# Kapiti (New Zealand electorate)

Kapiti was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, from 1972 to 1996. A bellwether electorate, it frequently changed between National and Labour.

## Population centres

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, and six electorates were newly created (including Kapiti).
The main population centres in the electorate were Paraparaumu, Otaki, Raumati Beach, Raumati South and Waikanae, north of Wellington on the Kāpiti Coast. The 1977 electoral redistribution saw the electorate move south, and Otaki and Waikanae transferred to the newly created Horowhenua electorate. Waikanae came back to the Kapiti electorate through the 1987 electoral redistribution.
In 1996 with the introduction of mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation, Paraparaumu south of the airport and Raumati went into the Mana electorate, while Waikanae and the rest of Paraparaumu went into the Ōtaki electorate.

## History

The electorate changed between National and Labour several times. National's Allan McCready had represented the Otaki electorate since 1960 and when Otaki was abolished in 1972 and the Manawatu electorate moved towards the south and included the town of Levin, McCready transferred to Manawatu. Frank O'Flynn of the Labour Party won the 1972 election against National's Barry Brill, but Brill in turn defeated Flynn in 1975. Brill served until 1981 when he was beaten by Labour's Margaret Shields. Shields had initially been declared the winner of the 1978 election but she lost by 83 votes on a magisterial recount.
Shields was defeated by National's Roger Sowry in the 1990 election.
The Kapiti electorate was abolished in 1996, and most of its area went to the re-established Otaki electorate. Sowry stood for Otaki, was defeated by Labour's Judy Keall, but remained in Parliament as a list MP.

### Members of Parliament

Key
Labour  National
| Election | Winner |
| 1972 election | Frank O'Flynn |
| 1975 election | Barry Brill |
| 1978 election | Barry Brill |
| 1981 election | Margaret Shields |
| 1984 election | Margaret Shields |
| 1987 election | Margaret Shields |
| 1990 election | Roger Sowry |
| 1993 election | Roger Sowry |
| (Electorate abolished in 1996, see Otaki and Mana) |||

## Election results
### 1993 election

1993 general election: Kapiti :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Roger Sowry | 9,241 | 38.83 | −9.94 |
| | Labour | Rob Calder | 8,203 | 34.47 | |
| | Alliance | Mike Smith | 4,182 | 17.57 | |
| | NZ First | David Craig Stevenson | 1,431 | 6.01 | |
| | Christian Heritage | John Halsted | 506 | 2.12 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | Anthony Church | 153 | 0.64 | |
| | Natural Law | Barbara Stumbles | 78 | 0.32 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,038 | 4.36 | −2.56 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,794 | 88.96 | +0.42 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 26,745 | | |

### 1990 election

1990 general election: Kapiti :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Roger Sowry | 11,262 | 48.77 | +6.96 |
| | Labour | Margaret Shields | 9,663 | 41.84 | −12.66 |
| | NewLabour | Robert Hawke | 1,219 | 5.27 | |
| | Democrats | L F Manning | 433 | 1.87 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | S Buchanan | 319 | 1.38 | |
| | Social Credit | K R Squire | 195 | 0.84 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,599 | 6.92 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,091 | 88.54 | −2.39 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 26,079 | | |

### 1987 election

1987 general election: Kapiti :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Margaret Shields | 11,854 | 54.50 | +4.12 |
| | National | Roger Sowry | 9,094 | 41.81 | |
| | Democrats | R E Carpenter | 656 | 3.01 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | P. Consuela Gunn | 143 | 0.65 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,760 | 12.69 | −7.80 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,747 | 90.93 | −3.11 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,914 | | |

### 1984 election

1984 general election: Kapiti :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Margaret Shields | 11,098 | 50.38 | +5.93 |
| | National | June Oakley | 6,584 | 29.89 | |
| | NZ Party | Robin Harris | 3,712 | 16.85 | |
| | Social Credit | L F Manning | 632 | 2.86 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,514 | 20.49 | +18.18 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,026 | 94.04 | +1.65 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,420 | | |

### 1981 election

1981 general election: Kapiti :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Margaret Shields | 9,491 | 44.45 | +1.47 |
| | National | Barry Brill | 8,996 | 42.13 | −0.97 |
| | Social Credit | Don Briggs | 2,861 | 13.40 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 495 | 2.31 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,348 | 92.39 | +18.88 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,106 | | |

### 1978 election

1978 general election: Kapiti :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Barry Brill | 8,211 | 43.10 | −7.11 |
| | Labour | Margaret Shields | 8,188 | 42.98 | |
| | Social Credit | Dick Collins | 2,345 | 12.31 | +6.65 |
| | Values | V M Harward | 305 | 1.60 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 0.12 | −9.96 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,049 | 73.51 | −13.68 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,910 | | |

### 1975 election

1975 general election: Kapiti :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Barry Brill | 11,068 | 50.21 | +5.77 |
| | Labour | Frank O'Flynn | 8,846 | 40.13 | −8.52 |
| | Social Credit | Dick Collins | 1,248 | 5.66 | |
| | Values | Joan Beaufort | 881 | 3.99 | +1.83 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,222 | 10.08 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,043 | 87.19 | −2.26 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,279 | | |

### 1972 election

1972 general election: Kapiti :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Labour | Frank O'Flynn | 8,161 | 48.65 |
| | National | Barry Brill | 7,455 | 44.44 |
| | Social Credit | John Harold Arnott | 732 | 4.36 |
| | Values | Joan Beaufort | 363 | 2.16 |
| | New Democratic | John Robert Vincent | 62 | 0.36 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 706 | 4.20 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,773 | 89.45 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,751 | |