 13 | 0.19 | |||
Majority | 332 | 5.06 | |||
Turnout | 6,555 | 30.90 |
Notes
- McAndrew, Ruby (24 September 2017). "Just when you thought it was safe to relax ... it's back to the polls in Wellington and Hastings". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
- "Light election poll 'appalling'". The Dominion. 12 September 1960.
- Brown, Karen (15 February 1979). "Tala Cleverley is Ready for the Council". The Evening Post.
- Moran, Paul (16 May 1985). "Harris back on Council". The Dominion.
- Betts 1970, pp. 39.
- "Local elections on ward basis". The Evening Post. 9 October 1984.
- "Extraordinary Vacancy". Free Lance. V (216). 20 August 1904. p. 14. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- "City Council Election". The Evening Post. LXX (54). 1 September 1905. p. 2. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- "City Council By-election". The Evening Post. LXXI (100). 28 April 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- "Election Notices". The Dominion. 3 (918). 10 September 1910. p. 2. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- "Labour Wins City Council Elections". Oamaru Mail. XXXVI (11636). 18 May 1912. p. 5. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "The by-election". The Dominion. 13 (305). 18 September 1920. p. 6. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- "Extraordinary Vacancy". The Evening Post. CIV (17). 20 July 1922. p. 2. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- "Win for Labour". The Evening Post. CXII (20). 23 July 1926. p. 4. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- "The by-election". The Evening Post. CIV (132). 1 December 1927. p. 8. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- "Labour Win". Auckland Star. LXIV (152). 30 June 1933. p. 12. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
- "Extraordinary Vacancy". The Evening Post. CXXII (111). 6 November 1936. p. 2. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- "Labour Victory". The Evening Post. CXXII (110). 5 November 1936. p. 10. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- Coppin, W. S. (9 November 1949). Result of By-Election (Report). Wellington City Council.
- James, T. W. (10 February 1955). City By-Election (Report). Wellington City Council.
- James, T. W. (12 September 1960). City By-Election (Report). Wellington City Council.
- "Final Results of City By-election". The Evening Post. 24 November 1969.
- Bly, Ross (13 July 1987). Otari Ward By-Election (Report). Wellington City Council.
- "Stephens' clear Otari win gives fillip to Citizens". The Evening Post. 11 May 1987.
- Bly, Ross (13 July 1987). Karori Ward By-Election (Report). Wellington City Council.
- "Declaration of Result of Election". The Evening Post. 14 July 1987.
- Bly, Ross (13 March 1989). Southern Ward By-Election (Report). Wellington City Council.
- "Declaration of Result of Election". The Evening Post. 14 March 1989.
- Bly, Ross (29 April 1991). Southern Ward By-Election (Report). Wellington City Council.
- "Declaration of Result of Election". The Evening Post. 1 May 1991.
- Murphy, Lyn (2 May 1994). "New Councillors get to work". The Evening Post. p. 3.
- Moran, Paul (4 November 1996). "Pepperell wins council by-election". The Dominion. p. 2.
- Walsh, Rebecca (24 March 1997). "New City Councillor Promises Changes". The Evening Post. p. 1.
- "Environmentalist wins council by-election". The Dominion. 1 May 2000. p. 7.
- Lampp, Warwick (22 December 2017). "Results". Wellington City Council. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- Devlin, Collette (22 December 2017). "Fleur Fitzsimons wins Wellington City Council southern ward by-election". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
References
- Betts, G.M. (1970). Betts on Wellington: A City and its Politics. Wellington: A. H. & A. W. Reed Ltd. ISBN 0 589 00469 7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)