Selwyn (New Zealand electorate)

Population centres

The 1941 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, 19 electorates were created for the first time, and eight former electorates were re-established, including Selwyn.

The Selwyn electorate is the successor to the old electorate of Rakaia, which loses the town of Ashburton to Rangitata. In 2008, it contained the towns north of the Rakaia River and acquired the far western Bishopdale-Harewood area from Waimakariri and the Banks Peninsula town of Akaroa from the old Banks Peninsula electorate. The main towns in the seat were Templeton, Lincoln, Prebbleton, Tai Tapu, Leeston, Dunsandel, Darfield, Springfield and Arthur's Pass from Rakaia along with Halswell, Westmorland, and rural Banks Peninsula.

Due to the rapid growth of Selwyn relative to Christchurch (which lost population after the earthquakes), the 2013 redistribution has Selwyn losing Halswell and Westmorland to Port Hills and Harewood to Waimakariri while regaining the towns of Rakaia and Chertsey back from Rangitata.

History

In an historical sense, the name refers to an electorate that existed between 1866 and 1919. In the second sense, it can refer to an electorate contested between 1946 and 1972 and again from 1978 until it was absorbed by Rakaia for the first MMP election in 1996.

The dominant topic for the 1875 election was the abolition of the Provinces. William Reeves, the incumbent, favoured the retention of the provincial system of government, whilst his opponent, Cecil Fitzroy, was an abolitionist. Fitzroy, at 31-years of age 20 years Reeves' junior, narrowly won the election. Edward Lee acted as returning officer for the election.

In the 1879 election, John Hall was returned unopposed. In the 1881 election, Hall beat R. Lockhead by 467 to 169 votes.

In the 1890 election, Alfred Saunders, Thomas Hamilton Anson, and William Jerrington Popple received 536, 485 and 237 votes, respectively.

In a modern sense, the name refers to the seat re-created ahead of the 2008 general election, following a review of electoral boundaries conducted after the 2006 census of population and dwellings, because of a general northwards population movement in the South Island. Even though the number of South Island electorates is fixed, the decline in the population of electorates from Rakaia south has resulted in the boundaries of electorates from Invercargill north to Rakaia shifting further northwards.

The incumbent MP is Amy Adams of the National Party. The electorate is one of National's safest seats, with just 5% separating the Labour Party from the Greens in the 2011 election. The only places where Adams didn't win in 2011 were Arthur's Pass and Diamond Harbour. In the 2014 election, Adams got over 70% of the electorate votes based on preliminary results, with Peter Hill of the Green Party coming second.

Members of Parliament

Key:

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List MPs

Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Christchurch East electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.

2011 election

Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 46,937

1994 by-election

A by-election was held following the resignation of Ruth Richardson.