1980 East Coast Bays by-election

New Zealand by-election April 2024 April 2022 1980 East Coast Bays by-election New Zealand 1980 presidential no 1978 New Zealand general election 1978 general 1981 New Zealand general election 1981 general 6 September 1980 18,611 (63.64%) 100px Gary Knapp Social Credit Party (New Zealand) 8,061 43.31 120x120px Don Brash New Zealand National Party 7,110 38.20 120x120px Wyn Hoadley New Zealand Labour Party 3,296 17.71 Member Frank Gill Gary Knapp New Zealand National Party Social Credit Party (New Zealand) The East Coast Bays by-election of 1980 was a by-election during the 39th New Zealand Parliament in the East Coast Bays electorate. It resulted in an upset for the National Party, as their candidate and future leader Don Brash was unexpectedly beaten by Gary Knapp of the Social Credit Party. Background The Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, appointed Frank Gill, National Party MP for East Coast Bays since the 1972, to take up a position as New Zealand's ambassador to the United States. Muldoon did so against the express wish of Brian Talboys, who was Minister of Foreign Affairs.Gustafson 1986 136–137 Candidates Labour The Labour Party selected Wyn Hoadley over three others to stand in the election. Hoadley, a barrister and adult education lecturer at University of Auckland, was Labour's candidate for North Shore in 1975.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19800730.2.42 Mayor to stand for by-election The Press 30 July 1980 5 National As a safe seat there was much interest from the National Party membership. 12 candidates came forward for the National nomination. They included:They're lining up for Gill's seat Auckland Star 19 July 1980 3 12 Nats vie for Bays selection Auckland Star 4 August 1980 3 John Banks, National's candidate for Roskill in 1978 Don Brash, member of the New Zealand Planning Council and general manager of the Broadbank Corporation Alan McCulloch, the Mayor of East Coast Bays Lesley Miller, National's candidate for Taupo in 1978 and press secretary for Muldoon Barry O'Connor, National's candidate for New Lynn in 1975 Armyne Raines, deputy chairperson of the East Coast Bays National Party Bill Raines, secretary of the East Coat Bays National Party Bill Rayner, chief accountant for Columbus Maritime Services Richard Walls, former MP for Dunedin North Sue Wood, National's vice-president and candidate in the recent Onehunga by-election Secretary of the Auckland National Party John Tremewan said the 12 candidates would be narrowed to 5. Prior to the selection meeting three candidates were identified as the most likely to win; Brash, Rayner and Wood.Brian Rudman National's trio neck and neck in battle for Bays Auckland Star 13 August 1980 16 Based on her performance as National's candidate three months earlier at the Onehunga by-election party president George Chapman stated Wood "should be in Parliament and as soon as possible" by being a candidate in a safe seat. As there was already speculation at the time about Gill's retirement, media commented that Chapman was hinting as East Coast Bays.Something for Every Party in Results The New Zealand Herald 9 June 1980 3 Brash, Miller, Rayner, Walls and Wood were the shortlisted candidates.Five Chosen for Bays Byelection The New Zealand Herald 6 August 1980 2 This was later further shortened to four after Walls was hospitalised and was too ill to travel to Auckland for the selection meeting.Byelection Field Cut to Four The New Zealand Herald 12 August 1980 1 Brash won selection on the first ballot. It was not only a surprise for him to win, especially on the first ballot, but also to media as he had only joined the National Party six months earlier and was publicly critical of Muldoon's last budget.National picks a Government critic Auckland Star 14 August 1980 3 Brash Chosen by National The New Zealand Herald 14 August 1980 1 Social Credit The Social Credit Party selected Gary Knapp as its candidate. Knapp had contested the seat in 1978 where he had boosted Social Credit's vote from 5% to 20%, one of the party's best results at the election.Frank Early Socred settles down to work Auckland Star 8 August 1980 6 Others The National Alternative group, who ran a candidate against Gill and several other National MPs in 1978, did not contest the election. Jim Bridges, a spokesman for the group, stated the group's opposition was to Gill and not the National Party as a whole. Campaign thumb|350px|Social Credit's popularity reached its zenith around the time of the East Coast Bays by-election. Shortly before the election, Muldoon raised the tolls on the Auckland Harbour Bridge from 20 cents to 25 cents, which was a very unpopular move.Dearnaley Mathew $6 toll to cross Auckland Harbour Bridge http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10736386 26 July 2013 The New Zealand Herald 5 July 2011 The Labour Party had ongoing problems with their billboards being vandalised.Vandals Wreck Hoardings In East Coast Bays The New Zealand Herald 29 August 1980 2 Labour attempted to discredit Social Credit with a pamphlet that set out the movement's founder, Major C. H. Douglas, antisemitic views.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19800908.2.49 'Early Sacred writers anti-Jewish' The Press 8 September 1980 5 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19800827.2.84 Socred leader attacks 'smears' The Press 27 August 1980 10 Muldoon was also embroiled in a public spat with various journalists, most notably cartoonist Tom Scott. But most damaging was Muldoon's lack of enthusiasm for National's candidate for the by-election, Don Brash; Muldoon had favoured the party's vice-president Sue Wood.Gustafson 1986 137 Tactical voting by Labour supporters was partly responsible for the upset. Many also believed that Muldoon, who had no time for his economist candidate, put up the tolls on the harbour bridge just before the contest with the intention of derailing Brash's campaign. Chief among Muldoon's gripes with Brash was that he had recently hosted the New Zealand visit of arch-monetarist Milton Friedman whose economic ideas were contrary to Muldoon's policies.No such thing as safe seat - look at history Daily News 1 May 1998 2 Peter Luke Chuckle for Muldoon in Nat coup by Brash The Press 8 November 2003 A10 Results Voting resulted in the election of Knapp, the candidate of the Social Credit Party.Wilson 1985 211 That was unexpected, as minor parties rarely won seats in Parliament at the time, but such voting was more likely in a by-election. Muldoon blamed Brash and the party organisation for the defeat but was strongly rebuked by the party for the stance.Gustafson 1986 137 The loss of the by-election provided the catalyst for growing opposition within the National Party to Muldoon's leadership.Gustafson 1986 138 The following table gives the election results: Knapp held the electorate until the 1987 general election, when he was defeated by National's Murray McCully. Notes References Gustafson Barry Barry Gustafson The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party 1986 Reed Methuen Auckland 0-474-00177-6 Norton Clifford New Zealand Parliamentary Election Results 1946–1987: Occasional Publications No 1, Department of Political Science 1988 Victoria University of Wellington Wellington 0-475-11200-8 Wilson James Oakley New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 4th First ed. published 1913 1985 V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer Wellington 154283103 East Coast Bays 1980 Category:1980 elections in New Zealand Category:Politics of the Auckland Region Category:September 1980 in Oceania Category:1980s in Auckland