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Rangitīkei (before 2008 styled as Rangitikei without a macron) is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. The current MP for Rangitīkei is Ian McKelvie of the National Party. He has held this position since 2011.
Contents
The electorate has existed continuously since the 1861 general election.
Geographic coverage
Rangitīkei covers an area of the lower North Island. It extends from the outskirts of Palmerston North, through the Rangitïkei catchment area north to the North Island Volcanic Plateau. The main towns included are Taumarunui, Waiouru, Taihape, Mangaweka, Hunterville, Marton, Bulls, and Feilding, and the suburbs of Ashhurst, Aokautere, Turitea and Linton in Palmerston North.
The current boundaries of the seat date from the introduction of mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting in 1996. The seat was created by adding the southern tip of King Country to the northern tip of the Manawatu seat, and drafting in the towns to the east of Whanganui from Waitotara. The rural conservative nature of the seat makes it a safe National seat, though this belies the fact that for six years it was held by a third party MP, Social Credit leader Bruce Beetham.
History
A seat named Wanganui and Rangitikei was contested at the very first general election in New Zealand in 1853. The use of an electorate named Rangitikei in its own right dates from the third session of the New Zealand Parliament. In a somewhat auspicious start for the seat, the first Member of Parliament for the seat in 1861 was future Prime Minister William Fox. Fox resigned twice; first on 16 May 1865, causing the 1865 by-election (won by Robert Pharazyn), and then on 11 March 1875, causing the 1875 by-election (won by John Ballance).
Three members died while holding the seat: Douglas Hastings Macarthur died on 24 May 1892 and was succeeded by John Stevens; Arthur Remington died on 17 August 1909 and was succeeded by Robert Smith; and Sir Roy Jack died on 24 December 1977 and was succeeded by Bruce Beetham.
Members of Parliament
Key
Independent Conservative Liberal Reform Labour National Social Credit
2011 election
Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 41,343