Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election and Referendum

Transcription

1 Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election and Referendum March 2012 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper provides a summary of the New Zealand General Election of 26 th November 2011, based on the final (official) results released by the NZ Electoral Commission, following the counting of special votes, and all votes in the referendum. The final results confirm the total number of seats in Parliament will be 121. This provides New Zealand with 2.7 MPs per 100,000 population the fifth lowest level of representation among the 15 OECD members with unicameral parliaments. Although the National Party has lost one list seat compared to election night and now has 59 seats in total its share of the party vote (47.3%) is the highest it has achieved under MMP. The Labour Party s share of the vote in 2011 (27.5%) is the lowest it has achieved in any MMP election to date indeed, it is the lowest share for the Labour Party in any election since 1928 when it received 26.2%. The Green Party s share of the party vote (11.1%) is the highest it has achieved in any MMP election to date entitling it to 14 seats in Parliament. It is the second highest party vote achieved by a third party in the MMP era, being surpassed only by NZ First which achieved 13.3% in There are no changes to the number of seats held on election night by other parties, although their share of the party vote has changed. Across MMP elections to date ( ), for the current parliamentary parties who have contested more than one election, the average party vote share has been: National 36.1%; Labour 35.1%; NZ First 7.4%; Green 7.0%; ACT 4.4%; United Future 2.0%; Māori 2.0%. Of 70 electorates, 49 winning candidates won with a majority (over 50%) of the valid electorate votes, while 21 electorates were won with a plurality (less than 50%) of the valid electorate votes. The electorate with the largest winning margin was Helensville (21,066), while Waitakere was the electorate with the smallest winning margin (9). The 39 women MPs comprise almost one-third (32%) of the 50 th Parliament, below the record 41 women MPs elected in There are 21 MPs who have self-identified as being of Māori descent, or 17% of the total Parliament, similar to the 18% of the NZ population who indicated Māori descent in the 2006 census. The new Parliament has a record 6 MPs who identify as bein g of Pacific Peoples ethnicity, or 5% of Parliament, which compares to the 7% of the population who identified as being of the Pacific Peoples ethnic group in the 2006 census. The median age of the 2011 parliament is 51.0 years. The youngest MP is 26 years old the oldest, 70 years. In generational terms, almost two-thirds (63%) of the 50 th Parliament are baby boomers, over one-third (34%) are generation X, and 3% are from the pre-world War Two generation. In MPs (20% of MPs) listed their previous occupation as a business person, usually the single biggest occupational category in NZ Parliaments since The 60+ age group is now the single largest voting cohort (821,500 voters) in New Zealand, representing 25% of all voters, and up from the 21% share this age group accounted for in The under 30 age group comprise over one-fifth (22%) of the total voting age population however, this age group accounted for over two-thirds (67%) of the total eligible voters who were not enrolled in In the 2011 referendum 58% of the valid votes cast were to keep MMP, up from the 54% who supported MMP in the 1993 referendum. Mangere was the general electorate with the hi ghest level of support for MMP (76.7%); Clutha-Southland the lowest (44.6%). Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 1

2 Final Results after Special Votes The General Election of 26 th November 2011 was New Zealand s 50 th since general elections began in 1853, and the sixth election conducted under the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system. This research paper summarises differences between the provisional and final election results, shows trends in the share of the vote and seats over time, and analyses the demographic makeup of the 50 th Parliament. It concludes with a discussion of the results of the referendum on the voting system. Table 1: Candidates, Seats, Parties at New Zealand General Elections, Year General Election Electorate candidates * List only candidates Total candidates General electorates Māori electorates Total electorates List seats Total seats / MPs MPs per 100,000 population Parties# * Includes candidates for Māori electorates, and dual candidates (standing for both list and electorate). # Parties gaining Parliamentary representation; excludes Independents. Sources: NZ Electoral Commission, The NZ Electoral Compendium 2002, p. 176; NZ Electoral Commission, Following the counting of special votes and the release of the official results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election, there are eight political parties and 121 members represented in the 50 th Parliament. An overhang of one seat has been created by the Māori Party winning three of the seven Māori electorates; it would otherwise have been entitled to two seats based on its 1.43% share of the party vote. Table 1 shows trends in the number of candidates, seats, and parties since It shows, for example, that the number of electorate candidates and total candidates contesting the 2011 election was the lowest in MMP elections to date. The number of MPs per capita in 2011 was 2.7 per 100,000 people. This level of representation ranks New Zealand just below the OECD average for lower chambers of 2.8 MPs per 100,000 people. When only the 15 OECD members with unicameral parliaments are considered, New Zealand ranks as the 5 th lowest in terms of MPs per capita. Table 2 shows the impact of the 241,518 valid special votes counted after the provisional results of Election Day on the final allocation of seats. Special votes (accounting for about 10% of the votes cast in New Zealand general elections) usually result in only minor changes to the parties final perc entage share of the party vote. For example, in 2011 special votes saw incremental increases in the share of the party vote for the Labour Party, the Māori Party, the Mana Party and the ACT Party without altering their provisional seat entitlement. However, special votes have had substantial impacts on the final election outcome. In the 2011 election the National Party s final share of the party vote dropped 0.68 percentage points to 47.31%, while the Green Party s share rose 0.44 percentage points to 11.06%. This resulted in the National Party s initial allocation of 60 seats being reduced to a final entitlement of 59 seats, and the Green Party s initi al allocation of 13 seats being increased to a final entitlement of 14 seats. Both changes affected the number of list MPs in each party, although the total number of MPs in Parliament was not affected. Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 2

3 Table 2: 2011 Final Party Vote and Seat Count Party Votes Seats Party Provisional Total (1) Final Total Provisional Share (%) Final Share (%) Final Electorate Final List Final Total National Party 957,769 1,058, Labour Party 541, , Green Party 211, , New Zealand First 135, , Māori Party 26,887 31, Mana 19,898 24, ACT New Zealand 21,446 23, United Future 12,159 13, Other (2) 68,492 75, Total Valid Party Votes 1,995,946 2,237, % 100% Informal / Disallowed Votes (3) 18,388 41,525 TOTALS 2,014,334 2,278, Provisional figures share as at 26 November (See John Wilson, The 2011 General Election: Provisional Results, Parliamentary Library Research Paper, 2011); final figures as at 17 December, Final party vote share for parties in the Other category include: The Conservative Party (2.65%), Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (0.52%), Democrats for Social Credit (0.08%), Libertarianz (0.07%), and Alliance (0.05%). 3. Informal Votes are votes cast by electors, qualified to vote, which are not counted because the ballot paper did not cle arly indicate the party or the electorate candidate vote, or both. Disallowed votes are votes disallowed for o ne of the following reasons: no ground stated for a special vote, arrived late, declaration not enclosed, incomplete declaration, ballot paper not enclosed, or addr ess invalid for electorate. Source: Electoral Commission, Figure 1 summarises the impact of special votes on the number of seats in MMP elections since In 1999, for example, the impact of special votes meant five parties and 14 seats were affected, resulting in the Labour -Alliance majority coalition government becoming a minority coalition government. Special votes in 1999 also affected the Green Party which on election night had no seats in Parliament entitling the Greens to seven seats (including an electorate seat). In 2005 special votes reduced the total number of MPs in Parliament from 122 to 121 and thereby reduced the threshold required for confidence and supply for the governing coalition parties. Figure 1: The Impact of Special Votes on Seats Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 3

4 When the 2011 election is compared with the 2008 election, the National, Green, and NZ First parties increased both their share of the party vote and their total seats, while the Labour, Māori and ACT parties saw both a decrease in their share of the party vote and their seats in the House (Table 3). The National Party increased its party vote by 2.38 percentage points above its 2008 election result and gained one seat, the Green Party gained 4.34 percentage points and five seats, and NZ First gained 2.52% and eight seats. The Labour Party lost 6.51 percentage points and nine seats, the Māori Party lost 0.96 percentage points and two seats, and ACT New Zealand lost 2.58 percentage points and four seats. Although United Future lost 0.27 percentage points, it did not lose any seats. The Mana Party did not contest the 2008 election; Jim Anderton's Progressive Party did not contest the 2011 election. Table 3: Party Vote Share and Seats by Parliamentary Party: 2008 and 2011 Final Party Vote Share Total Seats (at election) Party Change (% points) Change (seats) National Party 44.93% 47.31% Labour Party 33.99% 27.48% Green Party 6.72% 11.06% New Zealand First Party 4.07% 6.59% Māori Party 2.39% 1.43% Mana 1.08% 1 ACT New Zealand 3.65% 1.07% United Future 0.87% 0.60% Party Vote Share and Parties in Parliament: Under First-Past-the-Post (FPP) elections, from 1981 to 1993, the National Party averaged 40.3% of the vote while the Labour Party averaged 40.0%. Under Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) elections, from 1996 to 20 11, the National Party has averaged 36.1% of the party vote which compares to the 35.1% average for the Labour Party. Figure 2 shows that the National Party s share of the party vote in (47.3%) is the highest it has achieved under MMP and, since 1981, was only surpassed by its 1990 election result when it achieved 47.8%. The National Party s total of 59 seats is also the highest it has achieved under MMP. The Labour Party s share of the vote in 2011 (27.5%) is the lowest it has achieved in any MMP election to date indeed, it is the lowest share for the Labour Party in any election since 1928 when it received 26.2%. Across MMP elections to date, for the other current parliamentary parties who have contested more than one election, the average party vote share has been: 7.4% for the NZ First Party; 7.0% for the Green Party; 4.4% for ACT New Zealand, 2.0% for United Future, and 2.0% for the Māori Party. The six minor parties gaining parliamentary representation in 2011 in total gained 21.8% share of the party vote (see Figure 3). The total vote share for the minor parties gaining representation in Parliament has doubled under MMP compared to FPP elections from an average of 12% over the FPP elections from 1981 to 1993 to an average of 24% under MMP elections from 1996 to Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 4

5 Figure 2: Party Vote Share for Major and Minor Parliamentary Parties In the 2011 election, the two major parties won 93 seats between them (77% of the seats) from 75% of the total party vote (see Figure 2). Under First-Past-the-Post elections, from 1981 to 1993, representation in Parliament was dominated by the two major parties, Labour and National. On average, these two parties captured 98% of the seats in Parliament from a combined average of 80% of the vote from 1981 to In MMP elections between 1996 and 2011, Labour and National together have won three-quarters (75%) of the seats in parliament from a combined average of 71% of the total party vote. Under FPP elections from 1981 to 1993 minor parties that gained parliamentary representation won about two seats on average each election about 2% of the seats from an average of 12% of the vote. In MMP elections, from 1996 to 2011, minor parties that gained parliamentary representation won, combined, around 31 seats on average each election or 25% of the seats from about 24% of the vote. In the 2011 election, the minor parliamentary parties won 28 of the 121 seats (23%) from 22% of the vote slightly below the average seat and vote shares for the minor parliamentary parties under MMP (see Figure 3). Figure 3: Seats Won by Major and Minor Parliamentary Parties Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 5

6 The Electorates Sixty eight of the 70 electorate candidates who won their seats on election night were confirmed as the electorate representative after the counting of special votes. In Christchurch Central special votes saw Nicky Wagner (National) win Christchurch Central after the election night tie with Brendon Burns (Labour). In Waitakere, Paula Bennett (National) held the seat with a margin of nine votes after a judicial recount. A majority of the electorates were won by the National Party which won 42 electorates, one more than their electorate total after the 2008 election. The National Party gained two electorates previously held by the Labour Party (Christchurch Central and Waimakariri), but lost the seat of West Coast-Tasman that it had previously won in The Labour Party won 22 electorates, one more than the number of electorates it won in The Labour Party lost two electorates to the National Party, but gained three previously held by other parties (West Coast- Tasman from National, Wigram from Jim Anderton s Progressive, and Te Tai Tonga from the Māori Party). The Māori Party won three electorates in total, two less than it held following the 2008 election. The ACT and United Future parties won one electorate seat each, the same number as in The Mana Party won one electorate seat in 2011 it did not contest the 2008 election. The Green Party and New Zealand First did not win any electorate seats. Of 70 electorates, 49 winning candidates won with a majority (over 50%) of the valid electorate votes, while 21 electorates were won with a plurality (less than 50%) of the valid electorate votes. The electorate with the lowest share of the electorate (candidate) vote was Ohariu, where Peter Dunne (United Future) won with 38.6% of the electorate vote. The electorate with the highest share of the electorate (candidate) vote was Manukau East, where Ross Robertson (Labour) won with 77.1% of the electorate vote. Table 4 below shows both the ten electorates with the highest winning margin (majority) over the second-placed candidate, and the ten electorates with the smallest winning margin. For example, the Helensville electorate had the largest winning margin (21,066), while Waitakere was the electorate with the smallest winning margin (9). The average winning margin and average electorate vote share were 8,088 and 55.6% respectively. Table 4: The Winning Candidate s Margin and Electorate Vote Share The 10 Electorates with the Largest Winning Margin The 10 Electorates with the Smallest Winning Margin Electorate Party Margin Valid Electorate Vote Share Electorate Party Margin Valid Electorate Vote Share Helensville National 21, % Waiariki Māori % Selwyn National 19, % Wigram Labour % Tāmaki National 17, % Te Tai Tonga Labour % Bay of Plenty National 17, % Ōhariu United Future % Tauranga National 17, % Te Tai Tokerau Mana % Hunua National 16, % Tāmaki Makaurau Māori % Clutha-Southland National 16, % Auckland Central National % Manukau East Labour 15, % Waimakariri National % North Shore National 15, % Christchurch Central National % Māngere Labour 15, % Waitakere National % Average: General Electorates 8, % Average: Māori Electorates 3, % Average: NZ Electorates 8, % Source: Ministry of Justice, NZ Electoral Commission, Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 6

7 Demographic Makeup of the 50 th Parliament In million New Zealand voters elected 121 members of Parliament to represent their views and interests. One view of the representation of such interests emphasises representativeness the degree of similarity between members of Parliament and the population as a whole, or whether Parliament can be seen as a microcosm of society. 1 As a proportional representation system, MMP ensures that voters party preferences are proportionally reflected in the party composition of Parliament. However, whether Parliament reflects the general composition of t he New Zealand population in terms of general demographic characteristics is determined more by the political parties themselves, through their choice and ranking of candidates. Indirectly, however, MMP may help to increase the representativeness of Parliament by broadening the number and type of political parties that achieve representation. In turn these newer political parties may achieve representation by choosing candidates who appeal to the electorate on a variety of demographic characteristics su ch as gender, ethnicity, and age. Consequently, it is argued that one central virtue of proportional systems is the claim that they are more likely to produce a Parliament which reflects the composition of the electorate. 2 Figure 4 shows that on gender grounds, the representativeness of Parliament has increased significantly since the advent of MMP in 1996, although it still has some way to go before it reflects the gender balance in New Zealand society as a whole. There are 39 women MPs in the 50 th Parliament, compared with the record 41 elected to the previous Parliament. Overall, women comprise almost one-third (32%) of the new Parliament. Figure 4: Number and Share (%) of Women in Parliament Internationally, this level of representation of women in Parliament places New Zealand among the top twenty-five countries on this measure. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Rwanda (56%), Andorra (50%), Sweden (45%), and South Africa (45%) have the greatest proportions of women represented in their parliaments among the 188 countries surveyed. Germany (33%), Ecuador (32%), and Burundi (32%) have similar proportions of women to New Zealand represented in their parliaments. 3 On ethnicity grounds, the representativeness of Parliament has also incr eased significantly since the advent of MMP (see Figure 5). The new Parliament has 21 MPs who have self-identified as being of Māori descent, compared 1 This is of course not the only view of representation. See, for example, Hanna Pitkin (1991), Representat ion, The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Political Thought, (ed) David Miller, Basil Blackwell. 2 P. Norris, Choosing Electoral Systems: Proportional, Majoritarian and Mixed Systems, International Political Science Review, Vol. 18, 1997, p Inter-Parliamentary Union, Women in National Parliaments, 18 December, Available at: Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 7

8 with 20 in the previous Parliament. Overall, MPs who identify as being of Māori descent comprise 17% of the Parliament, which compares to the 18% of the population identifying as being of Māori descent in the 2006 census. The new Parliament has a record six MPs who identify as being of Pacific Peoples ethnicity, compared with five in the previous Parliament. Overall, MPs who identify as being of Pacific Peoples ethnicity comprise 5% of Parliament, which compares to the 7% of the population who identified as being of the Pacific Peoples ethnic group in the 2006 census. Figure 5: MPs in Parliament by Ethnic Share The new Parliament has five MPs who identify as being of Asian ethnicity, compared with six in the previous Parliament. Overall, MPs who identify as being of Asian ethnicity comprise 4% of the Parliament, which compares to the 9% of the population who identified as being of the Asian ethnic group in the 2006 census. In terms of age, Figure 6 shows that those aged years are underrepresented in the 50 th Parliament, since this age group comprises over 21% of the New Zealand voting age population (VAP), but just 2% of the New Zealand Parliament. By contrast, the and age groups are over-represented in Parliament when compared to the general 18+ population. In generational terms, almost two-thirds (63%) of the 50 th Parliament are baby boomers, over one-third (34%) are generation X, and 3% are from the generation born prior to World War Two (also known as the silent generation ). 4 The median age of the 2008 Parliament is 51.0 years. The youngest MP is 26 years old the oldest, 70 years. Figure 6: The Composition of the 50 th Parliament by Age Group 4 Although there is much debate about the dates and lengths of these generational cohorts, it is generally accepted that a generation is about 20 years long. Here the pre World War Two generation is defined as those born from 1926 to 1945 inclusive, baby boomers are those born from 1946 to 1965 inclusive, and Generation X are those born from 1966 to 1985 inclusive. Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 8

9 Table 5 below sets out the previous occupations of MPs as a share of successive Parliaments since In MPs (20% of all MPs) listed their previous occupation as businessperson usually the single biggest occupational category in New Zealand Parliaments, apart from 2008 when this category ranked as just the 4th largest. A further 16 MPs (13% of MPs) listed their previous occupation as a manager or administrator, confirming a recent trend for increasing numbers of these professionals (which include public servants) to enter Parliament. The legal profession, teaching, and farming are the other most prevalent occupational backgrounds for MPs farmers were more common in the Parliaments of , while teachers have generally outnumbered farmers in Parliaments since. In 2011 about 10% of MPs were previously lawyers, about the average share in parliaments since About 8% of current parliamentarians were previously involved in the local government sector, double the average share of this sector in parliaments since The share of MPs who were previously union workers (4%) is the lowest in the period, while the number of accountants, engineers, and media workers has remained in single figures over that time. Table 5: Previous Occupations of MPs Occupation Businessperson 20% 19% 18% 17% 19% 20% 11% 20% Manager/Administrator 4% 4% 8% 6% 8% 9% 16% 13% Lawyer 12% 12% 13% 8% 10% 7% 15% 10% Local Govt. 2% 2% 3% 5% 6% 3% 2% 8% Teacher 10% 10% 17% 18% 18% 15% 14% 7% Farmer 16% 16% 8% 12% 8% 10% 8% 7% Media 4% 4% 3% 2% 2% 1% 3% 5% Trade Unionist 6% 6% 7% 6% 8% 7% 5% 4% Consultant 2% 2% 6% 8% 6% 7% 2% 4% Engineer 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% Accountant 6% 6% 4% 3% 2% 2% 4% 1% Other (or not stated) 12% 14% 11% 13% 12% 17% 16% 19% TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Notes: Businessperson includes company directors, managing dire ctors, self-employed, real estate agents, investment bankers, and chairpersons of private businesses. Teacher includes lecturers and school principals. The category of manager/administrator includes financial administrator, voluntary sector administrat or, executive officers of public agencies, executive assistant, public servants. Other includes doctors, nurses, veterinarians, librarians, ministers of religion, community workers or coordinators of community organisations, diplomats, and MPs whose prev ious occupation is publicly unavailable. Source: Statistics New Zealand, NZ Official Yearbook; MPs biographies as listed on political party websites. Voter Enrolment and Turnout A total of 3.07 million people were enrolled to vote in the 2011 general election, or 93.7% of the estimated 3.27 million eligible voting age population (VAP) about the average enrolment ratio for MMP elections since 1996, although below the record 97.2% of the VAP who were enrolled in A total of 421,708 voters of Māori descent were enrolled 233,100 (55%) were enrolled on the Māori roll and 188,608 (45%) were enrolled on the general roll. Figure 7 shows that enrolment by age group is not uniform. For example, the 60+ age group is now the single largest voting cohort (821,500 voters), and in 2011 represented 25% of all voters, up from the 21% share this age group accounted for in The 60+ age group tends to enrol in proportion to its share of the voting age population. However, while eligible voters under 30 years represent just over one-fifth (22%) of the total voting age population, this age group accounts for over two-thirds (67%) of the total eligible voters who were not enrolled in Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 9

10 2011. In the context of the party vote, the 138,108 eligible voters under 30 who were not enrolled was the 5 th largest bloc of voters comparable to the level of support for the New Zealand First Party which received 147,544 valid party votes. Figure 7: Age-Group Shares of VAP, Enrolment, Non-Enrolment Figure 8 shows that voter turnout (total party votes cast as a proportion of enrolled electors) for the 2011 General Election was 74.2% overall, a decrease on the 79.5% overall turnout of those enrolled in As a measure of political participation, total voter turnout in New Zealand between 1981 and 2011 has averaged 84.5% a high level of voter participation when compared with other Western democracies. In FPP elections from 1981 to 1993, the average overall turnout was 88.9% while in MMP elections from 1996 to 2011 the average overall turnout was 80.8%. Figure 8: Voter Turnout by Roll, Voter turnout of those on the Māori roll generally falls below that of those on the general roll. In the 2011 election the turnout of those on the Māori roll was 58.2% a decrease from the 2008 Māori roll turnout of 62.4%. The 2011 Māori roll turnout was the lowest in any election since the first Māori roll was compiled in 1949, apart from 2002 when it was 57.6%. The 2011 turnout was also below the average Māori roll turnout of 70.1% for elections between 1981 and MMP also does not appear to have increased voter participation by t hose on the Māori roll. About Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 10

11 three quarters (75%) of those on the Māori roll voted on average in FPP elections between 1981 and 1993, while two thirds (65.6%) of these electors voted on average in MMP elections between 1996 and Table 6 lists the electorates with the highest and lowest turnouts in Of the ten electorates with the highest turnouts (votes cast to enrolled electors), six are from the Wellington region. Eight of the ten electorates with the lowest turnout are from the Auckland region. As can be seen from Table 6, the general electorate with the lowest turnout (Botany) had a higher turnout than the Māori electorate with the highest turnout (Te Tai Tokerau). Table 6: Turnout in Selected General Electorates and the Māori Electorates, 2008, 2011 The 10 General Electorates with the Highest Turnout Turnout Turnout The 10 General Electorates with the Lowest Turnout Turnout Turnout Wellington Central 82.4% 84.9% Te Atatū 72.4% 77.5% Ōhariu 81.6% 84.3% Christchurch Central 72.3% 79.2% Rongotai 81.5% 84.2% Wigram 72.3% 79.0% Ōtaki 80.2% 85.0% Pakuranga 71.9% 79.4% Mana 79.5% 82.9% Mt Roskill 71.8% 77.7% Selwyn 79.2% 84.4% East Coast Bays 71.6% 80.2% Rodney 78.9% 83.9% Manukau East 67.8% 71.6% Waitaki 78.7% 83.4% Māngere 67.1% 71.6% Rimutaka 78.5% 82.8% Manurewa 67.0% 73.6% Tāmaki 78.2% 82.4% Botany 67.0% 76.3% Average: 63 General Electorates 75.5% 80.9% Māori Electorates 2011 Turnout 2008 Turnout Te Tai Tokerau 61.6% 63.3% Waiariki 59.9% 64.5% Ikaroa-Rāwhiti 58.8% 62.7% Te Tai Hauāuru 58.7% 63.2% Te Tai Tonga 57.0% 64.2% Hauraki-Waikato 56.9% 60.9% Tāmaki Makaurau 54.8% 58.5% Average: 7 Māori Electorates 58.2% 62.4% Combined Average All Electorates 74.2% 79.5% Notes: 1. Turnout is based on total votes cast as a share of the enrolled electors. Source: Electoral Commission, The Referendum on the Voting System At the same time as the general election, an indicative (non-binding) referendum was held to decide whether voters wished to retain the MMP voting system and if not, which alternative voting system they preferred. The estimated cost of holding the 2011 referendum was $10.97 million, which included the cost of administering the referendum and conducting the public information campaign. As can be seen from Table 7 which sets out the referendum results 58% of the valid votes cast were to keep MMP, up from the almost 54% who supported MMP in the 1993 Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 11

12 referendum. While support across North Island, South Island and general electorates increased by lesser amounts, support for MMP among Māori electorate voters increased significantly when compared to Support for MMP in 2011 was above 50% in 56 of the 70 electorates Mangere was the general electorate with the highest level of support (76.7%); Clutha-Southland the lowest (44.6%). Table 7: Support for MMP 1993; 2011 Support for MMP Māori electorates 65.8% 82.8% North Island General Electorates 54.5% 56.7% All General electorates 53.5% 56.2% South Island General Electorates 50.1% 54.8% Total NZ 53.9% 57.8% 5 General Electorates with highest support for MMP 68.8% (Auckland Central) 76.7% (Mangere) 65.7% (Island Bay) 73.7% (Manukau East) 62.5% (Tauranga) 72.9% (Rongotai) 62.4% (Palmerston North) 70.9% (Wellington Central) 62.4% (Mt. Albert) 70.4% (Manurewa) 5 General Electorates with lowest support for MMP 41.9% (Matamata) 46.7% (Taranaki King Country) 41.1% (Otago) 46.6% (Helensville) 38.0% (Rakaia) 46.4% (Hunua) 36.4% (Clutha) 46.4% (Rodney) 34.5% (Wallace) 44.6% (Clutha Southland) As a consequence of the majority of voters electing to keep MMP, the Electoral Commission is now conducting a review of MMP and seeking public views on MMP, including: the 5% party vote threshold for a party to be eligible for allocation of list seats ; the one electorate seat threshold for a party to be eligible for allocation of list seats; the overhang mechanism; the effects of population change on the ratio of electorate seats to list seats; the capacity of a person to be both a constituency candidate and li st candidate; a party s ability to determine the order of candidates on its party list and the inability of voters to rank list candidates in order of preference. Selected References Election Results The New Zealand Electoral Commission, Enrolment Statistics The New Zealand Electoral Commission, Final Results for the 2008 New Zealand General Election, John Wilson, Parliamentary Library Research Paper, 2008/05, December 2008, Parliamentary Library. NZ/ParlSupport/ResearchPapers/6/f/9/00PLLawrp08051-Final-Results-for-the-2008-New-Zealand-General- Election.htm Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 12

13 Parliamentary Voting Systems in New Zealand and the Referendum on MMP, John Wilson, Parliamentary Library Research Paper, 2011/03, November 2011, Parliamentary Library. NZ/ParlSupport/ResearchPapers/d/5/8/00PLLawRP11031-Parliamentary-Voting-Systems-in-New-Zealand-andthe.htm The 2011 New Zealand General Election: Provisional Results, John Wilson, Parliamentary Library Research Paper, December 2011, Parliamentary Library. NZ/ParlSupport/ResearchPapers/5/7/a/00PLLawRP11041-The-2011-General-Election-Provisional-Results.htm John Wilson, Research Analyst, Parliament, Law and People Team, Parliamentary Library For more information, contact or Tel: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence. In essence, you are free to copy, distribute and adapt the work, as long as you attribute the work to the Parliamentary Library and abide by the other licence terms. To view a copy of this licence, visit Appendix 1: Members of Parliament by Electorate Final Results Electorate Member Party Margin in Seat Party Change Auckland Central KAYE, Nikki National 717 No No Bay of Plenty RYALL, Tony National 17,760 No No Botany ROSS, Jami-Lee National 10,741 No No Christchurch Central WAGNER, Nicky National 47 Yes No Christchurch East DALZIEL, Lianne Labour 5,334 No No Clutha-Southland ENGLISH, Bill National 16,168 No No Coromandel SIMPSON, Scott National 12,740 No Yes Dunedin North CLARK, David Labour 3,489 No Yes Dunedin South CURRAN, Clare Labour 4,175 No No East Coast TOLLEY, Anne National 4,774 No No East Coast Bays McCULLY, Murray National 14,641 No No Epsom BANKS, John ACT 2,261 No Yes Hamilton East BENNETT, David National 8,275 No No Hamilton West MACINDOE, Tim National 4,418 No No Helensville KEY, John National 21,066 No No Hunua HUTCHISON, Paul National 16,797 No No Hutt South MALLARD, Trevor Labour 4,825 No No Ilam BROWNLEE, Gerry National 13,312 No No Invercargill ROY, Eric National 6,263 No No Kaikōura KING, Colin National 11,445 No No New MP Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 13

14 Mana FAAFOI, Kris Labour 2,230 No No Māngere SIO, Su a William Labour 15,159 No No Manukau East ROBERTSON, Ross Labour 15,838 No No Manurewa WALL, Louisa Labour 8,610 No No Maungakiekie LOTU-IIGA, Peseta Sam National 3,021 No No Mt Albert SHEARER, David Labour 10,021 No No Mt Roskill GOFF, Phil Labour 7,271 No No Napier TREMAIN, Chris National 3,701 No No Nelson SMITH, Nick National 7,088 No No New Lynn CUNLIFFE, David Labour 5,190 No No New Plymouth YOUNG, Jonathan National 4,270 No No North Shore BARRY, Maggie National 15,228 No Yes Northcote COLEMAN, Jonathan National 9,379 No No Northland SABIN, Mike National 11,362 No Yes Ōhariu DUNNE, Peter United Future 1392 No No Ōtaki GUY, Nathan National 5,231 No No Pakuranga WILLIAMSON, Maurice National 13,846 No No Palmerston North LEES-GALLOWAY, Iain Labour 3,285 No No Papakura COLLINS, Judith National 9,890 No No Port Hills DYSON, Ruth Labour 3,097 No No Rangitata GOODHEW, Jo National 6,537 No No Rangitīkei McKELVIE, Ian National 9,382 No Yes Rimutaka HIPKINS, Christopher Labour 3,286 No No Rodney MITCHELL, Mark National 12,222 No Yes Rongotai KING, Annette Labour 9,047 No No Rotorua McCLAY, Todd National 7,357 No No Selwyn ADAMS, Amy National 19,451 No No Tāmaki O CONNOR, Simon National 17,786 No Yes Taranaki-King Country ARDERN, Shane National 15,089 No No Taupō UPSTON, Louise National 14,115 No No Tauranga BRIDGES, Simon National 17,264 No No Te Atatū TWYFORD, Phil Labour 5,416 No No Tukituki FOSS, Craig National 9,660 No No Waikato TISCH, Lindsay National 14,198 No No Waimakariri WILKINSON, Kate National 642 Yes No Wairarapa HAYES, John National 7,135 No No Waitakere BENNETT, Paula National 9 No No Waitaki DEAN, Jacqui National 14,143 No No Wellington Central ROBERTSON, Grant Labour 6,376 No No West Coast-Tasman O CONNOR, Damien Labour 2,539 Yes No Whanganui BORROWS, Chester National 5,046 No No Whangarei HEATLEY, Phil National 12,447 No No Wigram WOODS, Megan Labour 1,500 Yes Yes Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 14

15 Hauraki-Waikato MAHUTA, Nanaia Labour 5,935 No No Ikaroa-Rāwhiti HOROMIA, Parekura Labour 6,541 No No Tāmaki Makaurau SHARPLES, Pita Māori Party 936 No No Te Tai Hauāuru TURIA, Tariana Māori Party 3,221 No No Te Tai Tokerau HARAWIRA, Hone Mana 1,165 No No Te Tai Tonga TIRIKATENE, Rino Labour 1,475 Yes Yes Waiariki FLAVELL, Te Ururoa Māori Party 1,883 No No Appendix 2: Members of Parliament Ranked by Party List Position Final Results NATIONAL PARTY NATIONAL PARTY (cont'd) Member Electorate / List (Rank) Member Electorate / List (Rank) BORROWS, Chester Whanganui (32) KEY, John Helensville (1) KAYE, Nikki Auckland Central (33) ENGLISH, Bill Clutha-Southland (2) LEE, Melissa List (34) SMITH, Lockwood List (3) BAKSHI, Kanwaljit Singh List (35) BROWNLEE, Gerry Ilam (4) YANG, Jian List (36) RYALL, Tony Bay of Plenty (5) NGARO, Alfred List (37) SMITH, Nick Nelson (6) SHANKS, Katrina List (38) COLLINS, Judith Papakura (7) GOLDSMITH, Paul List (39) TOLLEY, Anne East Coast (8) HENARE, Tau List (40) FINLAYSON, Christopher List (9) DEAN, Jacqui Waitaki (41) CARTER, David List (10) WAGNER, Nicky Christchurch Central (42) McCULLY, Murray East Coast Bays (11) AUCHINVOLE, Chris List (43) GROSER, Tim List (12) UPSTON, Louise Taupō (44) JOYCE, Steven List (13) YOUNG, Jonathan New Plymouth (45) BENNETT, Paula Waitakere (14) BLUE, Jackie List (46) HEATLEY, Phil Whangarei (15) McCLAY, Todd Rotorua (47) COLEMAN, Jonathan Northcote (16) BENNETT, David Hamilton East (48) WILKINSON, Kate Waimakariri (17) MACINDOE, Tim Hamilton West (49) PARATA, Hekia List (18) CALDER, Cam List (50) WILLIAMSON, Maurice Pakuranga (19) HAYES, John Wairarapa (51) GUY, Nathan Ötaki (20) KING, Colin Kaikōura (52) FOSS, Craig Tukituki (21) ROSS, Jami-Lee Botany (54) TREMAIN, Chris Napier (22) BARRY, Maggie North Shore (57) GOODHEW, Jo Rangitata (23) McKELVIE, Ian Rangitikei (58) TISCH, Lindsay Waikato (24) MITCHELL, Mark Rodney (59) ROY, Eric Invercargill (25) SABIN, Michael Northland (60) HUTCHISON, Paul Hunua (26) SIMPSON, Scott Coromandel (61) ARDERN, Shane Taranaki-King Country (27) O CONNOR, Simon Tamaki (62) ADAMS, Amy Selwyn (28) LOTU-IIGA, Peseta Sam Maungakiekie (29) TOTAL Electorate MPs 42 BRIDGES, Simon Tauranga (30) TOTAL List MPs 17 WOODHOUSE, Michael List (31) TOTAL MPs 59 Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 15

16 LABOUR PARTY GREEN PARTY Member Electorate / List (Rank) Member Electorate / List (Rank) GOFF, Phil Mt Roskill (1) TUREI, Metiria List (1) KING, Annette Rongotai (2) NORMAN, Russel List (2) CUNLIFFE, David New Lynn (3) HAGUE, Kevin List (3) PARKER, David List (4) DELAHUNTY, Catherine List (4) DYSON, Ruth Port Hills (5) GRAHAM, Kennedy List (5) HOROMIA, Parekura Ikaroa-Rāwhiti (6) SAGE, Eugenie List (6) STREET, Maryan List (7) HUGHES, Gareth List (7) COSGROVE, Clayton List (8) CLENDON, David List (8) MALLARD, Trevor Hutt South (9) LOGIE, Jan List (9) MORONEY, Sue List (10) BROWNING, Steffan List (10) CHAUVEL, Charles List (11) ROCHE, Denise List (11) MAHUTA, Nanaia Hauraki-Waikato (12) WALKER, Holly List (12) ARDERN, Jacinda List (13) GENTER, Julie Anne List (13) ROBERTSON, Grant Wellington Central (14) MATHERS, Mojo List (14) LITTLE, Andrew List (15) JONES, Shane List (16) TOTAL Electorate MPs 0 SIO, Su'a William Māngere (17) TOTAL List MPs 14 FENTON, Darien List (18) TOTAL MPs 14 MACKEY, Moana List (19) PRASAD, Rajen List (20) NZ FIRST HUO, Raymond List (21) Member Electorate / List (Rank) CURRAN, Clare Dunedin South (28) HIPKINS, Christopher Rimutaka (30) PETERS, Winston List (1) SHEARER, David Mt Albert (31) MARTIN, Tracey List (2) TWYFORD, Phil Te Atatu (33) WILLIAMS, Andrew List (3) LEES-GALLOWAY, Iain Palmerston North (37) PROSSER, Richard List (4) FAAFOI, Kris Mana (41) STEWART, Barbara List (5) TIRIKATENE, Rino Te Tai Tonga (45) HORAN, Brendan List (6) WOODS, Megan Wigram (47) O ROURKE, Denis List (7) CLARK, David Dunedin North (49) LOLE-TAYLOR, Asenati List (8) DALZIEL, Lianne Christchurch East (none) O CONNOR, Damien West-Coast Tasman (none) TOTAL Electorate MPs 0 ROBERTSON, Ross Manukau East (none) TOTAL List MPs 8 WALL, Louisa Manurewa (none) TOTAL MPs 8 TOTAL Electorate MPs 22 TOTAL List MPs 12 TOTAL MPs 34 Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 16

17 MĀORI PARTY ACT NEW ZEALAND Member Electorate / List (Rank) Member Electorate / List (Rank) TURIA, Tariana Te Tai Hauāuru (7) BANKS, John Epsom (4) SHARPLES, Pita Tāmaki Makaurau (8) FLAVELL, Te Ururoa Waiariki (9) TOTAL Electorate MPs 1 TOTAL List MPs 0 TOTAL Electorate MPs 3 TOTAL MPs 1 TOTAL List MPs 0 TOTAL MPs 3 UNITED FUTURE MANA PARTY Member Electorate / List (Rank) Member Electorate / List (Rank) DUNNE, Peter Ōhariu (1) HARAWIRA, Hone Te Tai Tokerau (1) TOTAL Electorate MPs 1 TOTAL Electorate MPs 1 TOTAL List MPs 0 TOTAL List MPs 0 TOTAL MPs 1 TOTAL MPs 1 Final Results for the 2011 New Zealand General Election Parliamentary Library Research Paper 2012/02 17