Botany (New Zealand electorate)
Encyclopedia
Botany is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
Parliamentary electorate
New Zealand electorates
An electorate is a voting district for elections to the Parliament of New Zealand. In informal discussion, electorates are often called seats. The most formal description, electoral district, is rarely seen outside of electoral legislation. Before 1996, all Members of Parliament were directly...
, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
House of Representatives
Parliament of New Zealand
The Parliament of New Zealand consists of the Queen of New Zealand and the New Zealand House of Representatives and, until 1951, the New Zealand Legislative Council. The House of Representatives is often referred to as "Parliament".The House of Representatives usually consists of 120 Members of...
. It was contested for the first time at the 2008 general election
New Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...
, and won by Pansy Wong
Pansy Wong
Pansy Yu Fong Wong is a former New Zealand politician. She was New Zealand's first Asian MP, serving as a member of parliament for the National Party from 1996 to 2011...
for the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
. Following Wong's resignation in late 2010, a by-election
Botany by-election, 2011
A by-election was held in the New Zealand electorate of Botany on 5 March 2011. The seat was vacated by former National Ethnic Affairs Minister Pansy Wong, who announced her resignation from the New Zealand Parliament on 14 December 2010 following allegations her husband Sammy has misused taxpayer...
returned Jami-Lee Ross
Jami-Lee Ross
Jami-Lee Ross is a New Zealand National Party Member of Parliament for Botany, having won the 2011 Botany by-election on 5 March.-Early life:...
, who was confirmed by the voters in the 2011 general election
New Zealand general election, 2011
The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament.One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party...
.
Population centres
Botany was created after the 2006 Census due to high population growth in and around Auckland, and is one of several sweeping changes to the electoral landscape of South Auckland - the southern end of Port WaikatoPort Waikato (New Zealand electorate)
Port Waikato was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate.It was held by Paul Hutchison MP from 1999 to 2008.-Population centres:The electorate included the following population centres:* Port Waikato-History:...
was lanced and combined with the area around Clevedon township
Clevedon, New Zealand
Clevedon is a rural town in Auckland, New Zealand, located in the Franklin ward, one of the thirteen administrative divisions of Auckland city...
to create Hunua
Hunua
The Hunua electorate existed three times for the New Zealand House of Representatives beginning in 1978, based at the south end of the Auckland urban area, and named for the Hunua Ranges. It covered different geographical areas over those periods...
; the resultant change pulled the Clevedon electorate
Clevedon (New Zealand electorate)
Clevedon was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate from 2002 to 2008.It was held by Judith Collins MP throughout its existence.-Population Centres:...
tighter around the city of Papakura
Papakura
The Papakura District was the name of a local council territory in New Zealand's Auckland Region that existed from 1989 until 2010. The area made up the southernmost part of the Auckland metropolitan area....
for which the electorate is now named
Papakura (New Zealand electorate)
rightPapakura has been the name of two seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives, both based around the south Auckland town of Papakura. Historically, the name refers to an electorate that existed between 1978 and 1996, which with the advent of Mixed Member Proportional voting and resulting...
. In the north, Manukau East
Manukau East
Manukau East is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate.It is currently held by Ross Robertson MP.-Suburbs:In 2007, large changes were made to the Manukau East electorate. Its northern boundary extended past the Tāmaki River to almost as far as Sylvia Park Rd to incorporate Middlemore, Otahuhu and...
was pulled up through Otahuhu
Otahuhu
Otahuhu is a suburb of Auckland. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tamaki River estuary to the east...
into Auckland City
Auckland City
Auckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
, in the process dropping the western suburbs of Flat Bush, East Tamaki
East Tamaki
East Tamaki is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. This is a mixed residential, light industry and retail area which is growing rapidly. Prior to the 1960s this was largely a dairy farming area. A landmark is Smales Mountain which in 2010 has the remains of an old Pa, a stone field garden, an early...
, Dannemora
Dannemora, New Zealand
Dannemora is a new residential suburb in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located in the east of the city, close to Pakuranga and Botany Downs, and in the new Howick ward, one of the thirteen administrative areas of Auckland city....
and Botany Downs
Botany Downs, New Zealand
Botany Downs is a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand.This residential area was previously part of the East Tamaki area. According to the 2006 census, Botany Downs has a population of 4830, having grown 2.7% since 2001. It has one of the country's biggest shopping malls - Botany Town Centre -...
, which were combined with fragments of the Clevedon and Pakuranga
Pakuranga (New Zealand electorate)
rightPakuranga is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate.It is currently held by Maurice Williamson MP, a member of the National Party.-Population centres:Pakuranga is one of sixty-three general electorates used in New Zealand general elections...
electorates to create Botany.
Demographics
Demographically, Botany is older than the rest of New Zealand, with over half of its population aged over 30; It has three times as many Chinese New ZealanderChinese New Zealander
A Chinese New Zealander is a New Zealander of Chinese heritage. They are part of the ethnic Chinese diaspora . Chinese New Zealanders are the fifth largest ethnic group in New Zealand....
s than the national average (33.5 versus 9.2%), and nearly twice as many Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
s (13 to 7%), which makes Botany a minority-majority electorate. Botany has the highest number of people born overseas of any New Zealand electorate (49% in 2006), the most Buddhists
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in a New Zealand electorate and the highest number of one-family homes. The average income in the electorate is high, with over half of the electorate's residents earning over $50,000 a year.
A 2005 academic survey assessing the voting behaviour of Asian New Zealanders showed a strong preference for the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
, with a sizeable proportion prepared to vote for the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
(47 to 40); it also showed that among Asian New Zealanders, the most important issues were the economy and law and order. This was demonstrated by a large anti-crime march (a crowd of 15,000 was estimated, with a significant number of these being Asian New Zealanders) was held in Auckland (on the streets of Botany) in July 2008 amidst claims of increasing violent crime in New Zealand targeted against its Asian population. The march's organiser Peter Low used his website to clarify his position, calling for harsher sentencing, victims' rights and zero "criminal rights".
History
Botany was first created for the 2008 general electionNew Zealand general election, 1999
The 1999 New Zealand general election was held on 27 November 1999 to determine the composition of the 46th New Zealand Parliament. The governing National Party, led by Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, was defeated, being replaced by a coalition of Helen Clark's Labour Party and the smaller Alliance...
, and won by Pansy Wong
Pansy Wong
Pansy Yu Fong Wong is a former New Zealand politician. She was New Zealand's first Asian MP, serving as a member of parliament for the National Party from 1996 to 2011...
for the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
.
Both National and the ACT party stood Chinese New Zealanders as their candidates in 2008; Pansy Wong
Pansy Wong
Pansy Yu Fong Wong is a former New Zealand politician. She was New Zealand's first Asian MP, serving as a member of parliament for the National Party from 1996 to 2011...
and Kenneth Wang
Kenneth Wang
Kenneth Xiaoxuan Wang was a New Zealand politician and businessman, and a member of the ACT New Zealand party. He entered Parliament to replace Donna Awatere Huata, who was expelled from Parliament on 19 November 2004. Wang was sworn in on 30 November 2004.Wang was born in China, and has three...
, respectively. Labour chose Koro Tawa, an Auckland University lecturer. Raymond Huo, a Chinese-speaking lawyer, was initially mooted for the Labour nomination, but eventually chose to stand as a list-only candidate.
On 14 December 2010 it was announced that a by-election
Botany by-election, 2011
A by-election was held in the New Zealand electorate of Botany on 5 March 2011. The seat was vacated by former National Ethnic Affairs Minister Pansy Wong, who announced her resignation from the New Zealand Parliament on 14 December 2010 following allegations her husband Sammy has misused taxpayer...
was to be held on 5 March 2011 due to the resignation of incumbent MP Pansy Wong. The electorate was won by Jami-Lee Ross
Jami-Lee Ross
Jami-Lee Ross is a New Zealand National Party Member of Parliament for Botany, having won the 2011 Botany by-election on 5 March.-Early life:...
from the New Zealand National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
.
Members of Parliament for Botany
Key| Election | Winner | |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 election New Zealand general election, 2008 The 2008 New Zealand general election was held on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand parliament. The conservative National Party, headed by its Parliamentary leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats, ending 9 years of government dominated by the social... |
Pansy Wong Pansy Wong Pansy Yu Fong Wong is a former New Zealand politician. She was New Zealand's first Asian MP, serving as a member of parliament for the National Party from 1996 to 2011... |
|
| 2011 by-election Botany by-election, 2011 A by-election was held in the New Zealand electorate of Botany on 5 March 2011. The seat was vacated by former National Ethnic Affairs Minister Pansy Wong, who announced her resignation from the New Zealand Parliament on 14 December 2010 following allegations her husband Sammy has misused taxpayer... |
Jami-Lee Ross Jami-Lee Ross Jami-Lee Ross is a New Zealand National Party Member of Parliament for Botany, having won the 2011 Botany by-election on 5 March.-Early life:... |
|
| 2011 election New Zealand general election, 2011 The 2011 New Zealand general election on Saturday 26 November 2011 determined the membership of the 50th New Zealand Parliament.One hundred and twenty-one MPs were elected to the New Zealand House of Representatives, 70 from single-member electorates, including one overhang seat, and 51 from party... |
||
Candidates in the
|}Electorate (as at 21 October 2011): 43,204
2008 election
External links
- Electorate Profile Parliamentary Library