15 June 2004 (2004-06-15) 2005 general → 7,256 197 92.74% 2.52% Start date June 15, 2004 | Turnout 7,861 197 183 2.52% 2.24% | |
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Winner Tariana Turia |
The Te Tai Hauauru by-election was a by-election in the New Zealand electorate of Te Tai Hauāuru, one of the Māori seats. The date set for the by-election was 10 July 2004. It saw the re-election of Tariana Turia, a former MP for the Labour Party and now co-leader of the Māori Party.
Turia had quit both Parliament and the Labour Party in protest over the government's position in the foreshore and seabed controversy. She contested the by-election as a member of the new Māori Party, which she played a leading role in establishing. None of the major parties contested the by-election, and Turia was always the overwhelming favourite to win. Perhaps due to the apparent inevitability of a win for Turia, only around 32% of Te Tai Hauauru voters cast ballots.
Nominations for the by-election closed on 15 June 2004. Candidates were:
If no candidates had been put forward to oppose Turia, she would have been declared the winner without a vote - this initially appeared possible, and given the cost of a by-election (estimated at almost NZ$500,000), many hoped that a vote could be avoided.
The holding of a by-election was criticised by a number other parties. The Labour Party, which Turia was originally a member of (and which has traditionally dominated the Māori seats) has called the by-election "a waste of time and money", and a "sideshow". Labour contested the seat in the 2005 election, losing to Turia.
Results
The following table shows the final results of the by-election:
a Includes 37 informal votes but does not include any disallowed special votes.