An electorate called Selwyn existed between
1866 and
1919. A Selwyn electorate also existed between
1946 and
1972 and again from
1978 until it was absorbed by
Rakaia for the first
MMP election in
1996.[1] The latest version of the Selwyn electorate was created for the 2008 election. This followed a review of electoral boundaries conducted after the 2006 Census, because of a general northwards population movement in the South Island. Even though the number of South Island electorates is fixed, the decline in the population of electorates from Rakaia south has resulted in the boundaries of electorates from
Invercargill north to Rakaia shifting further northwards.
Due to the rapid growth of Selwyn relative to Christchurch (which lost population after the earthquakes), the 2013 redistribution had Selwyn losing
Halswell and
Westmorland to
Port Hills and Harewood to
Waimakariri while regaining the towns of
Rakaia and
Chertsey back from
Rangitata.[2] Data from the
2018 census showed Selywn's population had continued to grow – it had the largest discrepancy of any electorate – and so the electorate would need to lose further area for the 2020 boundaries.[3] It shed an area around Hornby South to
Wigram, the Banks Peninsula to the recreated
Banks Peninsula, the area west of the
Rakaia to
Rangitata, and an area around
Christchurch Airport to
Ilam.[4]
Voting history
Edward Stevens was the electorate's first representative in 1866; he was returned elected unopposed.[5]
The dominant topic for the
1875 election was the abolition of the
Provinces.
William Reeves, the incumbent, favoured the retention of the provincial system of government, while his opponent,
Cecil Fitzroy, was an abolitionist. Fitzroy, who was 31 years old and 20 years Reeves' junior, narrowly won the election.[6][7]Edward Lee acted as
returning officer for the election.[8]
In the
1890 election,
Alfred Saunders, Thomas Hamilton Anson, and William Jerrington Popple received 536, 485 and 237 votes, respectively.[12]
The electorate is one of the
National Party's safest seats. National have held the seat, whenever it has existed since it was first recreated in 1946. In 2011, the candidate for the other major New Zealand party,
Labour, received less than 11% of the electoral vote and came third, behind the
Greens in the 2011 election. In that election, the only polling booths where Adams didn't receive the most votes were
Arthur's Pass and
Diamond Harbour.
Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Selwyn 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.
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.
McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books.
ISBN0-477-01384-8.
Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer.
OCLC154283103.