1969 New Zealand general election

The 1969 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of Parliament's 36th term. It saw the Second National Government headed by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake of the National Party win a fourth consecutive term. This is the most recent election where an incumbent government won a fourth term in office.

1969 New Zealand general election

← 1966 29 November 1969 (1969-11-29) 1972 →
elected members →
84 seats in the Parliament 43 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	1,340,168 (88.94%)
First party Second party   Leader Keith Holyoake Norman Kirk Party National Labour Leader since 13 August 1957 9 December 1965 Leader's seat Pahiatua Lyttelton Last election 44 seats, 43.6% 35 seats, 41.4% Seats won 45 39 Seat change 1 4 Popular vote 605,960 592,055 Percentage 45.2% 44.2% Swing 1.6% 2.8%
Results by electorate, shaded by winning margin
Prime Minister before election Keith Holyoake National Subsequent Prime Minister Keith Holyoake National

1967 electoral redistribution

Through an amendment in the Electoral Act in 1965, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, an increase of one since the 1962 electoral redistribution.^[1] It was accepted that through the more rapid population growth in the North Island, the number of its electorates would continue to increase, and to keep proportionality, three new electorates were allowed for in the 1967 electoral redistribution for the next election.^[2] In the North Island, five electorates were newly created (Birkenhead, Hamilton West, Henderson, Mangere, and Western Hutt) and one electorate was reconstituted (Waikato) while three electorates were abolished (Hamilton, Waipa, and Waitakere).^[3] In the South Island, three electorates were newly created (Papanui, South Canterbury, and Wigram) and one electorate was reconstituted (Oamaru) while three electorates were abolished (Ashburton, Fendalton, and Waitaki).^[4] The overall effect of the required changes was highly disruptive to existing electorates, with all but three electorates (Franklin, Wairarapa, and St Kilda) having their boundaries altered.^[5] These changes came into effect with the 1969 election.^[2]

The increase to 84 electorates was the first since the 1902 electoral distribution.^[6] Due to the fixed number of South Island electorates, the number of North Island electorates has increased in every subsequent election until the introduction of mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) for the 1996 election, which fixed the number of seats at 120.^[7]

MPs retiring in 1969

Four National MPs and five Labour MPs intended to retire at the end of the 35th Parliament.

Party		Name	Electorate
	National	Gordon Grieve	Awarua
		Arthur Kinsella	Hauraki
		Jack George	Otago Central
		Jack Scott	Rodney
	Labour	Robert Macfarlane	Christchurch Central
		Ritchie Macdonald	Grey Lynn
		Arnold Nordmeyer	Island Bay
		Mabel Howard	Sydenham
		Iriaka Rātana	Western Maori

Sir Walter Nash MP for Hutt had announced he would retire at the end of the term in 1969, but he died on 4 June 1968 triggering a by-election instead.^[8]

Election

The election was held on 29 November. Turnout was 88.94%. The total number of MPs had increased to 84,^[9] with at least 3 of the 4 new seats likely Labour seats. 55 and 25 electorates were in the North Island and South Island, respectively, plus the 4 Māori electorates.^[10]

Results

National pulled off a cliff-hanger victory. National won 45 seats, and Labour won 39 seats, though Labour's share of the vote was only 1% behind National. The Social Credit Party lost its only seat in Parliament: Hobson, formerly held by then party leader Vernon Cracknell.

Despite the hopes of a reinvigorated Labour party under Norman Kirk, Labour was overconfident, started too late, and did not win in Auckland. Relations with the Federation of Labour and the unions were not good, and an industrial dispute on the ship Wainui cost Labour three Auckland seats according to Kirk. Labour MP Warren Freer personally believed that "had it not been for the seamen's strike during the election period, we could have won".^[11]

In Eden, Labour was first on election night but lost when special votes were counted.

Election results
Party		Candidates	Total votes	Percentage	Seats won	Change
	National	84	605,960	45.2	45	+1
	Labour	84	592,055	44.2	39	+4
	Social Credit	84	121,576	9.1	0	−1
	Country Party	15	6,715	0.5	0	±0
	Communist	4	418	0.03	0	±0
	Independents	36	8,457	0.6	0	±0
Total		303	1,340,168		84

Votes summary

Popular Vote National   45.20% Labour   44.20% Social Credit   9.10% Country   0.50% Independents   0.60% Others   0.4%

Parliament seats National   53.57% Labour   46.43%

The table below shows the results of the 1969 general election:

Key

  National   Labour   Social Credit   Independent

Electorate results for the 1969 New Zealand general election^[12]

Electorate	Incumbent		Winner		Majority	Runner up
General electorates
Ashburton		Colin McLachlan			2,590		John Srhoy
Auckland Central		Norman Douglas			1,124		Clive Edwards
Avon		John Mathison			5,600		Alistair Ansell
Awarua		Gordon Grieve		Hugh Templeton	906		Aubrey Begg
Bay of Plenty		Percy Allen			3,440		Barry Kelly
Birkenhead	New electorate			Norman King	1,701		Don McKinnon
Buller		Bill Rowling			2,822		Ernie King
Christchurch Central		Robert Macfarlane		Bruce Barclay	3,406		Colin Knight
Clutha		Peter Gordon			3,618		Les McKay
Dunedin Central		Brian MacDonell			3,949		Margaret Mary Reichwein
Dunedin North		Ethel McMillan			2,929		Iona Williams
Eden		John Rae			67		Keith Sinclair[nb 1]
Egmont		Venn Young			4,280		Tom McGreevy
Franklin		Alfred E. Allen			5,495		Tai Tuhimata
Gisborne		Esme Tombleson			781		Trevor Davey
Grey Lynn		Ritchie Macdonald		Eddie Isbey	2,915		Jens Meder
Hamilton West	New electorate			Leslie Munro	1,878		Bob Reese
Hastings		Duncan MacIntyre			706		Richard Mayson
Hauraki		Arthur Kinsella		Leo Schultz	2,121		Dorothy Jelicich
Hawkes Bay		Richard Harrison			3,416		David Butcher
Henderson	New electorate			Martyn Finlay	3,295		Adrian Clarke
Heretaunga		Ron Bailey			1,375		Ralph Miller
Hobson		Vernon Cracknell		Logan Sloane	1,252		Vernon Cracknell
Hutt		Trevor Young			1,775		Don Lee
Invercargill		Ralph Hanan		John Chewings	1,031		Trevor Young
Island Bay		Arnold Nordmeyer		Gerald O'Brien	1,348		Fairlie Curry
Karori		Jack Marshall			6,226		Roy Tombs
Lyttelton		Norman Kirk		Tom McGuigan	292		Peter de Latour
Manawatu		Les Gandar			1,323		Ernie Hemmingsen
Mangere	New electorate			Colin Moyle	4,588		Neville Charles Slater
Manukau		Colin Moyle		Roger Douglas	875		Ronald Alfred Walden
Manurewa		Phil Amos			1,371		Pat Baker[13]
Marlborough		Tom Shand			2,460		Ian Brooks
Marsden		Don McKay			1,101		Murray Smith
Miramar		Bill Young			1,789		Charles Troughton
Mt Albert		Warren Freer			2,837		Gavin Downie
Napier		Gordon Christie			1,970		Terry Dunleavy
Nelson		Stan Whitehead			1,248		Roy McLennan
New Lynn		Jonathan Hunt			3,600		Vic Watson
New Plymouth		Ron Barclay			1,000		Brian Clark
North Shore		George Gair			3,964		Donald Frederick Dugdale
Oamaru	New electorate			Allan Dick	497		N Agnew
Onehunga		Hugh Watt			4,539		Daphne Double
Otago Central		Jack George		Murray Rose	1,086		Brian Griffiths
Otaki		Allan McCready			2,037		John Scott
Pahiatua		Keith Holyoake			4,920		Trevor de Cleene
Pakuranga		Bob Tizard			1,253		Noel Holmes
Palmerston North		Joe Walding			161		Gordon Cruden
Papanui	New electorate			Bert Walker	2,096		Martin Hobby
Petone		Fraser Colman			3,450		Francis Joshua Handy
Piako		Jack Luxton			4,426		George Bryant
Porirua		Henry May		Gerry Wall	2,744		Paul William Mitchell
Raglan		Douglas Carter			593		Dudley Sinclair
Rangiora		Lorrie Pickering			1,143		Paul Piesse
Rangitikei		Norman Shelton			4,214		Dan Duggan
Remuera		Allan Highet			7,097		Hamish Keith
Riccarton		Mick Connelly		Eric Holland	2,939		Alan C. McEwen
Rodney		Jack Scott		Peter Wilkinson	2,832		Nevern McConachy
Roskill		Arthur Faulkner			3,296		Anthony Cook
Rotorua		Harry Lapwood			1,198		Charles Bennett
St Albans		Bert Walker		Roger Drayton	909		Ian Wilson
St Kilda		Bill Fraser			3,795		Lloyd George Anderson
South Canterbury	New electorate			Rob Talbot	1,215		Maurice Austin Cameron
Stratford		David Thomson			4,158		Lindsay Hugh Stockbridge
Sydenham		Mabel Howard		Norman Kirk	6,026		Peter Morrissey
Tamaki		Robert Muldoon			6,088		Alfred David Bolton
Taupo		Rona Stevenson			107		Arthur John Ingram
Tauranga		George Walsh			2,704		Ray Dillon
Timaru		Sir Basil Arthur			3,101		Dave Walker
Waikato	New electorate			Lance Adams-Schneider	3,408		Alfred Ernest George
Waimarino		Roy Jack			2,213		Shaun Alex Cameron
Wairarapa		Haddon Donald		Jack Williams	467		Haddon Donald
Waitemata		Norman King		Frank Gill	1,052		Michael Bassett
Waitomo		David Seath			5,674		Neil Roger David Shewan
Wallace		Brian Talboys			4,532		J Robson
Wanganui		George Spooner		Bill Tolhurst	959		George Spooner
Wellington Central		Dan Riddiford			2,200		Olive Smuts-Kennedy
Western Hutt	New electorate			Henry May	1,421		Egan E Ogier[14]
Westland		Paddy Blanchfield			1,879		Barry Dallas[15]
Wigram	New electorate			Mick Connelly	3,200		Dick Dawson
Māori electorates
Eastern Maori		Paraone Reweti			3,487		Henare Ngata[16]
Northern Maori		Matiu Rata			4,758		Graham Latimer
Southern Maori		Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan			6,630		Norra Woodbane Pomare
Western Maori		Iriaka Rātana		Koro Wētere	7,530		P J Hura

Table footnotes:

1. Sinclair was first on election night for Eden (by 35 votes), but lost when special votes were included

Notes

1. McRobie 1989, pp. 108, 111, 112.
2. McRobie 1989, p. 111.
3. McRobie 1989, pp. 107, 111.
4. McRobie 1989, pp. 108, 112.
5. McRobie 1989, pp. 111f.
6. Wilson 1985, pp. 287f.
7. Wilson 1985, pp. 288.
8. "By-election is necessitated". The Evening Post. 5 June 1968.
9. "General elections 1853–2005 – dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008.
10. Wilson 1985, p. 173.
11. Freer, Warren W (2004). A Lifetime in Politics: the memoirs of Warren Freer. Wellington: Victoria University Press. p. 152. ISBN 0-86473-478-6.
12. Norton 1988.
13. Gustafson 1986, p. 354.
14. Gustafson 1986, p. 381.
15. Templeton & Eunson 1972, p. 21.
16. Gustafson 1986, p. 380.

References

• Chapman, George (1980). The Years of Lightning. Wellington: AH & AW Reed. ISBN 0-589-01346-7.
• Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
• McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
• 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.
• Templeton, Ian; Eunson, Keith (1969). Election '69.
• Templeton, Ian; Eunson, Keith (1972). In the Balance: Election '72. Dunedin: John McIndoe.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.