1971 Christchurch mayoral election

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.

1971 Christchurch mayoral election
9 October 1971
Turnout49,310 (56.57%)
 
Candidate Neville Pickering Ron Guthrey
Party Labour Citizens'
Popular vote 25,121 23,212
Percentage 50.94 47.07
Mayor before election

Ron Guthrey

 Elected Mayor

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.[1] 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.[2] 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 election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Neville Pickering 25,121 50.95
Citizens' Ron Guthrey 23,212 47.07 -16.78
Independent Tubby Hansen 618 1.25
Informal votes 359 0.73 ±0.00
Majority 1,909 3.90
Turnout 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.[4][5]

Councillor results
1971 Christchurch local election[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens' Peter Skellerup 27,748 56.27 -1.50
Citizens' Hamish Hay 25,219 51.14 -11.50
Labour Robert Macfarlane 24,217 49.11 +4.14
Labour Albert Orme 23,735 48.13
Labour Brian Alderdice 22,952 46.54 +6.67
Labour Mollie Clark 22,841 46.32
Labour David Caygill 22,662 45.95
Citizens' Peter Dunbar 22,471 45.57 -6.23
Labour Durham Dowell 22,270 45.16
Citizens' Norman Greenslade 21,944 44.50
Citizens' Helen Garrett 21,879 44.37 -3.53
Citizens' Les Amos 21,780 44.16 -7.26
Labour Mary Batchelor 21,380 43.35
Labour Nancy Sutherland 21,281 43.15
Citizens' Maurice Carter 21,278 43.15 +8.74
Labour Peter William Anderson 21,111 42.81
Labour Bill Massey 20,634 41.84
Citizens' Buster Cowles 20,024 40.60 -10.66
Labour Reginald John Cunningham 19,920 40.39 +5.62
Labour John F. Davidson 19,919 40.39 +5.63
Citizens' Peter Blaxall 19,914 40.38 -4.80
Labour Harold Turner 19,675 39.90
Citizens' Harry Blazey 19,537 39.62 -7.13
Labour Bruce John Corkran 19,530 39.60
Labour Raymond Hugh Murray 19,405 39.35
Citizens' Bruce Britten 19,243 39.02 -9.06
Citizens' Harold Smith 19,179 38.89 +8.62
Labour John Gordon Power 19,170 38.87
Labour Alexander Fraser Ross 18,963 38.45 +4.79
Labour David Brine 18,883 38.29
Labour David Bernard O'Connell 18,616 37.75
Citizens' Robertson Stewart 18,533 37.58 -8.60
Citizens' Alec S. Farrar 18,415 37.34
Citizens' Gordon Hattaway 17,699 35.89 -12.26
Citizens' Ted Taylor 17,356 35.19 -11.76
Citizens' Bob Baker 17,118 34.71
Independent Reg Stillwell 16,129 32.70 -16.73
Citizens' Walter Campbell 15,832 32.10
Citizens' Leicester Steven 15,708 31.85
Independent Roger Anthony Bamford 5,514 11.18
Independent Rolfe C. Neville 4,993 10.12
Independent Edward Foote 4,935 9.99
Independent 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.[7][8]

References
  1. Hay, Hamish (1989). Hay Days. Christchurch: Caxton Press. p. 62. ISBN 0908563310.
  2. "Labour Has Control of Christchurch City". The Press. Vol. CXI, no. 32734. 11 October 1971. p. 1.
  3. "Declaration of Results of Election". The Press. Vol. CXI, no. 32742. 20 October 1971. p. 29.
  4. Law, Tina; Walton, Steven (3 September 2022). "A wizard, a pastor, and two retirees are among the lesser-known candidates vying for Christchurch's mayoralty". The Press. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  5. Bayer, Kurt (17 August 2022). "Christchurch mayoralty race attracts colourful cast of candidates". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  6. "Christchurch City Council". The Press. Vol. CXI, no. 32743. 21 October 1971. p. 25.
  7. "The ward system". The Press. Vol. CXII, no. 33045. 12 October 1972. p. 16. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  8. "First step towards city ward system". The Press. Vol. CXII, no. 33040. 6 October 1972. p. 12. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
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