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East Coast Bays is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It was first formed in 1972 and has existed apart from a break lasting two parliamentary terms. The electorate is currently held by Murray McCully.
Contents
Population centres
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, and the 1972 electoral redistribution saw three additional general seats created for the North Island, bringing the total number of electorates to 87. Together with increased urbanisation in Christchurch and Nelson, the changes proved very disruptive to existing electorates. In the South Island, three electorates were abolished, and three electorates were newly created. In the North Island, five electorates were abolished, two electorates were recreated, and six electorates were newly created (including East Coast Bays).
The electorate is based around the north-eastern suburbs of North Shore City in north Auckland, including Torbay, Browns Bay and Mairangi Bay. The electorate crosses State Highway One at its southern end, which includes a section of Glenfield. East Coast Bays is a wealthy electorate, with incomes above the national average and boasting some of the most expensive real estate in the country. The electorate also contains many émigrés from South Africa.
History
East Coast Bays was an electorate in the New Zealand Parliament between 1972 and 1996, before being abolished to make way for the Albany electorate at the change to Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting. High population growth in North Auckland lead to the electorate's western fringe being removed in 2002, and with it the eponymous suburb of Albany, thus recreating East Coast Bays ahead of the 2002 election.
Although now a safe electorate for National, it was held for seven years by Social Credit MP Gary Knapp, from the 1980 by-election when he defeated future National party leader Don Brash. In the 1981, 1984 and 1987 general elections, Labour came third, with Knapp defeating Brash in 1981 and Murray McCully in 1984.
But in 1987 the declining fortunes of the Democratic Party (as Social Credit renamed itself), led to Knapp being defeated by Murray McCully, who has held the electorate for National since.
Members of Parliament
Key
National Social Credit Democrats United Future Green
1 Resigned when appointed Ambassador to the United States
List MPs
Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the East Coast Bays electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.
2Resigned in October 2009, five months after losing Green Party co-leadership vote to Metiria Turei
2011 election
Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 47,305