Rangitīkei is the third largest general electorate by area in the North Island. It encircles, but does not include,Palmerston North. The electorate straddlesState Highway 1 throughBulls,Marton,Taihape, andWaiouru as far asMount Ruapehu Its largest centre isFeilding. Its western boundary, from south ofWhanganui, extends northwards to include the communities ofOhakune,National Park, andTaumarunui. At the 2014 boundary review, the population of the RangitĪkei electorate was below tolerance and projected to decline further, so the Representation Commission shifted population aroundShannon fromŌtaki into RangitĪkei.[3] At the 2025 boundary review, the electorate would be shifted southwards to accommodate boundary changes in theKāpiti region, gaining theHorowhenua communities ofFoxton,Levin andManakau, while no longer retaining the communities aroundPalmerston North and north ofTaihape.[4]
Between Census 2006 and Census 2013 the RangitĪkei electorate experienced a 0.4% decline in population in comparison to a 5.3% increase in New Zealand as a whole. One in ten (10.0%) stated their highest qualification as a Level 2 certificate, the fourth-largest share among general electorates. One in ten (10.4%) also listed their occupation as a community and personal service worker, the fifth-largest percentage. Six industries accounted for close to two-thirds (61.3%) of those working in 2013: agriculture, forestry, and fishing (16.8%); manufacturing (9.3%); education and training (9.0%); public administration (8.9%); health care and social assistance (8.9%); and retail trade (8.4%).[3]
A seat namedWanganui and Rangitikei was contested at the very first general election in New Zealand in1853. The use of an electorate named Rangitikei in its own right dates from thethird session of the New Zealand Parliament. In a somewhat auspicious start for the seat, the first Member of Parliament for the seat in1861 was future Prime MinisterWilliam Fox. Fox resigned twice; first on 16 May 1865, causing the1865 by-election (won byRobert Pharazyn), and then on 11 March 1875, causing the1875 by-election (won byJohn Ballance).[5]
The current boundaries of the seat date from the introduction ofmixed-member proportional (MMP) voting in1996. The seat was created by adding the southern tip ofKing Country to the northern tip of theManawatu seat, and drafting in the towns to the east ofWhanganui fromWaitotara. The ruralconservative nature of the seat makes it a safe National seat, though for six years in the 1970s and 80s it was held by a third party MP,Social Credit leaderBruce Beetham.
Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Rangitīkei electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.
Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. AY orN denotes status of anyincumbent, win or lose respectively.
Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. AY orN denotes status of anyincumbent, win or lose respectively.
Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. AY orN denotes status of anyincumbent, win or lose respectively.
Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. AY orN denotes status of anyincumbent, win or lose respectively.
Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. AY orN denotes status of anyincumbent, win or lose respectively.
Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. AY orN denotes status of anyincumbent, win or lose respectively.
Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. AY orN denotes status of anyincumbent, win or lose respectively.
Blue background denotes the winner of the electorate vote. Pink background denotes a candidate elected from their party list. Yellow background denotes an electorate win by a list member, or other incumbent. AY orN denotes status of anyincumbent, win or lose respectively.
^ab"Rangitīkei electorate profile". Parliamentary Library. June 2015. Retrieved7 July 2017. This article incorporates text by the Parliamentary Library available under theCC BY 3.0 license.
McIvor, Timothy (1989).The Rainmaker: A biography of John Ballance journalist and politician 1839–1893. Auckland: Heinemann Reed.ISBN0-7900-0024-5.
Norton, Clifford (1988).New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington.ISBN0-475-11200-8.
Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913].New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913].New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer.OCLC154283103.
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YIan McKelvie
This article incorporates text by the Parliamentary Library available under theCC BY 3.0 license.