Pakuranga (New Zealand electorate)

Pakuranga is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It gave the Social Credit Party one of its few MPs when Neil Morrison held the seat from 1984 to 1987, but otherwise the electorate seat has been held by the National Party since 1972. Its current MP is Maurice Williamson who has held the electorate since 1987 but will not seek re-election in 2017.

Pakuranga is one of 64 general electorates used in New Zealand general elections. It covers part of eastern Auckland around the eponymous suburb of Pakuranga. Other population centres include Farm Cove, Half Moon Bay, Bucklands Beach, parts of Highland Park and parts of Howick.

The boundaries of the Pakuranga electorate were last adjusted in the 2007 redistribution. Initially, the Representation Commission proposed substantial changes, but after hearing objections mainly about Pakuranga, Manukau East, and Manurewa, the shape of the Pakuranga electorate reverted to almost the boundaries prior to the review. No boundary adjustments were undertaken in the subsequent 2013/14 redistribution.

Pakuranga was first contested in at the 1963 election, and won by future Labour Party frontbencher Bob Tizard. It was recaptured by National in 1972, and has stayed with National since, save for a brief interlude - the New Zealand Party's presence on the ballot paper in 1984 split the centre-right vote and handed the seat to Social Credit's Neil Morrison.

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