Waitaki (New Zealand electorate)
Encyclopedia
Waitaki is an electorate for the New Zealand 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...

 that crosses the boundary of North Otago and South Canterbury towns on the East Coast of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

. The electorate was first established for the that determined the 5th New Zealand Parliament
5th New Zealand Parliament
The 5th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand.Elections for this term were held in 68 European electorates between 14 January and 23 February 1871. Elections in the four Māori electorates were held on 1 and 15 January 1871. A total of 78 MPs were elected. Parliament was...

. It has been abolished and re-established several times and in its early years was a two-member electorate for two parliamentary terms. The current electorate has existed since the and is held by Jacqui Dean
Jacqui Dean
Jacqueline Isobel Dean is a New Zealand politician and the current Member of Parliament for the Waitaki electorate.-Early career:Dean has worked in a number of roles, including professional acting...

 of 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:...

.

Population centres

This current Waitaki electorate is the successor to parts of the old Otago electorate
Otago (New Zealand electorate)
Otago was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate,which was replaced by the Waitaki electorate and Clutha-Southland electorates for the 2008 election....

, with parts of central Otago moving into Clutha-Southland, and the boundary extended far up the South Canterbury coast, to just outside Timaru
Timaru
TimaruUrban AreaPopulation:27,200Extent:Former Timaru City CouncilTerritorial AuthorityName:Timaru District CouncilPopulation:42,867 Land area:2,736.54 km² Mayor:Janie AnnearWebsite:...

. The main population areas of the new electorate are Wanaka
Wanaka
Wanaka is a town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated at the southern end of Lake Wanaka, adjacent to the outflow of the lake to the Clutha River. It is the gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park. Wanaka is primarily a resort town but has both summer and winter...

, Alexandra
Alexandra, New Zealand
Alexandra is a town in the Central Otago district of the Otago region of New Zealand. It is located on the banks of the Clutha River , on State Highway 8, 188 km by road from Dunedin and 33 km south of Cromwell.At the time of the 2006 census, the permanent population was 4,827, an...

, Cromwell
Cromwell, New Zealand
Cromwell is a town in Central Otago in the Otago region of New Zealand.It is situated between State Highway 6 and State Highway 8 leading to the Lindis Pass, 75 km northeast, and Alexandra, 33 km south. The road to Alexandra winds through the Cromwell Gorge...

, Oamaru
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...

, Waimate
Waimate
WaimateUrban AreaPopulation:2,835 Extent:Territorial AuthorityName:Waimate District CouncilPopulation:7,206 Land area:3,582.19 km² Mayor:John ColesWebsite:...

, Omarama
Omarama
Omarama is a small township at the junction of State Highways 8 and 83, near the southern end of the Mackenzie Basin, in the South Island of New Zealand. Omarama is in the Waitaki District, in the historic Province of Otago...

, Twizel
Twizel
TwizelUrban AreaPopulation:1,000Extent:Territorial AuthorityName:Mackenzie District CouncilPopulation:Mayor:Website:Extent:Regional councilName:Environment Canterbury...

 and Temuka
Temuka
Temuka is a town on New Zealand's Canterbury Plains, 15 kilometres north of Timaru and 142 km south of Christchurch. It is located at the centre of a rich sheep and dairy farming region, for which it is a service town.-History:...

.

History

The Waitaki electorate has existed four times: in 1871 to 1946
New Zealand general election, 1946
The 1946 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 28th term. It saw the governing Labour Party re-elected, but by a substantially narrower margin than in the three previous elections...

; in 1957
New Zealand general election, 1957
The 1957 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 32nd term. It saw the governing National Party narrowly defeated by the Labour Party...

 to 1969
New Zealand general election, 1969
The 1969 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 36th term. It saw the governing National Party win a fourth consecutive term, under Prime Minister Keith Holyoake.-The Election:...

; in 1978
New Zealand general election, 1978
The 1978 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to elect the 39th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, retain office, although the opposition Labour Party managed to win the largest share of the vote...

 to 1996
New Zealand general election, 1996
The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...

 and lastly since .

The first election in the electorate was contested by William Steward
William Steward (New Zealand politician)
Sir William Jukes Steward was a New Zealand politician and the first Liberal Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives. He represented South Canterbury electorates in Parliament for a total of 34 years, before being appointed to the Legislative Council...

 and Macassey in , with Steward being successful.

The next election was held in early January 1876. Waitaki had become a two-member electorate, and four candidates put their names forward. Steward and Joseph O'Meagher contested the election as abolitionists (i.e. they were in favour of abolishing the provincial government
Provinces of New Zealand
The Provinces of New Zealand existed from 1841 until 1876 as a form of sub-national government. They were replaced by counties, which were themselves replaced by districts.Following abolition, the provinces became known as provincial districts...

), while Thomas William Hislop
Thomas William Hislop
Thomas William Hislop was the Mayor of Wellington from 1905 to 1908, and had represented two South Island electorates in the New Zealand Parliament.-Early life:...

 and Samuel Edward Shrimski
Samuel Edward Shrimski
Samuel Edward Shrimski was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Otago, New Zealand.-Early life:He was born in Poznań, Prussia, went to London in 1847, emigrated to Melbourne in 1859 and came to New Zealand in 1861.-Political career:...

 were provincialists (i.e. they favoured the retention of provincial government). The provincialists won the election by quite some margin.

Hislop and Shrimski were both confirmed in the , but Hislop resigned on 28 April 1880 "for private reasons". The resulting was won by George Jones
George Jones (New Zealand politician)
George Jones was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Otago, New Zealand.He represented the Waitaki electorate from 1880 to 1881, when he retired.He was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1895, until he died in 1920....

.

From 1881 onwards, the electorate became a single-member constituency again. Thomas Young Duncan
Thomas Young Duncan
Thomas Young Duncan was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party.He represented the Waitaki electorate from 1881 to 1890 and then the Oamaru electorate from 1890 to 1911, when he was defeated by Ernest Lee.-References:...

 won the and the two subsequent elections. In the , Duncan successfully contested the Oamaru electorate
Oamaru (New Zealand electorate)
Oamaru was a parliamentary electorate in the Otago Region of New Zealand, during three periods between 1866 and 1978.-History:The electorate existed three times: from 1866 to 1870, 1881 to 1957, and then from 1969 to 1978....

 instead, with John McKenzie taking Waitaki. McKenzie had previously held Waihemo
Waihemo (New Zealand electorate)
Waihemo is a former parliamentary electorate in the Otago Region of New Zealand. It existed for two periods and was represented by two Members of Parliament.-History:...

 and went back to that electorate again for the .

William Steward, who was the first representative of the electorate, had since 1881 represented Waimate
Waimate (New Zealand electorate)
Waimate was a parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region of New Zealand from 1881 to 1893 and from 1946 to 1957.The electorate was centred on the town of Waimate.-Members of Parliament:Key -References:...

. He returned to Waitaki for the 1893 election, was successful and also won the five subsequent elections. He held the electorate until 1911. He was appointed to the Legislative Council
New Zealand Legislative Council
The Legislative Council of New Zealand was the upper house of the New Zealand Parliament from 1853 until 1951. Unlike the lower house, the New Zealand House of Representatives, the Legislative Council was appointed.-Role:...

 in the following year, but died within months of the appointment.

Francis Henry Smith
Francis Henry Smith
Francis Henry Smith was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He was elected to the Waitaki electorate in the 1911 general election, but was defeated in 1914 for Timaru.-References:...

 succeeded Steward in the . At the next election in , Smith stood unsuccessfully in the Timaru electorate
Timaru (New Zealand electorate)
Timaru is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, in the South Island. It existed continuously from 1861 to 1996 and was represented by eleven Members of Parliament.-Population centres:...

. The Waitaki electorate was won by John Anstey
John Anstey
John Antsey was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He won the Waitaki electorate in 1914, but was defeated in 1919.He was later on the Legislative Council.-References:...

 that year. At the , Anstey was defeated by John Bitchener
John Bitchener
John Bitchener was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He was a cabinet minister 1933-35 in the Reform Government of New Zealand.He was elected to Waitaki in the 1919 general election, but was defeated in 1935....

, who held Waitaki until he was defeated in the by David Barnes
David Barnes (New Zealand)
David Barnes was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.He represented the Waitaki electorate from 1935 to 1938, when he was defeated.-References:...

. Barnes, in turn, held the electorate for one parliamentary term and was defeated in the by David Campbell Kidd
David Campbell Kidd
David Campbell Kidd was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He held the Waitaki electorate in 1938 and held it to 1946. He won the new Waimate electorate in 1946, but died in 1954 shortly before the election.-References:...

. Kidd represented Waitaki until 1946, when the electorate was abolished and he successfully stood in Waimate
Waimate (New Zealand electorate)
Waimate was a parliamentary electorate in the Canterbury region of New Zealand from 1881 to 1893 and from 1946 to 1957.The electorate was centred on the town of Waimate.-Members of Parliament:Key -References:...

 instead.

Waitaki was re-established for the and was won by Thomas Hayman
Thomas Hayman
Thomas Leonard Hayman was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was a cabinet minister from 1960 to 1962.He represented the Otago electorates of Oamaru from 1949 to 1957, and then Waitaki from 1957 to 1962, when he died....

, who had previously represented Oamaru
Oamaru (New Zealand electorate)
Oamaru was a parliamentary electorate in the Otago Region of New Zealand, during three periods between 1866 and 1978.-History:The electorate existed three times: from 1866 to 1870, 1881 to 1957, and then from 1969 to 1978....

. Hayman died in office on 2 January 1962 and was succeeded by Allan Dick, who won the 1962 by-election. Dick held the electorate until 1969, when it was abolished again.

The electorate was re-established for the 1978 general election
New Zealand general election, 1978
The 1978 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to elect the 39th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, retain office, although the opposition Labour Party managed to win the largest share of the vote...

. Jonathan Elworthy
Jonathan Elworthy
Hon. Jonathan Herbert Elworthy was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Oamaru and Waitaki, in the South Island, representing the National Party.-Member of Parliament:...

 of 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:...

 was the successful candidate. Elworthy was re-elected in the 1981 general election
New Zealand general election, 1981
The 1981 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 40th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, win a third term in office, although the opposition Labour Party, led by Bill Rowling, actually won the largest share of...

, but defeated in the 1984 general election
New Zealand general election, 1984
The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 41st New Zealand Parliament. It marked the beginning of the Fourth Labour Government, with David Lange's Labour Party defeating long-serving Prime Minister Robert Muldoon of the National Party. It was also the...

 by Labour
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....

's Jim Sutton
Jim Sutton
James Robert Sutton, CNZM , generally known as Jim Sutton, was a New Zealand politician from 1984–1990 and from 1993–2006. He has held a range of ministerial portfolios including Agriculture, Forestry, Rural Affairs, Biosecurity, and Trade Negotiations.-Biography:Sutton was born in...

. Sutton was re-elected in the 1987 general election
New Zealand general election, 1987
The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 43rd sitting of the New Zealand Parliament. The governing New Zealand Labour Party, led by Prime Minister David Lange, was re-elected for a second term, although the Opposition National Party made gains...

, but lost to National's Alec Neill
Alec Neill
Alexander George Neill is the former Chairman of the Canterbury Regional Council and a former New Zealand National Party politician. He was an Electorate Member of Parliament from 1990 to 1996, and a List Member for two terms in 1999, and from 2001 to 2002. He was born in Dunedin, and attended St...

 in the 1990 general election
New Zealand general election, 1990
The 1990 New Zealand general election was held on 27 October to determine the composition of the 43rd New Zealand parliament. The governing Labour Party was defeated, ending its controversial two terms in office...

. Neill was re-elected in the 1993 general election
New Zealand general election, 1993
The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Jim Bolger, win a second term in office, despite a major swing back towards the Labour Party. The new Alliance and New...

. At the end of the next term, in 1996, the electorate was abolished again. Neill failed to be selected by the National Party as a candidate for any of the electorates for the 1996 general election
New Zealand general election, 1996
The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...

.

With the advent of Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) voting system in 1996 and the resulting reduction in the number of constituencies, the electorate was split in half; the town of Oamaru
Oamaru
Oamaru , the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres south of Timaru and 120 kilometres north of Dunedin, on the Pacific coast, and State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connects it to both...

 was pulled into the resized Otago
Otago (New Zealand electorate)
Otago was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate,which was replaced by the Waitaki electorate and Clutha-Southland electorates for the 2008 election....

 electorate and the balance was transferred into the new Aoraki electorate.

More recently, the name refers to a constituency which was fought for the first time at the 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...

. The 2006 census of population and dwellings
New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings
The New Zealand government department Statistics New Zealand conducts a census of population and dwellings every five years. The census scheduled for 2011 was cancelled due to circumstances surrounding the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, however, and legislation introduced to hold the next...

 showed that there has been a general northwards population movement. Even though the number of South Island electorates is fixed, the decline in the population of electorates from Rakaia
Rakaia
The town of Rakaia is seated close to the southern banks of the Rakaia River on the Canterbury Plains in New Zealand's South Island, on State Highway 1 and the Main South Line. Immediately north of the township are the country's longest road bridge and longest rail bridge, both of which cross the...

 south has resulted in the boundaries of electorates from Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...

 north to Rakaia shifting northwards.

1871 to 1875

From 1871 to 1875, Waitaki was a single member electorate.
Election Winner
1871 William Steward (Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

)

1876 to 1881

From 1876 to 1881, Waitaki was a two member electorate.
Election Winners
1876 Samuel Edward Shrimski
Samuel Edward Shrimski
Samuel Edward Shrimski was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Otago, New Zealand.-Early life:He was born in Poznań, Prussia, went to London in 1847, emigrated to Melbourne in 1859 and came to New Zealand in 1861.-Political career:...

 (Independent)
Thomas William Hislop
Thomas William Hislop
Thomas William Hislop was the Mayor of Wellington from 1905 to 1908, and had represented two South Island electorates in the New Zealand Parliament.-Early life:...

 (Independent)
1879
New Zealand general election, 1879
The New Zealand general election of 1879 was held between 28 August and 15 September to elect a total of 88 MPs to the 7th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 1 and 8 September. A total number of 82,271 voters turned out to vote.The election came about when George...

1880 by-election George Jones
George Jones (New Zealand politician)
George Jones was a 19th century Member of Parliament in Otago, New Zealand.He represented the Waitaki electorate from 1880 to 1881, when he retired.He was appointed to the Legislative Council in 1895, until he died in 1920....

 (Independent)

1881 to 1946

From 1881 to 1946, Waitaki was again a single member electorate.
Election Winner
1881 election
New Zealand general election, 1881
The New Zealand general election of 1881 was held 9 December to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 8th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 8 December...

Thomas Young Duncan
Thomas Young Duncan
Thomas Young Duncan was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party.He represented the Waitaki electorate from 1881 to 1890 and then the Oamaru electorate from 1890 to 1911, when he was defeated by Ernest Lee.-References:...

 (Independent)
1884 election
New Zealand general election, 1884
The New Zealand general election of 1884 was held on 22 July to elect a total of 95 MPs to the 9th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 21 July. A total number of 137,686 voters turned out to vote.-References:...

1887 election
New Zealand general election, 1887
The New Zealand general election of 1887 was held on 26 September to elect 95 MPs to the tenth session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Māori vote was held on 7 September. 175,410 votes were cast....

1890 election
New Zealand general election, 1890
The New Zealand general election of 1890 was one of New Zealand's most significant. It marked the beginning of party politics in New Zealand with the formation of the First Liberal government, which was to enact major welfare, labour and electoral reforms, including giving the vote to women.It was...

John McKenzie
John McKenzie (New Zealand)
Sir John McKenzie KCMG was a New Zealand politician. He served as Minister of Lands and Agriculture in the Liberal Government of John Ballance.-Early life:...

 (Liberal
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...

)
1893 election
New Zealand general election, 1893
The New Zealand general election of 1893 was held on Tuesday, 28 November in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 12th session of the New Zealand Parliament...

William Steward (Liberal
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...

)
1896 election
New Zealand general election, 1896
The New Zealand general election of 1896 was held on Wednesday, 4 December in the general electorates, and on Thursday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 13th session of the New Zealand Parliament...

1899 election
New Zealand general election, 1899
The New Zealand general election of 1899 was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates, and on Tuesday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 74 MPs to the 14th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 373,744 voters turned out to...

1902 election
New Zealand general election, 1902
The New Zealand general election of 1902 was held on Tuesday, 25 November in the general electorates, and on Monday, 22 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 15th session of the New Zealand Parliament...

1905 election
New Zealand general election, 1905
The New Zealand general election of 1905 was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 16th session of the New Zealand Parliament...

1908 election
New Zealand general election, 1908
The New Zealand general election of 1908 was held on Tuesday, 17 November, 24 November and 1 December in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 2 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 17th session of the New Zealand Parliament...

1911 election
New Zealand general election, 1911
The New Zealand general election of 1911 was held on Thursday, 7 and 14 December in the general electorates, and on Tuesday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 18th session of the New Zealand Parliament...

Francis Henry Smith
Francis Henry Smith
Francis Henry Smith was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He was elected to the Waitaki electorate in the 1911 general election, but was defeated in 1914 for Timaru.-References:...

 (Reform
New Zealand Reform Party
The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...

)
1914 election
New Zealand general election, 1914
The New Zealand general election of 1914 was held on 10 December to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 19th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 616,043 voters were registered, of which 84.7% voters turned out to vote....

John Anstey
John Anstey
John Antsey was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.He won the Waitaki electorate in 1914, but was defeated in 1919.He was later on the Legislative Council.-References:...

 (Liberal
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...

)
1919 election John Bitchener
John Bitchener
John Bitchener was a Reform Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand. He was a cabinet minister 1933-35 in the Reform Government of New Zealand.He was elected to Waitaki in the 1919 general election, but was defeated in 1935....

 (Reform
New Zealand Reform Party
The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...

)
1922 election
New Zealand general election, 1922
The New Zealand general election of 1922 was held on Monday, 6 December in the Māori electorates, and on Tuesday, 7 December in the general electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 21st session of the New Zealand Parliament...

1925 election
New Zealand general election, 1925
The New Zealand general election of 1925 was held 4 November to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 22nd session of the New Zealand Parliament...

1928 election
New Zealand general election, 1928
The New Zealand general election of 1928 was held on Tuesday, 13 November in the Māori electorates, and on Wednesday, 14 November in the general electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 23rd session of the New Zealand Parliament...

1931 election
New Zealand general election, 1931
The 1931 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 24th term. It resulted in the newly formed coalition between the United Party and the Reform Party remaining in office as the Liberal-Reform Government, although the opposition Labour...

1935 election
New Zealand general election, 1935
The 1935 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 25th term. It resulted in the Labour Party's first electoral victory, with Michael Joseph Savage becoming the first Labour Prime Minister...

David Barnes
David Barnes (New Zealand)
David Barnes was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party.He represented the Waitaki electorate from 1935 to 1938, when he was defeated.-References:...

 (Labour
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....

)
1938 election
New Zealand general election, 1938
The 1938 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 26th term. It resulted in the governing Labour Party being re-elected, although the newly-founded National Party gained a certain amount of ground.-Background:The Labour Party had won...

David Campbell Kidd
David Campbell Kidd
David Campbell Kidd was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He held the Waitaki electorate in 1938 and held it to 1946. He won the new Waimate electorate in 1946, but died in 1954 shortly before the election.-References:...

 (National
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:...

)
1943 election
New Zealand general election, 1943
The 1943 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 27th term. With the onset of World War II, elections were initially postponed, but it was eventually decided to hold a general election in September 1943, around two years after it...


1957 to 1969

The electorate was recreated in 1957 and lasted until 1969.
Election Winner
1957 election
New Zealand general election, 1957
The 1957 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 32nd term. It saw the governing National Party narrowly defeated by the Labour Party...

Thomas Hayman
Thomas Hayman
Thomas Leonard Hayman was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was a cabinet minister from 1960 to 1962.He represented the Otago electorates of Oamaru from 1949 to 1957, and then Waitaki from 1957 to 1962, when he died....

 (National
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:...

)
1960 election
New Zealand general election, 1960
The 1960 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 33rd term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the National Party, putting an end to the short second Labour government.-Background:...

1962 by-election Allan Dick (National
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:...

)
1963 election
New Zealand general election, 1963
The 1963 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 34th term. The results were almost identical to those for the previous election, and the governing National Party remained in office....

1966 election
New Zealand general election, 1966
The 1966 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 35th term. It saw the governing National Party win a third consecutive term in office...


1978 to 1996

The electorate was recreated in 1978 and lasted until 1996.
Election Winner
1978 election
New Zealand general election, 1978
The 1978 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to elect the 39th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, retain office, although the opposition Labour Party managed to win the largest share of the vote...

Jonathan Elworthy
Jonathan Elworthy
Hon. Jonathan Herbert Elworthy was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Oamaru and Waitaki, in the South Island, representing the National Party.-Member of Parliament:...

 (National
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:...

)
1981 election
New Zealand general election, 1981
The 1981 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 40th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, win a third term in office, although the opposition Labour Party, led by Bill Rowling, actually won the largest share of...

1984 election
New Zealand general election, 1984
The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 41st New Zealand Parliament. It marked the beginning of the Fourth Labour Government, with David Lange's Labour Party defeating long-serving Prime Minister Robert Muldoon of the National Party. It was also the...

Jim Sutton
Jim Sutton
James Robert Sutton, CNZM , generally known as Jim Sutton, was a New Zealand politician from 1984–1990 and from 1993–2006. He has held a range of ministerial portfolios including Agriculture, Forestry, Rural Affairs, Biosecurity, and Trade Negotiations.-Biography:Sutton was born in...

 (Labour
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....

)
1987 election
New Zealand general election, 1987
The 1987 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 43rd sitting of the New Zealand Parliament. The governing New Zealand Labour Party, led by Prime Minister David Lange, was re-elected for a second term, although the Opposition National Party made gains...

1990 election
New Zealand general election, 1990
The 1990 New Zealand general election was held on 27 October to determine the composition of the 43rd New Zealand parliament. The governing Labour Party was defeated, ending its controversial two terms in office...

Alec Neill
Alec Neill
Alexander George Neill is the former Chairman of the Canterbury Regional Council and a former New Zealand National Party politician. He was an Electorate Member of Parliament from 1990 to 1996, and a List Member for two terms in 1999, and from 2001 to 2002. He was born in Dunedin, and attended St...

 (National
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:...

)
1993 election
New Zealand general election, 1993
The 1993 New Zealand general election was held on 6 November 1993 to determine the composition of the 44th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Jim Bolger, win a second term in office, despite a major swing back towards the Labour Party. The new Alliance and New...


2008 to present

The electorate was recreated in 2008 and has existed since.
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...

Jacqui Dean
Jacqui Dean
Jacqueline Isobel Dean is a New Zealand politician and the current Member of Parliament for the Waitaki electorate.-Early career:Dean has worked in a number of roles, including professional acting...

(National
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:...

)
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...


List MPs from Waitaki

Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Waitaki electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.
Name Party First elected Left Office Contested
Waitaki
David Parker Labour
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....

2005
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...

current MP 2008
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...


Candidates in the

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Electorate (as at 11 November 2011): 49,209

2008 election

Jacqui Dean
Jacqui Dean
Jacqueline Isobel Dean is a New Zealand politician and the current Member of Parliament for the Waitaki electorate.-Early career:Dean has worked in a number of roles, including professional acting...

's majority in Otago
Otago (New Zealand electorate)
Otago was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate,which was replaced by the Waitaki electorate and Clutha-Southland electorates for the 2008 election....

 at the 2005 election
New Zealand general election, 2005
The 2005 New Zealand general election held on 17 September 2005 determined the composition of the 48th New Zealand Parliament. No party won a majority in the unicameral House of Representatives, but the Labour Party of Prime Minister Helen Clark secured two more seats than nearest rival, the...

 was 1995 (5.5%), defeating the previous incumbent David Parker.
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