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1957 Bay of Plenty by-election

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1957 Bay of Plenty by-election
← 1954 general 6 April 1957 (1957-04-06) 1957 general ⊟
Turnout9,233 (72.15%)
 
Candidate Percy Allen Godfrey Santon
Party National Labour
Popular vote 5,290 4,091
Percentage 53.99 41.75
MP before election

Bill Sullivan
National

Elected MP

Percy Allen
National

The Bay of Plenty by-election 1957 was a by-election held in the Bay of Plenty electorate in the Bay of Plenty during the term of the 31st New Zealand Parliament on 6 April 1957.

Background

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The by-election was caused by the resignation of incumbent MP Bill Sullivan of the National Party for personal reasons on 13 February 1957.[1]

Candidates

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Labour

Thomas Godfrey Santon, a Taneaua dairy farmer who stood in the Bay of Plenty seat in 1954, was selected to stand in the seat again for the Labour Party.[2][3]

Liberal Federation

Reginald Joseph Pedley stood for the Liberal Federation, a newly created party. The president of the Liberal Federation, James Hill-Motion, stated that the party planned to use the by-election campaign to advertise its policies to New Zealanders. He also pushed back on jibes that his party were "dissenting Social Crediters" instead saying "We are dissenting Nationalists, but we see a danger for the country in socialism." Hill-Motion had been a Social Credit candidate for Manawatu in 1954, but regretted his nomination.[3]

National

There were seven names that went forward for the National Party nomination:[4][5]

  • Lance Adams-Schneider, a businessman and member of the Taumarunui Borough Council
  • Percy Allen, a plastering contractor and National's candidate for Rotorua in 1954
  • Donald C. Butler, a farmer and Chairman of the Whakatane County Council
  • A. T. Dillon, a farmer from Te Kuiti
  • Toby Gambrill, a lawyer from Gisborne
  • David Norman Perry, secretary of the Tekaha Co-operative Dairy Company and secretary of the New Life Movement in the Presbyterian Church
  • D. S. Radcliffe, a farmer from Edgecombe

Butler, the chairman of the South Auckland division of the National Party, was initially seen as the likeliest candidate to win the National nomination.[6] On 11 March a selection meeting of about 140 branch delegates in Whakatane was held and chose Allen as the party candidate for the by-election.[7]

Results

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The following table gives the election results:

1957 Bay of Plenty by-election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Percy Allen 5,290 53.99
Labour Godfrey Santon 4,091 41.75
Liberal Federation Reginald Joseph Pedley 417 4.26
Majority 1,199 12.24
Informal votes 35 0.36
Turnout 9,233 72.15
Registered electors 13,628
National hold Swing

The by-election was won by Allen who remained MP for the electorate until he retired in 1975.[9]

Notes

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  1. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 237.
  2. ^ "Bay of Plenty By-Election – Candidates For Seat". The Press. Vol. XCV, no. 28208. 21 February 1957. p. 12. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Bay of Plenty By-Election – Three Candidates In Contest". The Press. Vol. XCV, no. 28228. 16 March 1957. p. 2. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Bay of Plenty Seat – National Party Candidate". The Press. Vol. XCV, no. 28213. 27 February 1957. p. 12. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  5. ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 357,64.
  6. ^ "Bay of Plenty Electorate – By-Election Likely In April". The Press. Vol. XCV, no. 28196. 7 February 1957. p. 12. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Bay of Plenty Seat – National Party Candidate". The Press. Vol. XCV, no. 28224. 12 March 1957. p. 10. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  8. ^ Norton 1988, p. 200.
  9. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 179.

References

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  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand parliamentary election results, 1946–1987. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington Department of Political Science. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
  • Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
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