West Coast-Tasman
Encyclopedia
West Coast-Tasman is a New Zealand
Parliamentary electorate
. It is the largest General electorate by land area.
It is currently held by Damien O'Connor
MP.
for MMP by combining the former Tasman
and West Coast
electorates.
Damien O'Connor
was the first representative and he held the electorate until the 2008 general election
, when he was beaten by National
candidate Chris Auchinvole
, who had previously been a list MP. Auchinvole's majority was 971. His position on the Labour Party list meant that O'Connor couldn't return to Parliament immediately. When the list MP Michael Cullen retired in May 2009, O'Connor regained his position as Member of the House of Representatives because he was the highest-ranked candidate on the list not already an MP. In contrast to the overall trend, he regained the electorate in the .
Key
1In the Damien O'Connor's list position meant he was not returned until Michael Cullen resigned in May 2009.
>
Electorate (as at 11 November 2011): 44,144
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...
. It is the largest General electorate by land area.
It is currently held by Damien O'Connor
Damien O'Connor
Damien Peter O'Connor is a New Zealand politician from the West Coast of the South Island. He is a member of the Labour Party and a Member of Parliament.-Early years:...
MP.
Population Centres
The electorate includes the following population centres:- CollingwoodCollingwood, New ZealandCollingwood is a town in the north-west corner of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located in the hub of the Aorere Valley, in the western half of the Golden Bay area.-Geography:The town lies at the end of State Highway 60 in Golden Bay...
- GreymouthGreymouthGreymouth is the largest town in the West Coast region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The population of the whole Grey District is , which accounts for % of the West Coast's inhabitants...
- Hokitika
- MotuekaMotuekaThe town of Motueka in the South Island of New Zealand lies close to the mouth of the Motueka River, on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is, after Nelson and Richmond, the third largest centre in the Tasman Region, with a population of 7125...
- Reefton
- RossRoss, New ZealandRoss is a small town located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.It lies 27 kilometres south-west of Hokitika and 46 kilometres north-east of Harihari...
- Takaka
- WakefieldWakefield, New ZealandThe small New Zealand community of Wakefield is situated some 25 km south west of Nelson at the top of the South Island.First settled in about 1843, it was originally called Pitfure. However the name was soon changed to Wakefield...
- WestportWestport, New Zealand-Economy:Economic activity is based around fishing, coal mining and dairy farming. Historically, gold mining was a major industry, and coal mining was much more extensive than today . However, the region still is home to New Zealand's largest opencast mining operation in Stockton...
History
The electorate was formed in 1996New 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...
for MMP by combining the former Tasman
Tasman (New Zealand electorate)
Tasman is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1972 to 1996.-History:The Tasman and West Coast electorates replaced the former Buller and Westland electorates in 1972....
and West Coast
West Coast (New Zealand electorate)
West Coast is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1972 to 1996.-History:The West Coast and Tasman electorates replaced the former Buller and Westland electorates in 1972....
electorates.
Damien O'Connor
Damien O'Connor
Damien Peter O'Connor is a New Zealand politician from the West Coast of the South Island. He is a member of the Labour Party and a Member of Parliament.-Early years:...
was the first representative and he held the electorate until the 2008 general 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...
, when he was beaten by 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:...
candidate Chris Auchinvole
Chris Auchinvole
Chris Auchinvole JP is a New Zealand politician.-Early years:Auchinvole was born in Prestwick, Scotland, and attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in England. In New Zealand, he has been involved with the export industry, and operated a company based on the West Coast...
, who had previously been a list MP. Auchinvole's majority was 971. His position on the Labour Party list meant that O'Connor couldn't return to Parliament immediately. When the list MP Michael Cullen retired in May 2009, O'Connor regained his position as Member of the House of Representatives because he was the highest-ranked candidate on the list not already an MP. In contrast to the overall trend, he regained the electorate in the .
Members of Parliament
West Coast-Tasman has been represented by two electorate MPs so far:Key
| Election | Winner | |
|---|---|---|
| Damien O'Connor Damien O'Connor Damien Peter O'Connor is a New Zealand politician from the West Coast of the South Island. He is a member of the Labour Party and a Member of Parliament.-Early years:... |
||
| Chris Auchinvole Chris Auchinvole Chris Auchinvole JP is a New Zealand politician.-Early years:Auchinvole was born in Prestwick, Scotland, and attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in England. In New Zealand, he has been involved with the export industry, and operated a company based on the West Coast... |
||
| Damien O'Connor Damien O'Connor Damien Peter O'Connor is a New Zealand politician from the West Coast of the South Island. He is a member of the Labour Party and a Member of Parliament.-Early years:... |
||
List MPs
Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the West Coast-Tasman electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.| Election | Winner | |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Auchinvole Chris Auchinvole Chris Auchinvole JP is a New Zealand politician.-Early years:Auchinvole was born in Prestwick, Scotland, and attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in England. In New Zealand, he has been involved with the export industry, and operated a company based on the West Coast... |
||
| Kevin Hague Kevin Hague Kevin Grant Hague is a current New Zealand MP representing the Green Party who was first elected to parliament in 2008.... |
||
| 2009 | Damien O'Connor Damien O'Connor Damien Peter O'Connor is a New Zealand politician from the West Coast of the South Island. He is a member of the Labour Party and a Member of Parliament.-Early years:... 1 |
|
| Chris Auchinvole Chris Auchinvole Chris Auchinvole JP is a New Zealand politician.-Early years:Auchinvole was born in Prestwick, Scotland, and attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in England. In New Zealand, he has been involved with the export industry, and operated a company based on the West Coast... |
||
| Kevin Hague Kevin Hague Kevin Grant Hague is a current New Zealand MP representing the Green Party who was first elected to parliament in 2008.... |
||
1In the Damien O'Connor's list position meant he was not returned until Michael Cullen resigned in May 2009.
Candidates in the
|}Withdrawn candidate
Electorate (as at 11 November 2011): 44,144
2008 election
2005 election
External links
- Profile Parliamentary Library