Pakuranga – NZ 2014

NAT 44.06% vs LAB

Incumbent MP
Maurice Williamson, since 1987.

Geography
Eastern suburbs of Auckland. Pakuranga covers the suburbs of Bucklands Beach, Howick, Mellons Bay and Pakuranga, on the eastern edge of the Auckland urban area, bordered to the north by the ocean.

Redistribution
No change.

History
Pakuranga has existed since the 1963 election. The seat was first won by Labour for three successive elections, but since 1972 has been won by National at all but one election.

In 1984, Pakuranga was won by Neil Morrison, running for the Social Credit Party. At the time, the party held only two seats in the Parliament. The party changed its name to the Democratic Party in 1985.

In 1987, Morrison lost Pakuranga to the National Party’s Maurice Williamson. Williamson has held Pakuranga ever since, winning a ninth term in 2011. Williamson served as a junior minister in the National government from 1990 to 1996, and served as a minister again from 2008 to 2014. In 2014, he was forced to resign due to his intervention in a police investigation into a party donor.

Candidates

Assessment
Pakuranga is a very safe National seat.

2011 election results

Electorate Votes Party Votes
Candidate Party Votes % Swing Votes % Swing
Maurice Williamson National 20,694 65.86 +4.28 20,471 62.80 +3.10
Sunny Kaushal Labour 6,848 21.79 +0.17 6,068 18.62 -3.66
Lance Gedge Conservative 1,634 5.20 +5.20 1,156 3.55 +3.55
Helen Mulford New Zealand First 1,430 4.55 +1.26 1,847 5.67 +2.18
Chris Simmons ACT 816 2.60 -3.74 585 1.79 -5.39
Green 2,024 6.21 +2.61
United Future 149 0.46 -0.50
Legalise Cannabis 112 0.34 +0.12
Māori 109 0.33 +0.03
Mana 40 0.12 +0.12
Alliance 20 0.06 +0.02
Libertarianz 9 0.03 -0.01
Democrats 5 0.02 0.00
Polling places in Pakuranga at the 2011 general election. Central in green, North in orange, South in blue. Click to enlarge.
Polling places in Pakuranga at the 2011 general election. Central in green, North in orange, South in blue. Click to enlarge.

Booth breakdown
Booths in Pakuranga have been divided into three parts: Central, North and South.

The National Party won a majority in all three votes, with a vote ranging from just over 50% in the south to 68-70% in the north.

Labour’s vote peaked at over 30% in the south, as opposed to 14% of the party vote and 17% of the electorate vote in the north.

Voter group Electorate votes Party votes Total % of votes
NAT LAB NAT LAB GRN NZF CON
North 70.37 17.40 68.02 14.08 6.22 4.79 3.63 10,934 34.80
Central 66.34 21.47 62.97 18.56 5.82 5.95 3.26 6,871 21.87
South 52.21 34.13 50.90 30.69 5.81 6.48 3.21 4,363 13.89
Other votes 66.61 21.41 62.23 18.26 6.66 6.08 3.81 9,254 29.45
National party votes in Pakuranga at the 2011 general election.
National party votes in Pakuranga at the 2011 general election.
Labour party votes in Pakuranga at the 2011 general election.
Labour party votes in Pakuranga at the 2011 general election.