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West Coast is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1972 to 1996.

Population centres

Since the 1969 election, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, with continued faster population growth in the North Island leading to an increase in the number of general electorates. There were 84 electorates for the 1969 election,^[1] and the 1972 electoral redistribution saw three additional general seats created for the North Island, bringing the total number of electorates to 87.^[2] Together with increased urbanisation in Christchurch and Nelson, the changes proved very disruptive to existing electorates.^[2] In the South Island, three electorates were abolished, and three electorates were newly created (including West Coast).^[3] In the North Island, five electorates were abolished, two electorates were recreated, and six electorates were newly created.^[4] The West Coast and Tasman electorates replaced the former Buller and Westland electorates in 1972.^[5]

Population centres of the original West Coast electorate were Haast, Whataroa, Hari Hari, Ross, Hokitika, Kumara, Greymouth, Moana, Punakaiki, Reefton, Inangahua, Westport, and Karamea.^[6] In the 1977 electoral redistribution, Springs Junction was gained from the Tasman electorate.^[7] There were no boundary changes through the 1983 and 1987 electoral redistribution.^[8]

History

Labour's Paddy Blanchfield had represented the Westland electorate since 1960 and when Westland was abolished in 1972, Blanchfield transferred to the West Coast electorate.^[9] He retired at the 1978 election and was replaced by Kerry Burke.^[10] Burke was defeated in 1990 by Margaret Moir of the National Party. Due to the electorate being home to Blackball, the birthplace of the Labour Party, there was surprise at National's victory in 1990. Labour leader Mike Moore referred to the electorate as "Jerusalem" and was determined to recapture it.^[11] Moir was in turn defeated by Damien O'Connor at the 1993 election.^[12]

In 1996, the first mixed-member proportional (MMP) election the electorate was combined with Tasman to form the West Coast-Tasman electorate.

Members of Parliament

Key

Labour National

Election	Winner
1972 election		Paddy Blanchfield
1975 election		Paddy Blanchfield
1978 election		Kerry Burke
1981 election
1984 election
1987 election
1990 election		Margaret Moir
1993 election		Damien O'Connor
(Electorate abolished 1996; see West Coast-Tasman)

Election results

1993 election

1993 general election: West Coast^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Damien O'Connor	8,920	46.26
	National	Margaret Moir	6,000	31.11	−18.22
	Alliance	Iri Sinclair	2,525	13.09
	Independent	Peter Neame	852	4.41	−2.84
	NZ First	James Kelly	622	3.22
	Christian Heritage	D Robinson	321	1.66
	Natural Law	C Taylor	42	0.21
Majority			2,920	15.14
Turnout			19,282	85.81	−1.57
Registered electors			22,469

1990 election

1990 general election: West Coast^[14]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	Margaret Moir	9,178	49.33
	Labour	Kerry Burke	6,567	35.29	−4.46
	Independent	Peter Neame	1,349	7.25	−13.28
	NewLabour	J C Kelly	1,056	5.67
	Democrats	W J Grant	237	1.27
	Social Credit	E B Rennie	218	1.17
Majority			2,611	14.03
Turnout			18,605	87.38	−0.40
Registered electors			21,292

1987 election

1987 general election: West Coast^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kerry Burke	7,486	39.75	−10.94
	National	Gordon Garwood	6,006	31.89
	Independent	Peter Neame	3,866	20.53
	Democrats	Rosalie Newcombe	978	5.19
	NZ Party	Alan Blackadder	312	1.65
	Independent	Lee Antunovich	180	0.95
Majority			1,480	7.86	−13.77
Turnout			18,828	87.78	−3.24
Registered electors			21,447

1984 election

1984 general election: West Coast^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kerry Burke	10,062	50.69	+2.05
	National	John Bateman	5,769	29.06
	NZ Party	Bill Murphy	1,976	9.95
	Social Credit	Kieran Murcott	1,788	9.00
	Values	Rosalie Steward	252	1.26
Majority			4,293	21.63	+9.24
Turnout			19,847	91.02	+0.73
Registered electors			21,803

1981 election

1981 general election: West Coast^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kerry Burke	9,422	48.64	+1.37
	National	Doug Truman	5,016	25.89
	Social Credit	Eamon O'Connor	4,932	25.46	+9.16
Majority			2,401	12.39	−16.73
Turnout			19,370	90.29	+8.74
Registered electors			21,452

1978 election

1978 general election: West Coast^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Kerry Burke	9,167	47.27	−1.37
	National	George Ferguson	3,520	18.15
	Independent	Don Eadie	3,334	17.19
	Social Credit	Eamon O'Connor	3,161	16.30
	Values	Joanna Plows	209	1.07
Majority			5,647	29.12
Turnout			19,391	81.55	−7.38
Registered electors			23,778

1975 election

1975 general election: West Coast^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Paddy Blanchfield	9,522	51.39	−1.64
	National	Barry Dallas	7,121	38.43	+14.13
	Social Credit	Henry Pierson	1,019	5.50
	Values	Brian Weston	698	3.76
	Independent Labour	J D Houston	166	0.89
Majority			2,401	12.96	−12.49
Turnout			18,526	88.93	−1.92
Registered electors			20,832

1972 election

1972 general election: West Coast^[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Labour	Paddy Blanchfield	8,291	49.75
	Independent	Barry Dallas	4,049	24.30
	National	John Bruerton	3,583	21.50
	Social Credit	H M Woodhall	707	4.24
	New Democratic	C F Woods	32	0.19
Majority			4,242	25.45
Turnout			16,662	90.85
Registered electors			18,339

Notes

^ McRobie 1989, p. 111.
^ ^a ^b McRobie 1989, p. 115.
^ McRobie 1989, pp. 112, 116.
^ McRobie 1989, pp. 111, 115.
^ McRobie 1989, pp. 113, 117.
^ McRobie 1989, p. 117.
^ McRobie 1989, pp. 117–121.
^ McRobie 1989, pp. 123–128.
^ Wilson 1985, p. 184.
^ Wilson 1985, pp. 184, 187.
^ Parussini, Peter (2020). Believer: Conversations with Mike Moore. Auckland: Upstart Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-1-990003-04-2.
^ Bromley, Tui (April 2011). "Shunned O'Connor lashes out". Greymouth Star. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1993.
^ Part 1: Votes recorded at each polling place (Technical report). New Zealand Chief Electoral Office. 1990.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Norton 1988.

References

McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. p. 266. OCLC 154283103.
Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.