Rangitīkei is the third largest general electorate by area in the North Island. It encircles, but does not include,
Palmerston North. The electorate straddles
State Highway 1 through
Bulls,
Marton,
Taihape, and
Waiouru as far as
Mount Ruapehu Its largest centre is
Feilding. Its western boundary, from south of
Whanganui, extends northwards to include the communities of
Ohakune,
National Park, and
Taumarunui. 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 around
Shannon from
Ōtaki into RangitĪkei.[2]
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%).[2]
History
A seat named
Wanganui and Rangitikei was contested at the very first general election in New Zealand in
1853. The use of an electorate named Rangitikei in its own right dates from the
third session of the New Zealand Parliament. In a somewhat auspicious start for the seat, the first Member of Parliament for the seat in
1861 was future Prime Minister
William Fox. Fox resigned twice; first on 16 May 1865, causing the
1865 by-election (won by
Robert Pharazyn), and then on 11 March 1875, causing the
1875 by-election (won by
John Ballance).[3]
The current boundaries of the seat date from the introduction of
mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting in
1996. The seat was created by adding the southern tip of
King Country to the northern tip of the
Manawatu seat, and drafting in the towns to the east of
Whanganui from
Waitotara. The rural
conservative 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 leader
Bruce 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.
A Y or N denotes status of any
incumbent, 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.
A Y or N denotes status of any
incumbent, 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.
A Y or N denotes status of any
incumbent, 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.
A Y or N denotes status of any
incumbent, 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.
A Y or N denotes status of any
incumbent, 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.
A Y or N denotes status of any
incumbent, 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.
A Y or N denotes status of any
incumbent, 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.
A Y or N denotes status of any
incumbent, win or lose respectively.
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ab"Rangitīkei electorate profile". Parliamentary Library. June 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2017. This article incorporates text by the Parliamentary Library available under the
CC 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.