1980 Porirua mayoral election

Election for mayor of Porirua, New Zealand April 2024 1980 Porirua mayoral election New Zealand File:Porirua CoA shield+crest.svg Presidential no 1977 Porirua mayoral election 1977 1983 Porirua mayoral election 1983 11 October 1980 11,540 150x150px Whitford Brown Independent politician 8,250 71.49 100px Eric McKenzie New Zealand Labour Party 3,174 27.50 Mayor Whitford Brown Whitford Brown The 1980 Porirua mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Porirua plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method. Background Prior to the election there was a minor controversy on the council. In early 1980 Porirua's Town Clerk, Gordon Gandell, retired. The former deputy mayor of neighbouring Lower Hutt, John Seddon, was employed for the role. Allegations ensued that his appointment had been a "jack up" by the Labour majority on the city council and his friendship with deputy mayor John Burke. A group of senior Porirua City Council officers jointly signed a letter during the appointment row saying he wasn't the right man for the job. Seddon was not an accountant, the usual prior professional qualification of town clerks at that time, but he had been responsible for managing a company with three times the asset turnover of the Porirua City Council. Ombudsman Lester Castle was called in and eventually cleared the appointment process as being sufficiently objective.Council survivor outlasts his critics Hawkins Barry 2 July 1997 The Evening Post 9 Labour lost their council majority at the election which was attributed to the employment controversy. Several Labour councillors were dumped from the party ticket prior to the election. One, Ivan Hardgrave, stood instead as an independent candidate and was successful.Labour pays the price — falls with mighty thump in local polls The Evening Post 13 October 1980 2 The election also saw the introduction of a new party to contest control of the council with the emergence of the Rates Reform ticket. Founded in early 1979, the Rates Reform group accused local bodies of excessive spending and wanted a cessation to rates increases funded by cutting services and council staff.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19790123.2.8 New group wants rates reform The Press 23 January 1979 1 Mayoral results 1980 Porirua mayoral electionDeclaration of Result of Election — City of Porirua — Election of Mayor The Evening Post 18 October 1980 22 Independent politician Whitford Brown 8,250 71.49 +29.88 New Zealand Labour Party Eric McKenzie 3,174 27.50 116 1.00 5,076 43.98 +31.87 11,540 Councillor results 1980 Porirua City Council election |- ! colspan="6" style="text-align:left;" |Porirua Ward (12 vacancies)Declaration of Result of Election — City of Porirua — Election of Twelve Councillors — Porirua Ward The Evening Post 18 October 1980 22 |- Independent politician Maxine Arnold 4,514 64.54 +18.06 New Zealand Labour Party John Burke 3,931 56.20 +2.87 New Zealand Labour Party Margaret Brown 3,791 54.20 +2.83 Values Party Helen Smith 3,668 52.44 -0.15 New Zealand Labour Party Eric McKenzie 3,585 51.25 +6.85 Independent politician Bill Herewini 3,550 50.75 Independent politician Rex Willing 3,500 50.04 +14.10 Independent politician Alf Mexted 3,453 49.37 +17.41 New Zealand Labour Party Colin Beyer 3,243 46.36 Independent politician Ivan Hardgrave 3,227 46.13 -0.82 New Zealand Labour Party Tom Janes 2,999 42.87 -1.98 New Zealand Labour Party Sandra Meredith 2,954 42.23 Independent politician Kenneth Budge 2,886 41.26 New Zealand Labour Party James Clark 2,883 41.22 -0.44 New Zealand Labour Party Alan Sketchley 2,838 40.57 New Zealand Labour Party Phil O'Connell 2,830 40.46 -1.50 New Zealand Labour Party David Isaia 2,805 40.10 -6.85 New Zealand Labour Party David Stanley 2,564 36.65 Rates Reform #00CC66 Estelle Brittain 2,386 34.11 New Zealand Labour Party Connie Mato 2,385 34.10 Independent politician Edward Davis 2,296 32.82 Independent politician Robert Hosking 2,128 30.42 Rates Reform #00CC66 John Barnett 2,113 30.21 -1.34 Rates Reform #00CC66 James Brittain 1,924 27.50 Independent politician Lester Dobson 1,792 25.62 -3.46 Rates Reform #00CC66 Clifford Chadwick 1,674 23.93 Independent politician Pati Taulapapa 1,549 22.14 Rates Reform #00CC66 Kaye Kerslake 1,547 22.11 Mana Motuhake Mark Metekingi 1,515 21.66 Rates Reform #00CC66 Leslie Furnell 1,340 19.15 Mana Motuhake Sam Tekira 794 11.35 Mana Motuhake Sarai Fano 666 9.52 Socialist Unity Party (New Zealand) John Van de Ven 517 7.39 |- ! colspan="6" style="text-align:left;" |Taupo Ward (2 vacancies)Declaration of Result of Election — City of Porirua — Election of Two Councillors — Taupo Ward The Evening Post 18 October 1980 22 |- Independent politician Jan Bennett 1,472 63.66 Independent politician Murray Goodman 1,061 45.89 Independent politician Neville Peach 642 27.76 orange Ind. Progressive Kenneth Huntington 548 23.70 Independent politician Keith Rolston 542 23.44 Independent politician Robert Harper 360 15.57 |- ! colspan="6" style="text-align:left;" |Pukerua Bay Ward (1 vacancy)New factors in local body polls next month The Evening Post 5 September 1980 |- Independent politician Wayne Marshall unopposed References Category:Mayoral elections in Porirua Category:1980 elections in New Zealand Category:Politics of the Wellington Region