1967 Petone by-election explained

Election Name:	1967 Petone by-election
Country:	New Zealand
Flag Year:	1967
Type:	presidential
Previous Election:	1966 New Zealand general election
Previous Year:	1966 general
Next Election:	1969 New Zealand general election
Next Year:	1969 general
Turnout:	12,977 (67.57%)
Candidate1:	Fraser Colman
Party1:	New Zealand Labour Party
Popular Vote1:	7,086
Percentage1:	54.60
Candidate2:	Dick Martin
Party2:	New Zealand National Party
Popular Vote2:	4,003
Percentage2:	30.84
Candidate3:	Colin Whitmill
Party3:	Social Credit Party (New Zealand)
Popular Vote3:	1,888
Percentage3:	14.54
MP
Before Election:	Mick Moohan
Before Party:	New Zealand Labour Party
After Election:	Fraser Colman
After Party:	New Zealand Labour Party

The 1967 Petone by-election was a by-election for the electorate of Petone on 15 April 1967 during the 35th New Zealand Parliament. The by-election resulted from the death of the previous member the Hon Mick Moohan on 7 February 1967. The by-election was won by Fraser Colman, also of the Labour Party.

It was held the same day as another by-election in Fendalton.^[1]

Background

All three of the main political parties in New Zealand fielded candidates to contest the seat. At the time Petone was an electoral hive of activity with the local parliamentary seat becoming the third concurrent by-election in the area. There were also by-elections occurring for the local Maori seat, Southern Maori, following the death of Sir Eruera Tirikatene and the Petone mayoralty after Mayor Ralph Love was disqualified on a technicality.^[2]

Candidates

LabourPetone was a safe seat for Labour and therefore there were no shortage of nominees. At least 17 candidates came forward in the seat. The most prominent of whom were:^[3]

• Fraser Colman, the Labour Party's assistant general secretary and former president of the Boilermakers' Federation.
• John Jeffries, a lawyer and member of the Wellington City Council since 1962.
• Rolland O'Regan, a Wellington City Councillor since 1965 and former chairman of the Citizens' All Black Tour Association. He had contested in .
• Olive Smuts-Kennedy, a lawyer and member of the Wellington City Council since 1965. She was Labour's candidate in in, in, in .
• Gerry Wall, a doctor who had contested in .

Both Bill Fox (a former MP who had lost Miramar in an upset in 1966) and Gerald O'Brien (a Wellington City Councillor and chairman of the Wellington Labour Representation Committee) were approached to stand, but declined. Fox cited his desire to retire and already having arrangements to move to Ōtaki, whilst O'Brien indicated that the demands of running his business would be incompatible with a parliamentary candidature.^[3]

Eventually Colman was selected to stand as Labour's candidate.^[4]

NationalRichard Maunsell "Dick" Martin of Eastbourne was selected to contest the seat for the National Party. Martin had stood in Petone for National unsuccessfully in the 1960 general election where he had reduced Moohan's majority.^[1]

Social CreditThe Social Credit Party chose Colin James Whitmill, a civil servant working for the Ministry of Justice, as its candidate. Whitmill had contested Petone at the previous election.^[5]

Results

The following table gives the election results:

References

• Book: Norton, Clifford . New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science . 1988 . Victoria University of Wellington . Wellington . 0-475-11200-8 . 317 .
• Book: Wood, G. A. . Ministers and Members in the New Zealand Parliament . 2 . 1987 . 1996 . University of Otago Press . Dunedin . 1 877133 00 0 . 113 .

Notes and References

1. News: . April 15 for two by-elections . 3 March 1967 .
2. News: . Main Parties to Contest Election . 9 February 1967 . 14 .
3. News: . Labour Contenders Not Lacking For Petone Seat . 10 February 1967 . 22 .
4. News: . Mr F Coleman to Contest Petone Seat . 17 February 1967 . 8 .
5. News: . S.C. Candidate for Petone By-election . 17 February 1967 . 8 .