1977 Pahiatua by-election explained
| Election Name: | 1977 Pahiatua by-election |
| Country: | New Zealand |
| Flag Year: | 1977 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Previous Election: | 1975 New Zealand general election |
| Previous Year: | 1975 general |
| Next Election: | 1978 New Zealand general election |
| Next Year: | 1978 general |
| Turnout: | 14,377 (68.49%) |
| Party1: | New Zealand National Party |
| Popular Vote1: | 9,059 |
| Percentage1: | 63.01 |
| Candidate2: | Alan Levatt |
| Party2: | New Zealand Labour Party |
| Popular Vote2: | 4,280 |
| Percentage2: | 29.77 |
| MP |
| Before Election: | Sir Keith Holyoake |
| Before Party: | New Zealand National Party |
| After Election: | John Falloon |
| After Party: | New Zealand National Party |
The Pahiatua by-election of 1977 was a by-election for the electorate of Pahiatua on 30 April 1977 during the 38th New Zealand Parliament.
Background
The by-election resulted from the resignation of the previous member Sir Keith Holyoake when he was appointed Governor-General.
Candidates
- LabourThe Labour Party had seven candidates including:[1]
Levatt, who earned his Ph.D. from Michigan University and had previously lectured in American universities, was selected as the candidate.[1]
- NationalFive candidates were shortlisted for the National nomination.[2]
- Graham Percy Adam, a company director and former Mayor of Eketāhuna
- Garth Cassidy, a managing director from Waipukurau and member of the Hawkes Bay Harbour Board
- John Falloon, a farmer from Masterton and the meat and wool chairman for the Wairarapa branch of Federated Farmers
- Hamish Kynoch, a farmer from Ashley Clinton and runner-up for Young Farmer of the Year in 1972
- Weston Macpherson, a farmer and chairman of the Norsewood branch of Federated Farmers.
At a selection meeting in the Pahiatua Town Hall four ballots were taken of National members. Kynoch was initially the frontrunner to win the nomination and lead the voting until the final ballot which selected Falloon as the candidate.[3] [4]
- ValuesThe Values Party selected Peter McHugh as its candidate. McHugh, a secondary school from Hastings, had stood as the Values candidate for Pahiatua in .[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.
- 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.
- Book: Gustafson, Barry . Barry Gustafson . The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party . 1986 . Reed Methuen . Auckland . 0-474-00177-6 .
Notes and References
- News: Lecturer to bid for seat . . 1 April 1977 . 4 .
- News: Five party hopefuls in Pahiatua . . 26 March 1977 . 6 .
- News: Pahiatua candidate . . 5 April 1977 . 6 .
- News: Falloon named for Pahiatua . . 5 April 1977 . 1 .
- News: Values Party candidate . . 31 March 1977 . 3 .
