1971 Christchurch mayoral election

New Zealand mayoral election June 2019 June 2019 1971 Christchurch mayoral election New Zealand Presidential no 1968 Christchurch mayoral election 1968 1974 Christchurch mayoral election 1974 9 October 1971 49,310 (56.57%) no 125px Neville Pickering Labour 25,121 50.94 100px Ron Guthrey Citizens' DDEEFF 23,212 47.07 Mayor Ron Guthrey Neville Pickering The 1971 Christchurch mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1971, elections were held for the Mayor of Christchurch plus other local government positions. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method. The incumbent, Ron Guthrey of the Citizens' ticket, was defeated by the Labour Party candidate Neville Pickering. Background There were two hotly-discussed issues leading up to the 1971 election: a proposal by the mayor to build a road through North Hagley Park, and the venue choice for the 1974 British Commonwealth Games. Senior councillor Peter Skellerup of the Citizens' ticket criticised the incumbent mayor, Ron Guthrey (also of the Citizens' ticket) on the road proposal. According to Hamish Hay, a later mayor, the road proposal was Guthrey's undoing, and he was defeated by Labour councillor Neville Pickering.Hay Hamish Hamish Hay Hay Days 1989 Caxton Press Christchurch 0908563310 62 It was the first occasion in 46 years that a sitting mayor had been defeated. Labour won a majority on the city council as well, winning control of the council for the first time since 1956, resulting in the composition of the council at eleven seats to eight in favour of the Labour Party.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19711011.2.2 Labour Has Control of Christchurch City The Press 11 October 1971 CXI 32734 1 The highest-polling councillor, by a margin of 2500 votes, was Skellerup, though. Mayoralty results The following table gives the election results: 1971 Christchurch mayoral electionhttps://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19711020.2.184.5 Declaration of Results of Election The Press 20 October 1971 CXI 32742 29 New Zealand Labour Party Neville Pickering 25,121 50.95 Citizens' #DDEEFF Ron Guthrey 23,212 47.07 -16.78 Independent politician Tubby Hansen 618 1.25 359 0.73 ±0.00 1,909 3.90 49,310 56.57 +15.00 This is the first time that Tubby Hansen stood for the Christchurch mayoralty. As of 2022, he has stood in every local election for the mayoralty since.Law Tina Walton Steven A wizard, a pastor, and two retirees are among the lesser-known candidates vying for Christchurch's mayoralty https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/129716000/a-wizard-a-pastor-and-two-retirees-are-among-the-lesserknown-candidates-vying-for-christchurchs-mayoralty 2 September 2022 The Press 3 September 2022Bayer Kurt Christchurch mayoralty race attracts colourful cast of candidates https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/christchurch-mayoralty-race-attracts-colourful-cast-of-candidates/X3X3JQNE3F37IZVTLVANCRQ3GE/ 3 September 2022 The New Zealand Herald 17 August 2022 Councillor results 1971 Christchurch local electionhttps://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19711021.2.195.3 Christchurch City Council The Press 21 October 1971 CXI 32743 25 Citizens #DDEEFF Peter Skellerup 27,748 56.27 -1.50 Citizens' #DDEEFF Hamish Hay 25,219 51.14 -11.50 New Zealand Labour Party Robert Macfarlane 24,217 49.11 +4.14 New Zealand Labour Party Albert Orme 23,735 48.13 New Zealand Labour Party Brian Alderdice 22,952 46.54 +6.67 New Zealand Labour Party Mollie Clark 22,841 46.32 New Zealand Labour Party David Caygill 22,662 45.95 Citizens #DDEEFF Peter Dunbar 22,471 45.57 -6.23 New Zealand Labour Party Durham Dowell 22,270 45.16 Citizens #DDEEFF Norman Greenslade 21,944 44.50 Citizens #DDEEFF Helen Garrett 21,879 44.37 -3.53 Citizens #DDEEFF Les Amos 21,780 44.16 -7.26 New Zealand Labour Party Mary Batchelor 21,380 43.35 New Zealand Labour Party Nancy Sutherland 21,281 43.15 Citizens #DDEEFF Maurice Carter 21,278 43.15 +8.74 New Zealand Labour Party Peter William Anderson 21,111 42.81 New Zealand Labour Party Bill Massey 20,634 41.84 Citizens #DDEEFF Buster Cowles 20,024 40.60 -10.66 New Zealand Labour Party Reginald John Cunningham 19,920 40.39 +5.62 New Zealand Labour Party John F. Davidson 19,919 40.39 +5.63 Citizens' #DDEEFF Peter Blaxall 19,914 40.38 -4.80 New Zealand Labour Party Harold Turner 19,675 39.90 Citizens' #DDEEFF Harry Blazey 19,537 39.62 -7.13 New Zealand Labour Party Bruce John Corkran 19,530 39.60 New Zealand Labour Party Raymond Hugh Murray 19,405 39.35 Citizens' #DDEEFF Bruce Britten 19,243 39.02 -9.06 Citizens' #DDEEFF Harold Smith 19,179 38.89 +8.62 New Zealand Labour Party John Gordon Power 19,170 38.87 New Zealand Labour Party Alexander Fraser Ross 18,963 38.45 +4.79 New Zealand Labour Party David Brine 18,883 38.29 New Zealand Labour Party David Bernard O'Connell 18,616 37.75 Citizens' #DDEEFF Robertson Stewart 18,533 37.58 -8.60 Citizens' #DDEEFF Alec S. Farrar 18,415 37.34 Citizens' #DDEEFF Gordon Hattaway 17,699 35.89 -12.26 Citizens' #DDEEFF Ted Taylor 17,356 35.19 -11.76 Citizens' #DDEEFF Bob Baker 17,118 34.71 Independent politician Reg Stillwell 16,129 32.70 -16.73 Citizens' #DDEEFF Walter Campbell 15,832 32.10 Citizens' #DDEEFF Leicester Steven 15,708 31.85 Independent politician Roger Anthony Bamford 5,514 11.18 Independent politician Rolfe C. Neville 4,993 10.12 Independent politician Edward Foote 4,935 9.99 Independent politician Tubby Hansen 3,669 7.44 Aftermath A local government commission recommended that Christchurch amalgamate with some of the small surrounding local authorities and the area be divided into wards for electoral purposes, with the mayor then the only position elected at large. Pickering promised during the election campaign that wards would be introduced for the 1974 local elections. The Citizens' ticket was also in favour of introducing wards but tied this to amalgamation going ahead. Amalgamation did not proceed but the Labour-led council introduced five wards in time for the 1974 local elections.The ward system https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19721012.2.119 5 September 2022 The Press CXII 33045 12 October 1972 16First step towards city ward system https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19721006.2.103 5 September 2022 The Press CXII 33040 6 October 1972 12 References autocollapse Category:Mayoral elections in Christchurch Category:1971 elections in New Zealand Category:Politics of Christchurch Category:October 1971 in Oceania Category:1970s in Christchurch