1976 Nelson by-election

The Nelson by-election was a by-election in the New Zealand electorate of Nelson a predominantly urban seat at the top of the South Island.

1976 Nelson by-election

28 February 1976
Turnout17,470 (79.03%)
 
Candidate Mel Courtney Peter Malone
Party Labour National
Popular vote 8,418 6,913
Percentage 48.18 39.57

Member before election

Sir Stanley Whitehead
Labour

Elected Member

Mel Courtney
Labour

Background and campaign

The by-election occurred on 28 February 1976, and was precipitated by the death of sitting Labour Party member of parliament and Speaker of the House Sir Stanley Whitehead on 9 January 1976.

The by-election was contested by all major parties. It was won by Mel Courtney, the Labour Party candidate, with a majority of 1505 (Courtney increased the majority Whitehead had achieved in the 1975 general election by an impressive 50 per cent-only three months after the National Party's landslide victory). Wellington's Dominion newspaper reported that: "The defeat was a shock to the super-confident National Party organisers, including some of the party's top officials who were predicting a 2000-vote National majority".[1]

Mel Courtney, a 32-year-old supermarket proprietor, proved "an excellent choice" as a candidate, the victory at the polls vindicated the decision of the Labour Party's selection committee. Courtney stressed Nelson's needs as a community as the major theme of his campaign. He had "lived in Nelson for a number of years", was a Nelson City Councillor[2] and struck a chord with electors: "Nelson is a unique place to live and consequently a local person (Mr Courtney) can best serve local interests" (1976 Survey).

Results

The following table gives the election results:

1976 Nelson by-election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mel Courtney 8,418 48.18
National Peter Malone 6,913 39.57
Values Gwen Struik 1,583 9.06 +2.43
Social Credit Rudolph Muller 452 2.58
Imperial British Conservative C P Weallens 38 0.21
Informal votes 66 0.37
Majority 1,505 8.61
Turnout 17,470 79.03 -6.91
Registered electors 22,105
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. The Dominion, 1 March 1976
  2. The Evening Post, 14 February 1976
  3. Norton 1988, p. 286.

References

  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946-1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • "The Nelson By-Election: Politics in a New Zealand Community" by Levine, S (ed.) in Politics in New Zealand: A Reader (Sydney: George Allen and Unwin, Australia, 1978)
  • "Spending the Allowance" p. 49 in Political People by Dreaver, A.J. (Auckland: Longman Paul, New Zealand, 1978)
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