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Pakuranga is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It is held by Maurice Williamson MP, a member of the National Party, who has held the electorate since 1987.
Contents
Population centres
Pakuranga is one of 64 general electorates used in New Zealand general elections. It covers part of eastern Auckland around the eponymous suburb of Pakuranga. Other population centres include Farm Cove, Half Moon Bay, Bucklands Beach, parts of Highland Park and parts of Howick.
The boundaries of the Pakuranga electorate were last adjusted in the 2007 redistribution. Initially, the Representation Commission proposed substantial changes, but after hearing objections mainly about Pakuranga, Manukau East, and Manurewa, the shape of the Pakuranga electorate reverted to almost the boundaries prior to the review. No boundary adjustments were undertaken in the subsequent 2013/14 redistribution.
History
Pakuranga was first contested in at the 1963 election, and won by future Labour Party frontbencher Bob Tizard. It was recaptured by National in 1972, and has stayed with National since, save for a brief interlude - the New Zealand Party's presence on the ballot paper in 1984 split the centre-right vote and handed the seat to Social Credit's Neil Morrison.
With the introduction of mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation in 1996 the seat was expanded to absorb the most of the neighbouring seat of Howick. Its boundaries have remained largely unchanged since; an attempt in 2007 to resurrect a seat around Howick by pulling the Pakuranga boundaries across the Tamaki River and adding Panmure, Point England and Glen Innes from Auckland City was abandoned in the face of strenuous local objection. Instead, Howick was renamed Botany and centred on the rapid-growth areas of Flat Bush, Botany Downs and Dannemora.
Pakuranga is considered a safe National seat, with current MP Maurice Williamson being easily re-elected at every election since ousting Morrison in 1987. In the 2014 election, Williamson had a majority of 12,867 votes over his nearest challenger, Barry Kirker of the Labour Party.
Members of Parliament
Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at a general election.
Key
Labour National Social Credit NZ First
List MPs
Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Pakuranga electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.
2011 election
Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 45,912