Piako (New Zealand electorate)

The 1941 New Zealand census had been postponed due to World War II, so the 1946 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth and movements into account. The North Island gained a further two electorates from the South Island due to faster population growth. The abolition of the country quota through the Electoral Amendment Act, 1945 reduced the number and increased the size of rural electorates. None of the existing electorates remained unchanged, 27 electorates were abolished, eight former electorates were re-established, and 19 electorates were created for the first time, including Piako.{{sfn|McRobie|1989|pp=91–96}}

The First Labour Government was defeated in the {{NZ election link|1949}} and the incoming National Government changed the Electoral Act, with the electoral quota once again based on total population as opposed to qualified electors, and the tolerance was increased to 7.5% of the electoral quota. There was no adjustments in the number of electorates between the South and North Islands, but the law changes resulted in boundary adjustments to almost every electorate through the 1952 electoral redistribution; only five electorates were unaltered.{{sfn|McRobie|1989|pp=99f}} Five electorates were reconstituted and one was newly created, and a corresponding six electorates were abolished (including Piako); all of these in the North Island.{{sfn|McRobie|1989|pp=95–100}} These changes took effect with the {{NZ election link|1954}}.{{sfn|McRobie|1989|p=99}}

After years of political tension, the National Government came to an agreement with the Labour Party on the redistribution provisions of the electoral law. This resulted in the 1956 Electoral Act, which significantly changed the composition of the Representation Commission; since then, there has been one member representing the government, and one the opposition, apart from all the official members. Tolerance to the electoral quota was reduced again to 5%. The 1957 electoral redistribution made an adjustments in the number of electorates between the South and North Islands, with {{NZ electorate link|Waimate}} in the South Island abolished and Piako in the North Island reconstituted. Combined with significant population redistributions within the islands, the boundaries of all but two electorates were altered.{{sfn|McRobie|1989|pp=103f}} These changes took effect with the {{NZ election link|1957}}.{{sfn|McRobie|1989|p=103}}

The electorate included the population centres of Matamata, Cambridge, Morrinsville, Te Aroha, Waharoa, Waitoa, Huntly, Ngāruawāhia, and Ohaupo.[http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/D163FFA4-AC9B-48E9-9768-F1F453D35F4C/174/Piako1.pdf Electorate Profile: Piako]

Piako was a rural Waikato electorate from 1946 to 1954, then from 1957 to 1978, when it was renamed {{NZ electorate link|Matamata}}.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=270}} Piako was resurrected for the {{NZ election link|2002}}, replacing {{NZ electorate link|Karapiro}}.

Under boundary changes for the {{NZ election link|2008}}, Piako ceased to exist as an electorate. Its population centres were distributed between the neighbouring seats of {{NZ electorate link|Hunua}} and {{NZ electorate link|Papakura}}. Officially, Piako was replaced on paper by the seat of {{NZ electorate link|Waikato}}.

Piako and its predecessors have always been considered safe National electorates. The Piako electorate was held by Jack Luxton from 1966 to 1978, when he transferred to the Matamata electorate.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=213}}

When the Piako electorate was re-created for the {{NZ election link|2002}}, it was won by Lindsay Tisch, who had previously held the Karapiro electorate. Tisch served until the electorate was abolished in 2008, and transferred to the Waikato electorate.{{cite news |last=Akuhata |first=Karla |title=The boundaries of Lindsay Tisch |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/4024372/The-boundaries-of-Lindsay-Tisch |access-date=19 December 2013 |work=Waikato Times |date=14 August 2010}}

Key

{{Party index link|New Zealand National Party}}

Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Piako electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs' terms began and ended at general elections.

Key

{{Party index link|New Zealand Labour Party}}

{{Party index link|New Zealand First}}

{{election box begin |title=1975 general election: Piako{{sfn|Norton|1988|p=319}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link

|party = New Zealand National Party

|candidate = Jack Luxton

|votes = 10,248

|percentage = 59.9

|change = +4.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

|candidate = Helen Clark

|votes = 4,074

|percentage = 23.8

|change =

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Social Credit Party (New Zealand)

|candidate = Alex Mikkelson

|votes = 2,322

|percentage = 13.6

|change = -1.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link

|party = Values Party

|candidate = Sally Ruth Child

|votes = 460

|percentage = 2.7

|change =

}}

{{Election box majority

|votes = 6,174

|percentage = 36.1

|change = +6.7

}}

{{Election box turnout

|votes = 20,538

|percentage = 83.5

|change =

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |title=Electoral Atlas of New Zealand |last=McRobie |first=Alan |year=1989 |publisher=GP Books |location=Wellington |isbn=0-477-01384-8}}
• {{cite book |last = Norton |first = Clifford |title = New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946-1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science |year = 1988 |publisher = Victoria University of Wellington |location = Wellington |isbn = 0-475-11200-8}}
• {{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year=First published in 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103}}

• [http://www.parliament.nz/NR/rdonlyres/D163FFA4-AC9B-48E9-9768-F1F453D35F4C/174/Piako1.pdf Electorate Profile] Parliamentary Library

{{Historic electorates of New Zealand | state=collapsed}}

Category:Historical electorates of New Zealand

Category:Geography of Waikato

Category:1946 establishments in New Zealand

Category:1954 disestablishments in New Zealand

Category:1978 disestablishments in New Zealand

Category:2008 disestablishments in New Zealand

Category:1957 establishments in New Zealand

Category:2002 establishments in New Zealand