Banks Peninsula (New Zealand electorate) explained

Banks Peninsula
Parl Name:New Zealand House of Representatives
Area:1069.15km2
Year:1996 (original, abolished in 2008), 2020 (recreation)
Type:Single-member
Blank1 Name:Current MP
Blank1 Info:Vanessa Weenink
Blank2 Name:Party
Blank2 Info:National
Blank3 Name:List MP
Blank3 Info:Lan Pham (Greens)
Laura Trask (ACT)
Region:Canterbury

Banks Peninsula is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate which initially existed from 1996 to 2008, and was later recreated in 2020 ahead of the 2020 election.[1] It was held by National's David Carter for the initial term, and then by Labour's Ruth Dyson from 1999 to 2008.[2] As of 2023, the seat is currently held by National's Vanessa Weenink.

Population centres

The Banks Peninsula electorate, as defined in 2020, includes some of southern Christchurch, with suburbs such as Oaklands, Somerfield, Cashmere, Woolston, Halswell, Heathcote, and Sumner. It also includes some towns immediately south of Christchurch such as Lyttelton, and all of Banks Peninsula itself including the town of Akaroa.

History

The 1996 election was notable for the significant change of electorate boundaries, based on the provisions of the Electoral Act 1993.[3] Because of the introduction of the mixed-member proportional (MMP) electoral system, the number of electorates had to be reduced, leading to significant changes. More than half of the electorates contested in 1996 were newly constituted, and most of the remainder had seen significant boundary changes. In total, 73 electorates were abolished, 29 electorates were newly created (including Banks Peninsula), and 10 electorates were recreated, giving a net loss of 34 electorates. Banks Peninsula replaced the previous Lyttelton electorate.

In boundary changes for the 2008 general election, the electorate lost its rural population centres to the newly formed Selwyn, and became a solely urban electorate that was renamed Port Hills. Labour's Ruth Dyson retained Port Hills for all four elections with a greater lead than she had seen for Banks Peninsula. Dyson chose not to seek reelection in 2020 with Labour's Tracey McLellan succeeding Dyson.[4]

In the boundary review of 2019/2020, the Representation Commission decided to make large changes to the boundaries of Port Hills, taking area in Halswell and parts of Bromley out and adding Banks Peninsula in, to manage large changes in population in the Christchurch and areas. The electorate was also re-recreated as Banks Peninsula.[5] [6] [7] At its first election, the electorate was won easily by Labour's Tracey McLellan amidst the nationwide Labour landslide.

Members of Parliament

Key

width=100ElectionWinner
width=5 bgcolor=David Carter
Ruth Dyson
(Electorate abolished 2008–2020; see)
bgcolor=Tracey McLellan
width=5 bgcolor=Vanessa Weenink

List MPs

width=100ElectionWinner
width=5 bgcolor=Rod Donald
bgcolor=Ruth Dyson
bgcolor=David Carter
bgcolor=Rod Donald
bgcolor=David Carter
bgcolor=Rod Donald
bgcolor=David Carter
bgcolor=Rod Donald[8]
(Electorate abolished 2008–2020; see)
bgcolor=Eugenie Sage
bgcolor=Lan Pham
bgcolor=Laura Trask
2024bgcolor=Tracey McLellan[9]
  1. Web site: Boundary Review 2019/20 | Elections.
  2. Web site: Hon Ruth Dyson . . 21 November 2019 . 16 October 2019.
  3. Act. 87. 17 August 1993. Electoral Act 1993. 30 June 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150710153411/http://www.legislation.co.nz/act/public/1993/0087/latest/whole.html. 10 July 2015.
  4. Web site: The Battle of Banks-Peninsula: two fresh faces contest a newly competitive seat . Stuff (Fairfax) . 12 January 2020.
  5. Web site: Untitled (interactive map) . vote.nz . New Zealand Electoral Commission . 21 November 2019.
  6. News: Law . Tina . Boundary changes could swing Labour's safe Port Hills seat toward National . 21 November 2019 . . 20 November 2019.
  7. Web site: Report of the Representation Commission 2020. 17 April 2020.
  8. Rod Donald was elected from the Green Party list, but died before he was sworn into the 48th New Zealand Parliament. Nándor Tánczos was next on the list and so took Donald's place.
  9. Re-entered Parliament following the resignation of Labour MP Rino Tirikatene.

Election results

2002 election

a United Future swing is compared to the combined 1999 results of United NZ and Future NZ, who merged in 2000.

1996 election

External links