By-elections to the Auckland City Council occur to fill vacant seats in the City Council. The death, resignation, bankruptcy or expulsion of a sitting Councillor can cause a by-election to occur.

Background

Local by-elections usually had a lower turnout compared to full local body elections. A notorious example occurred in August 1961 when a vacancy triggered the second by-election in under a year which had a turnout of only 3.65% of voters, prompting Mayor Dove-Myer Robinson to label the light turnout "...absolutely disgraceful. By failing to exercise their democratic right the public is just asking Parliament to take away from them the right to vote".[1] By-elections on the city council were on occasion deferred if a substantial majority of the council agreed to fill the vacancy by appointment, resulting in the highest polling unsuccessful candidate at the previous election being appointed to the council unless there is a public demand for a poll to be held (known as extraordinary vacancies). This arrangement has happened several times such as in 1940 when Charles Bailey resigned his seat which was taken by Harry Butcher and March 1953 when Arthur Bailey died and his seat was taken by Bob Beechey.[2]

Two future Mayors of Auckland (John Allum and Dove-Myer Robinson) entered the council via by-elections in 1920 and 1952 respectively.

List of by-elections

1903–86

Between 1903 and 1986 municipal elections in Auckland were conducted at large. The following is a list of by-elections held to fill vacancies on the Auckland City Council at large:

Key

  Independent   Labour   Citizens & Ratepayers   United Independents   Civic Reform
Date Incumbent Cause Winner
1908 Robert Stopford Resignation John Patterson
1909 Moncrieff Murray McCallum Resignation Ralph Thomas Michaels
May 1910 Lemuel Bagnall Resignation Henry Shaw
Sep 1910 Herbert Smeeton Resignation Jonathan Trevethick
1920 Ernest Davis Resignation John Allum
Andrew Entrican George Hutchison
1921 Patrick Nerheny Death George Davis
Apr 1922 Harold Dennett Heather Death Alfred Lawry
Peter Mitchell Mackay Samuel Crookes
Oct 1922 Horatio Bagnall Death Christopher Furness
1928 Frederick Brinsden Death Tom Bloodworth
1936 John William Yarnall Death Jim Purtell
1938 George Richardson Death Charles Bailey
1952 Howard Hunter Expulsion Dove-Myer Robinson
1954 Fred Ambler Expulsion Fred Ambler
Bruce Barnett Resignation Val Chapman
1957 Keith Buttle Resignation Wilfred Fortune
1958 Howard Hunter Death Charlie Passmore
Feb 1961 James Neil Bradley Death Val Chapman
Aug 1961 Mary Dreaver Death Howard Jeffreys
1963 Tom Pearce Expulsion Tom Pearce
Fred de Malmanche Resignation William Grant-Mackie
1979 Bill Barrett Death Richard Northey

1986–2010

Between 1986 and 2010 municipal elections in Auckland were held via a Wards system of local electoral districts.[3] The following is a list of by-elections held to fill vacancies on the Auckland City Council under the ward system:

Key

  Independent   Citizens & Ratepayers   Alliance
Ward Date Incumbent Cause Winner
Avondale 1987 Barry Donovan Death Brian Maude
Central 1988 Harold Goodman Death Sue Corbett
Maungakiekie 1991 Grahame Thorne Resignation Ken Graham
Hauraki Gulf Islands 1994 Sandra Lee Resignation Gordon Hodson
Avondale-Roskill 2000 Phil Raffills Death Noelene Raffills
Avondale-Roskill 2008 Linda Leighton Death John Lister

Results

1908 by-election

1908 Auckland City Council by-election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens John Patterson 1,461 40.78 +6.41
Independent George Read 966 26.96
Independent George Gregory 612 17.08 +0.75
Independent Samuel White 242 6.75
Ind. Labour League William Rowland 217 6.05 -7.29
Independent Rupert Mantell 40 1.11
Informal votes 44 1.22
Majority 495 13.81
Turnout 3,582 17.90 -21.20

1909 by-election

1909 Auckland City Council by-election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens Ralph Thomas Michaels 1,436 51.98 +11.76
Independent John Mitchell 738 26.34
Ind. Labour League Thomas Walsh 314 11.21
Independent William Black 194 6.92 -9.13
Independent Joseph George Haddow 39 6.92
Informal votes 80 2.85
Majority 718 25.63
Turnout 2,801 14.36

May 1910 by-election

May 1910 Auckland City Council by-election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens Henry Shaw 1,662 54.94 +7.83
Independent Ernest William Burton 828 27.37
Independent William Richardson 318 10.51
Independent Thomas Harkins 201 6.64
Informal votes 16 0.52
Majority 834 27.57
Turnout 3,025 15.92

September 1910 by-election

September 1910 Auckland City Council by-election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens Jonathan Trevethick 1,420 60.68
Independent Ernest William Burton 902 38.54 +11.17
Informal votes 18 0.76
Majority 518 22.13
Turnout 2,340 12.31

1920 by-election

1920 Auckland City Council by-election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Citizens' George Hutchinson 3,495 67.93
Progressive Citizens' John Allum 3,115 60.54
Independent James Dickson 2,568 49.91
Labour Ted Phelan 2,316 45.01 +7.00
Labour Oscar McBrine 2,222 43.18 +8.15
Informal votes 70 1.36
Majority 547 10.63
Turnout 5,145

1921 by-election

1921 Auckland City Council by-election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Davis 1,205 47.57 +7.70
Progressive Citizens' Eric Inder 1,186 46.82 +1.03
Independent Ernest Clark 142 5.60
Majority 19 0.75
Turnout 2,533

April 1922 by-election

April 1922 Auckland City Council by-election[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Citizens' Alfred Lawry 3,286 30.28
Progressive Citizens' Samuel Crookes 3,246 29.91
Labour Ted Phelan 2,245 20.68 -13.60
Labour Dick Barter 2,075 19.12 -7.77
Majority 1,001 9.22
Turnout 5,426 15.10

October 1922 by-election

October 1922 Auckland City Council by-election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Christopher H. Furness 1,984 37.99
Progressive Citizens' Dick Thompson 1,657 31.73
Labour Jeremiah James Sullivan 1,581 30.27
Majority 327 6.26
Turnout 5,222 14.50

1928 by-election

1928 Auckland City Council by-election[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tom Bloodworth 4,350 55.56 +21.63
Progressive Citizens' John Lundon 2,870 36.65 +7.26
Independent Harold Schmidt 693 8.85 +0.82
Majority 1,480 18.90
Turnout 7,829 19.18

1936 by-election

1936 Auckland City Council by-election[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Purtell 4,146 59.42 +18.16
Citizens & Ratepayers William Lang Casey 2,233 32.00
Independent James Payne 543 7.78 +2.02
Informal votes 55 0.78
Majority 1,913 27.41
Turnout 6,977

1938 by-election

1936 Auckland City Council by-election[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charles Bailey 11,434 51.32 +16.36
Citizens & Ratepayers Harry Butcher 10,758 48.28 +6.02
Informal votes 87 0.39
Majority 676 3.03
Turnout 22,279

1952 by-election

1952 Auckland City Council by-election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Dove-Myer Robinson 4,874 45.21
Labour Richard Wrathall 3,761 34.89 +0.73
Citizens & Ratepayers Aubrey Tronson 2,144 19.89 -14.95
Majority 1,113 10.32
Turnout 10,779 11.42

1954 by-election

1954 Auckland City Council by-election[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens & Ratepayers Fred Ambler 4,523 29.13 -13.48
United Independents Val Chapman 3,816 24.58
Labour Edith Williams 3,127 20.14 -7.74
Labour Ronald Akersten 2,901 18.68 -10.94
Independent George Mullenger 1,139 7.33 +1.17
Informal votes 17 0.10
Majority 689 4.43
Turnout 15,523 16.38

1957 by-election

1957 Auckland City Council by-election[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens & Ratepayers Wilfred Fortune 3,675 39.20
Labour William Grant-Mackie 2,011 21.45 -9.66
United Independents Frederick Johnston 1,248 13.31 -16.10
Independent Roy Turner 832 8.87
Independent Charles Fisher 518 5.52 -21.42
Independent Mary Dawson-Wright 445 4.74
Independent Richard Armstrong 327 3.48
Independent George Mullenger 304 3.24
Informal votes 13 0.13
Majority 1,664 17.75
Turnout 9,373

1958 by-election

1958 Auckland City Council by-election[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens & Ratepayers Charlie Passmore 2,431 41.23
Labour William Grant-Mackie 1,473 24.98 +3.53
Independent Roy Turner 989 16.77 +7.90
United Independents Frederick Johnston 975 16.53 +3.22
Informal votes 27 0.45 +0.32
Majority 958 16.25
Turnout 5,895 8.11

February 1961 by-election

February 1961 Auckland City Council by-election[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Civic Reform Val Chapman 2,475 56.14
Independent Cecil Paine 460 10.43
Communist Rita Smith 380 8.62
Independent Raymond Barker 339 7.69
Independent Mary Dawson-Wright 267 6.05
Independent George Mullenger 251 5.69
Independent Harold Barry 236 5.35
Majority 2,015 45.71
Turnout 4,408 5.80

August 1961 by-election

August 1961 Auckland City Council by-election[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Howard Jeffreys 2,203 84.86 +51.02
Communist Rita Smith 341 13.13 +4.51
Informal votes 52 2.00
Majority 1,862 71.72
Turnout 2,596 3.65

1963 by-election

1963 Auckland City Council by-election[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens & Ratepayers Tom Pearce 2,766 27.64 -9.14
Civic Reform William Grant-Mackie 2,672 26.70 -6.54
Citizens & Ratepayers Clifton Keegan 2,517 25.15 -9.89
Labour Thomas Price 1,205 12.04 -7.13
Communist Bill Andersen 454 4.53 -14.82
Communist George Jackson 363 3.62 -5.36
Informal votes 27 0.26
Majority 155 1.54
Turnout 10,004 12.50

1979 by-election

1979 Auckland City Council by-election[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Northey 2,798 41.20 +6.89
Citizens & Ratepayers Kevin Ryan 1,538 22.64
Independent Bute Hewes 1,386 20.40
Independent Phil Warren 595 8.76
Independent Matthew Connor 264 3.88 -13.95
Cheer Up Vince Terreni 210 3.09
Majority 1,260 18.55
Turnout 6,791

1987 by-election, Avondale Ward

1987 Avondale Ward by-election[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Brian Maude 1,612 38.65
Independent Jan Grefstad 896 21.48
Citizens & Ratepayers Sefulu Ioane 849 20.35
Labour Nora Rameka 813 19.49
Majority 716 17.17
Turnout 4,170

1988 by-election, Central Ward

1988 Central Ward by-election [24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens & Ratepayers Sue Corbett 1,172 32.82
Independent Ross Baxter 969 27.14
Independent Peter Boys 732 20.50
Independent Peter Beyer 419 11.73
Independent Alan Clay 144 4.03
Independent Raymond Hyams 134 3.75
Majority 203 5.68
Turnout 3,570 28.38

1991 by-election, Maungakiekie Ward

1991 Maungakiekie Ward by-election[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens & Ratepayers Ken Graham 3,536 37.70
Labour Richard Northey 1,723 18.37
Green Laurie Ross 1,507 16.07
Independent Peter Boys 1,356 14.46
Independent Andrew Stanley 1,255 13.38
Majority 1,813 19.33
Turnout 9,377

1994 by-election, Hauraki Gulf Islands Ward

1994 Hauraki Gulf Islands Ward by-election[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Gordon Hodson 964 33.42
Independent Greg Davenport 845 29.29
Independent Robert Shadbolt 274 9.50
Independent Bruce Marx 261 9.04
Community Independent Peta Dubbelman 172 5.96
Independent Robyn Storey 136 4.71
Independent Ian Andrews 102 3.53
Independent John Cranstoun 66 2.28
Independent Frederick Boric 64 2.21
Majority 119 4.12
Turnout 2,884

2000 by-election, Avondale/Roskill Ward

Avondale/Roskill Ward by-election, 2000[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens & Ratepayers Noelene Raffills 7,041 35.48
Independent Penny Bright 6,273 31.61
City Vision Doug Mansill 2,396 12.07
Independent Kathy Henderson 1,829 9.21
Independent Duncan McDonald 1,454 7.32
Independent Jan Grefsted 851 4.28
Majority 768 3.87
Turnout 19,844 36.33

2008 by-election, Avondale/Roskill Ward

Avondale/Roskill Ward by-election, 2008[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens & Ratepayers John Lister 4,710 29.01
City Vision Catherine Farmer 4,296 26.46
Independent Paul Davie 2,637 16.24
Independent Feleti Key 1,641 10.11
Independent Mohammad Tauqir Khan 1,063 6.54
Independent Gillian Bagnall 719 4.42
Independent John Williams 569 3.50
Majority 414 2.55
Turnout 16,231 26.10

Notes

  1. ^ "Labour Man Wins Seat on Council". The New Zealand Herald. 28 August 1961. p. 3.
  2. ^ Bush 1971, pp. 585–6.
  3. ^ "Local elections on ward basis". The Evening Post. 9 October 1984.
  4. ^ "Election of Councillor". Observer. Vol. XXVIII, no. 30. 11 April 1908. p. 18. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Election of Councillor". Observer. Vol. XXX, no. 6. 23 October 1909. p. 17. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Election of Councillor". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. XLVII, no. 14374. 19 May 1910. p. 10. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Election of Councillor". Observer. Vol. XXX, no. 52. 10 September 1910. p. 9. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  8. ^ "Declaration of Poll". Observer. Vol. XLI, no. 13. 27 November 1920. p. 18. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Electoral". Auckland Star. Vol. LII, no. 305. 23 December 1921. p. 6. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Council by-election". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LIX, no. 18077. 29 April 1922. p. 8. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  11. ^ "City by-election". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LIX, no. 18231. 26 October 1922. p. 6. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  12. ^ "City by-election". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXV, no. 20098. 8 November 1928. p. 10. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Electoral". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXIII, no. 22432. 30 May 1936. p. 8. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  14. ^ "By-election". Auckland Star. Vol. LXIX, no. 159. 8 July 1938. p. 5. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  15. ^ "Mr Robinson Wins City Council Seat". The New Zealand Herald. 7 April 1952.
  16. ^ "Declaration of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 21 October 1954. p. 6.
  17. ^ "Final Figures Little Changed". The New Zealand Herald. 18 December 1957. p. 14.
  18. ^ "Mr Passmore Wins Council Seat". The New Zealand Herald. 6 October 1958. p. 10.
  19. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 8 February 1961. p. 15.
  20. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 30 August 1961. p. 11.
  21. ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 24 April 1963. p. 15.
  22. ^ "Declaration of Result of Election". The New Zealand Herald. 12 February 1979. p. 17.
  23. ^ Bush 1991, pp. 443.
  24. ^ Russell, Alexia (14 November 1988). "Corbett Wins Council Seat". The New Zealand Herald. p. 3.
  25. ^ Bassett 2013, pp. 382.
  26. ^ "Lee ally wins her seat on city council". The New Zealand Herald. 30 May 1994. p. 10.
  27. ^ Bassett 2013, pp. 386.
  28. ^ "New councillor elected for Avondale/Roskill ward". Scoop.co.nz. 9 April 2008.

References

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