# Otahuhu (New Zealand electorate)

Otahuhu is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the southern suburbs of the city of Auckland, from 1938 to 1963, and then from 1972 to 1984.

## Population centres

The 1931 New Zealand census had been cancelled due to the Great Depression, so the 1937 electoral redistribution had to take ten years of population growth into account. The increasing population imbalance between the North and South Islands had slowed, and only one electorate seat was transferred from south to north. Five electorates were abolished, one former electorate (Onehunga) was re-established, and four electorates were created for the first time, including Otahuhu.
For the purposes of the country quota, the 1936 census had determined that some 30% of the population lived in urban areas, and the balance in rural areas. Since the 1969 election, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, with continued faster population growth in the North Island leading to an increase in the number of general electorates. There were 84 electorates for the 1969 election, and the 1972 electoral redistribution saw three additional general seats created for the North Island, bringing the total number of electorates to 87. Together with increased urbanisation in Christchurch and Nelson, the changes proved very disruptive to existing electorates. In the South Island, three electorates were abolished, and three electorates were newly created. In the North Island, five electorates were abolished, two electorates were recreated (including Otahuhu), and six electorates were newly created.
The Otahuhu electorate was located in the south of Auckland. Settlements that fell into the initial Otahuhu electorate were Howick, Papatoetoe, Māngere, Manurewa, and Brookby.

## History

The first representative, elected in 1938, was Charles Robert Petrie. In the previous parliamentary term, Petrie had represented the Hauraki electorate, which then had covered the South Auckland suburbs. Petrie retired in 1949.
In the 1963 general election the seat was abolished and Bob Tizard stood in Pakuranga, so only represented Otahuhu from 16 March (after a by-election due to the death of James Deas) to 29 October 1963. He later returned to the seat when it was reconstituted. When it was abolished in 1984, he stood in Panmure.

### Members of Parliament

Key
Labour  National
| Election | Winner |
| 1938 election | Charles Robert Petrie |
| 1943 election | Charles Robert Petrie |
| 1946 election | Charles Robert Petrie |
| 1949 election | Leon Götz |
| 1951 election | Leon Götz |
| 1954 election | James Deas |
| 1957 election | James Deas |
| 1960 election | James Deas |
| 1963 by-election | Bob Tizard |
| (Electorate abolished 1963–1972; see Pakuranga) |||
| 1972 election | Bob Tizard (2nd period) |
| 1975 election | Bob Tizard (2nd period) |
| 1978 election | Bob Tizard (2nd period) |
| 1981 election | Bob Tizard (2nd period) |
| (Electorate abolished in 1984; see Panmure) |||

## Election results
### 1981 election

1981 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Tizard | 8,803 | 56.12 | −0.98 |
| | National | Stuart McDowell | 3,639 | 23.20 | |
| | Social Credit | Ken Harris | 3,189 | 20.33 | |
| | Socialist Unity | Ella Ayo | 54 | 0.34 | +0.20 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,164 | 32.92 | −2.35 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,685 | 82.77 | +25.17 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,950 | | |

### 1978 election

1978 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Tizard | 8,896 | 57.10 | +1.30 |
| | National | Ray Ah Chee | 4,134 | 26.53 | |
| | Social Credit | Ken Harris | 2,288 | 14.68 | |
| | Values | I M Johnson | 236 | 1.51 | |
| | Socialist Unity | Ella Ayo | 23 | 0.14 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,762 | 30.57 | −6.68 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,577 | 57.60 | −19.10 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 27,041 | | |

### 1975 election

1975 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Tizard | 8,838 | 55.80 | −12.55 |
| | National | Lois Morris | 5,053 | 31.90 | |
| | Social Credit | Patrick Ford | 1,020 | 6.44 | |
| | Values | Peter Johnston | 879 | 5.54 | |
| | Socialist Unity | Barbara Miller | 26 | 0.16 | |
| | Independent | Joseph Erwin Moosman | 22 | 0.13 | −0.25 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,785 | 23.89 | −20.35 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,838 | 76.70 | −10.43 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 20,648 | | |

### 1972 election

1972 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Bob Tizard | 9,891 | 68.35 |
| | National | D C Brooker | 3,488 | 24.10 |
| | Social Credit | E R James | 935 | 6.46 |
| | New Democratic | Catherine Mary Langstone | 101 | 0.69 |
| | Independent | Joseph Erwin Moosman | 56 | 0.38 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,403 | 44.24 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,471 | 87.13 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,608 | |

### 1963 by-election

1963 Otahuhu by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Bob Tizard | 6,108 | 63.07 | |
| | National | Thomas Tucker | 3,450 | 35.64 | −3.69 |
| | Communist | Stan Hieatt | 125 | 1.29 | +0.60 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,658 | 27.45 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,683 | 51.10 | −39.89 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,947 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### 1960 election

1960 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Deas | 9,247 | 56.19 | −2.82 |
| | National | Thomas Tucker | 6,473 | 39.33 | |
| | Social Credit | Allan Donovan | 622 | 3.77 | |
| | Communist | Stan Hieatt | 114 | 0.69 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,774 | 16.85 | −5.90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,456 | 90.99 | −3.74 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,084 | | |

### 1957 election

1957 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Deas | 8,927 | 59.01 | +7.15 |
| | National | Clive Haszard | 5,485 | 36.26 | |
| | Social Credit | Frederick Coles Jordan | 714 | 4.72 | −0.84 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,442 | 22.75 | +11.28 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,126 | 94.73 | +1.63 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,966 | | |

### 1954 election

1954 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Deas | 8,162 | 51.86 | +8.04 |
| | National | Leonard Bradley | 6,356 | 40.38 | |
| | Social Credit | Frederick Coles Jordan | 875 | 5.56 | |
| | Independent | Rita Violet Fulljames | 344 | 2.18 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,806 | 11.47 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,737 | 93.10 | +1.39 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,902 | | |

### 1951 election

1951 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Leon Götz | 9,668 | 56.18 | +2.13 |
| | Labour | James Deas | 7,540 | 43.82 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,128 | 12.36 | +4.26 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,208 | 91.71 | −3.82 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,762 | | |

### 1949 election

1949 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Leon Götz | 8,493 | 54.05 | |
| | Labour | Alex Dixon | 7,218 | 45.95 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,275 | 8.10 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,711 | 95.53 | +1.35 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,445 | | |

### 1946 election

1946 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Robert Petrie | 6,957 | 50.81 | +3.89 |
| | National | Albert Murdoch | 6,737 | 49.19 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 220 | 1.60 | −1.88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,694 | 94.18 | +5.24 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,539 | | |

### 1943 election

1943 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Charles Robert Petrie | 6,251 | 46.92 | −11.95 |
| | National | Gordon Hamilton | 5,787 | 43.43 | |
| | Democratic Labour | Clare Jowsey | 811 | 6.08 | |
| | Real Democracy | Cyril James Mahon | 345 | 2.58 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 128 | 0.96 | +0.66 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 464 | 3.48 | −15.53 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,322 | 88.94 | −4.82 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,977 | | |

### 1938 election

1938 general election: Otahuhu :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Charles Robert Petrie | 7,020 | 58.87 |
| | National | Kenneth Tennent | 4,753 | 39.86 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 36 | 0.30 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,267 | 19.01 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,924 | 93.76 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 12,717 | |