Electoral history of Norman Kirk

Norman Kirk in 1974

This is a summary of the electoral history of Norman Kirk, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1972–74), Leader of the Labour Party (1965–74), Member of Parliament (1957–74; Lyttelton to 1969, and later Sydenham until 1974).

Parliamentary elections

1954 election

General election, 1954: Hurunui[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National William Gillespie 6,454 52.3 −8.7
Labour Norman Kirk 4,059 32.9
Social Credit Laurie Cate 1,829 14.8
Majority 2,395 19.4 −2.6
Turnout 13,524 91.8 +3.9

1957 election

General election, 1957: Lyttelton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Kirk 8,064 48.65
National Harry Lake 7,497 45.23 +2.94
Social Credit Wilfrid Owen 1,014 6.11 −12.21
Majority 567 3.42
Turnout 16,575 94.61 −3.01
Registered electors 17,519

1960 election

General election, 1960: Lyttelton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Kirk 7,910 47.65 −1.00
National Jim Hay 7,650 46.08
Social Credit Cliff Munnings 1,040 6.26
Majority 260 1.56 −1.86
Turnout 16,600 92.68 −1.93
Registered electors 17,911

1963 election

General election, 1963: Lyttelton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Kirk 9,539 54.04 +6.35
National Tom Flint 6,862 38.87
Social Credit Cliff Munnings 1,249 7.07 +0.81
Majority 2,677 15.16 +13.60
Turnout 17,650 92.15 −0.53
Registered electors 19,153

1966 election

General election, 1966: Lyttelton[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Kirk 9,045 52.00 −2.04
National Peter de Latour 6,924 39.80
Social Credit Cliff Munnings 1,424 8.18 +1.11
Majority 2,121 12.19 −2.97
Turnout 17,393 87.64 −4.51
Registered electors 19,844

1969 election

General election, 1969: Sydenham[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Kirk 10,575 63.55
National Peter Morrisey 4,549 27.33
Social Credit Joe Pounsford 1,285 7.72 −9.67
Independent Ian Andrew More 121 0.72
Independent Michael "Tubby" Hansen 110 0.66
Majority 6,026 36.21
Turnout 16,640 86.65 +3.95
Registered electors 19,203

1972 election

General election, 1972: Sydenham[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Kirk 11,711 67.45 +3.90
National John Burn 4,722 27.19
Social Credit Alan Easterbrook 758 4.36
Independent Michael "Tubby" Hansen 67 0.38 −0.28
New Democratic John Bernard Elliot 62 0.35
Independent Michael Leeman-Smith 42 0.24
Majority 6,989 40.25 +4.04
Turnout 17,362 89.57 +2.92
Registered electors 19,382

Local elections

1953 Kaiapoi mayoral election

Kaiapoi mayoral election, 1953[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Kirk 621 54.86
Independent Owen Hills 511 45.14
Majority 110 9.71
Turnout 1,132
Registered electors

1956 Kaiapoi mayoral election

Kaiapoi mayoral election, 1956[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Norman Kirk Unopposed
Registered electors

Leadership elections

1963 Deputy-leadership election

Candidate Votes %
Hugh Watt 17 51.5
Norman Kirk 16 48.5
Majority 1 3.0
Turnout 33 —

1965 Leadership election

Candidate Votes %
Norman Kirk 25 71.4
Arnold Nordmeyer 10 28.6
Majority 15 42.8
Turnout 35 —

Party elections

1964 Party Conference

1964 Presidential election[8]
Candidate Votes %
Norman Kirk 401 70.10
Arnold Nordmeyer 166 29.02
Informal 5 0.87
Majority 235 41.08
Turnout 572 —

1965 Party Conference

Kirk was re-elected president unopposed.[9]

Notes

  1. ^ Norton 1988, pp. 250.
  2. ^ a b c d Norton 1988, p. 263.
  3. ^ Norton 1988, p. 350.
  4. ^ Norton 1988, p. 351.
  5. ^ Grant 2014, pp. 45.
  6. ^ Grant 2014, pp. 50.
  7. ^ "Kaiapoi". The Press. 19 November 1956. p. 13.
  8. ^ "Resounding Election Victory - Mr. N. E. Kirk M.P. is New President of Labour Party". The Evening Post. 12 May 1964. p. 18.
  9. ^ "Labour Party's President is Re-Elected". The Evening Post. 18 May 1965. p. 19.

References

  • 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.
  • Grant, David (2014). The Mighty Totara: The life and times of Norman Kirk. Auckland: Random House. ISBN 9781775535799.
  • Hayward, Margaret (1981). Diary of the Kirk Years. Auckland: Reed Publishing. ISBN 0589013505.