Western Hutt

Population centres

Through an amendment in the Electoral Act in 1965, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, an increase of one since the 1962 electoral redistribution. It was accepted that through the more rapid population growth in the North Island, the number of its electorates would continue to increase, and to keep proportionality, three new electorates were allowed for in the 1967 electoral redistribution for the next election. In the North Island, five electorates were newly created (including Western Hutt) and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished. In the South Island, three electorates were newly created and one electorate was reconstituted while three electorates were abolished. The overall effect of the required changes was highly disruptive to existing electorates, with all but three electorates having their boundaries altered. These changes came into effect with the 1969 election.

The main population centre in the electorate was the city of Lower Hutt in the Hutt Valley.

History

The electorate partly replaced the Hutt seat, which had been held by Trevor Young (who went to the Eastern Hutt seat), and Western Hutt was won in 1978 by John Terris for the Labour Party.

In the 1990 election the seat was won by Joy McLauchlan of the National Party; one of several seats won by National.

In 1996 the seat was replaced by the Hutt South seat, which was won back for Labour by Trevor Mallard.

Members of Parliament

Key

  Labour     National