Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
New Zealand by-elections
By-elections in New Zealand occur to fill vacant seats in the New Zealand Parliament. They can be caused by the death, resignation, or expulsion of a sitting electorate MP. (Note that list MPs do not have geographic districts in which a by-election can be held — if a list MP's seat becomes vacant, it is filled by the next person on his or her party's list.) A by-election need not be held if a general election is scheduled to be held within six months.
Today, by-elections are not particularly common — there has been only one in the current term, and there were none in the previous term. Historically, however, they have been considerably more frequent — the 2nd Parliament, for example, saw at least twenty by-elections, despite there being only thirty-seven seats.
The following is an incomplete table of previous by-elections in New Zealand. Of interest, perhaps, is that it contains at least four subsequent Prime Ministers.
See also: New Zealand elections
| Election | Date | Winner |
| 1854 City of Auckland by-election | 4 August 1854 | William Brown |
| 1854 Nelson by-election | 19 June 1854 | Samuel Stephens |
| 1854 Waimea by-election | 21 June 1854 | William Travers |
| 1913 Grey by-election | 24 July 1913 | Paddy Webb (Social Democrats) |
| 1913 Lyttelton by-election | 1913 | James McCombs (Social Democrats) |
| 1932 Motueka by-election | 1 December 1932 | Keith Holyoake (Reform) |
| 1933 Lyttelton by-election | 1933 | Elizabeth McCombs (Labour) |
| 1951 Brooklyn by-election | 17 February 1951 | Arnold Nordmeyer (Labour) |
| 1953 Dunedin North by-election | 1953 | Ethel McMillan (Labour) |
| 1956 Riccarton by-election | 1956 | Mick Connelly (Labour) |
| 1957 Bay of Plenty by-election | 1957 | Percy Allen (National) |
| 1962 Buller by-election | 1962 | Bill Rowling (Labour) |
| 1962 Timaru by-election | 1962 | Basil Arthur (Labour) |
| 1962 Waitaki by-election | 1962 | Allan Dick (National) |
| 1963 Otahuhu by-election | 1963 | Bob Tizard (Labour) |
| 1967 Eastern Maori by-election | 1967 | Paraone Rewiti (Labour) |
| 1967 Fendalton by-election | 1967 | Eric Holland (National) |
| 1967 Palmerston North by-election | 1967 | Joe Walding (Labour) |
| 1967 Petone by-election | 1967 | Fraser Colman (Labour) |
| 1967 Southern Maori by-election | 1967 | Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan (Labour) |
| 1974 Sydenham by-election | 1974 | John Kirk (Labour) |
| 1977 Mangere by-election | 26 March 1977 | David Lange (Labour) |
| 1977 Pahiatua by-election | 1977 | John Falloon (National) |
| 1978 Rangitikei by-election | 1978 | Bruce Beetham (Social Credit) |
| 1979 Christchurch Central by-election | 1979 | Geoffrey Palmer (Labour) |
| 1980 East Coast Bays by-election | 1980 | Gary Knapp (Social Credit) |
| 1980 Northern Maori by-election | 1980 | Bruce Gregory (Labour) |
| 1980 Onehunga by-election | 1980 | Frank Gerbic (Labour) |
| 1985 Timaru by-election | 15 June 1985 | Maurice McTigue (National) |
| 1992 Tamaki by-election | 15 February 1992 | Clem Simich (National) |
| 1992 Wellington Central by-election | 12 December 1992 | Chris Laidlaw (Labour) |
| 1993 Tauranga by-election | 17 April 1993 | Winston Peters (Independent) |
| 1994 Selwyn by-election | 13 August 1994 | David Carter (National) |
| 1998 Taranaki-King Country by-election | 2 May 1998 | Shane Ardern (National) |
| 2004 Te Tai Hauauru by-election | 10 July 2004 | Tariana Turia (Maori Party) |
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