East Cape (New Zealand electorate)

East Cape is a former New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1978 to 1993.

The 1977 electoral redistribution was the most overtly political since the Representation Commission had been established through an amendment to the Representation Act in 1886, initiated by Muldoon's National Government. As part of the 1976 census, a large number of people failed to fill out an electoral re-registration card, and census staff had not been given the authority to insist on the card being completed. This had little practical effect for people on the general roll, but it transferred Māori to the general roll if the card was not handed in. Together with a northward shift of New Zealand's population, this resulted in five new electorates having to be created in the upper part of the North Island. The electoral redistribution was very disruptive, and 22 electorates were abolished, while 27 electorates were newly created (including East Cape) or re-established. These changes came into effect for the 1978 election.

The East Cape electorate was made up of areas that previously belonged to Gisborne (which moved south) and Bay of Plenty (which moved abolished). Settlements in the original electorate included Whakatane, Opotiki, Taneatua, Te Kaha, Tokomaru Bay, Tolaga Bay, and Matawai. The electorate stopped just short of the city of Gisborne, but included the suburb of Kaiti.

Subsequent boundary changes through the 1983 electoral redistribution drew the electorate further from Gisborne and included Kawerau and Murupara.

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