# Kaimai (New Zealand electorate)

Kaimai is a former New Zealand parliamentary electorate, from 1978 to 1996. In 1996 the MP Robert Anderson was selected for the new seat of Coromandel, but retired due to illness, and was replaced by Murray McLean, who won the new seat.

## Population centres

The 1977 electoral redistribution was the most overtly political since the Representation Commission had been established through an amendment to the Representation Act in 1886, initiated by Muldoon's National Government. As part of the 1976 census, a large number of people failed to fill out an electoral re-registration card, and census staff had not been given the authority to insist on the card being completed. This had little practical effect for people on the general roll, but it transferred Māori to the general roll if the card was not handed in. Together with a northward shift of New Zealand's population, this resulted in five new electorates having to be created in the upper part of the North Island. The electoral redistribution was very disruptive, and 22 electorates were abolished, while 27 electorates were newly created (including Kaimai) or re-established. These changes came into effect for the 1978 election.
The Kaimai was established by incorporating some suburbs that had belonged to the Tauranga electorate, getting the southern part of the abolished Coromandel electorate, and gaining Te Puke from the abolished Bay of Plenty electorate. Other than Te Puke, population centres of the original electorate included Mount Maunganui, Katikati, Welcome Bay, Maungatapu, Papamoa, and Waihi Beach.
As a result of electoral redistribution prior to the 1996 election, the Kaimai electorate was abolished and its area split between the Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, and Coromandel electorates.

## History

National's Bruce Townshend was the Kaimai electorate's representative from its creation in 1978 to his death on 25 April 1987. Whilst general elections have since the 1957 election traditionally been held on the last Saturday in November and a by-election is required if the death of an MP occurs more than six months prior to an election, the 1987 was held in August and no by-election was triggered; the earlier election date was a result of Muldoon's July 1984 snap election. Robert Anderson replaced Townshend at the 1987 election. Anderson had been selected as National candidate for the Coromandel electorate in 1996, but withdrew due to cancer.

### Members of Parliament

Key
National
| Election | Winner |
| 1978 election | Bruce Townshend |
| 1981 election | Bruce Townshend |
| 1984 election | Bruce Townshend |
| 1987 election | Robert Anderson |
| 1990 election | Robert Anderson |
| 1993 election | Robert Anderson |
| Electorate abolished 1996; see Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, and Coromandel |||

## Election results
### 1993 election

1993 general election: Kaimai :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Robert Anderson | 6,570 | 33.17 | −28.45 |
| | NZ First | Peter Brown | 6,198 | 31.29 | |
| | Labour | Lois Davies | 3,660 | 18.48 | |
| | Alliance | Ian Stephens | 2,894 | 14.61 | |
| | Christian Heritage | Terry Chester | 362 | 1.82 | |
| | Natural Law | Stephen Benner | 66 | 0.33 | |
| | Independent | Harold Dassler | 54 | 0.27 | −1.61 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 372 | 1.87 | −36.63 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,804 | 82.31 | +0.40 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,059 | | |

### 1990 election

1990 general election: Kaimai :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Robert Anderson | 13,039 | 61.62 | +5.92 |
| | Labour | Gordon Dickson | 4,892 | 23.12 | |
| | Green | Laraine Johnstone | 2,027 | 9.57 | |
| | NewLabour | Jonathan Read | 564 | 2.66 | |
| | Social Credit | Harold Dassler | 398 | 1.88 | |
| | McGillicuddy Serious | Roger Anthony Bullot | 136 | 0.64 | |
| | Democrats | Peter David Langman | 103 | 0.48 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,147 | 38.50 | +26.60 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,159 | 81.91 | −4.34 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 25,830 | | |

### 1987 election

1987 general election: Kaimai :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Robert Anderson | 10,791 | 55.70 | |
| | Labour | Henry Uttinger | 7,118 | 36.74 | |
| | Democrats | T A Powell | 887 | 4.57 | |
| | NZ Party | W W Townsend | 577 | 2.97 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,307 | 11.90 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 19,373 | 86.25 | −5.11 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 22,460 | | |

### 1984 election

1984 general election: Kaimai :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bruce Townshend | 9,242 | 42.58 | −7.51 |
| | NZ Party | Leslie Dickson | 5,546 | 25.55 | |
| | Labour | M A Tucker | 5,355 | 24.67 | |
| | Social Credit | Vic Haines | 1,422 | 6.55 | |
| | Values | C Corbett | 137 | 0.63 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,696 | 17.03 | −7.01 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,702 | 91.36 | +3.92 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 23,752 | | |

### 1981 election

1981 general election: Kaimai :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | National | Bruce Townshend | 10,719 | 50.09 | +4.38 |
| | Social Credit | Doug Conway | 5,573 | 26.04 | −0.88 |
| | Labour | Leo Mangos | 4,750 | 22.19 | |
| | Values | Jon Mayson | 278 | 1.29 | −1.62 |
| | Independent | C B Watt | 79 | 0.36 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,146 | 24.04 | +5.25 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,399 | 87.44 | +18.95 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 24,470 | | |

### 1978 election

1978 general election: Kaimai :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | National | Bruce Townshend | 8,457 | 45.71 |
| | Social Credit | Doug Conway | 4,981 | 26.92 |
| | Labour | Henry Uttinger | 4,521 | 24.43 |
| | Values | Jon Mayson | 540 | 2.91 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,476 | 18.79 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,499 | 68.49 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 27,009 | |