Sydenham by-election, 1974
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The Sydenham by-election 1974 was a by-election held in the Sydenham electorate during the term of the 37th New Zealand Parliament on 2 November 1974.
The by-election was caused by the death of incumbent MP Norman Kirk of the Labour Party, who at the time was Prime Minister, on 31 August 1974. The by-election was won by John Kirk, Norman Kirk's son. It was New Zealand's first parliamentary election where a voting age of 18 years applied.
In 1974 Gerald O'Brien the party vice-president was on the panel to choose the successor to Norman Kirk in Sydenham. Initially the three electorate representatives wanted John Kirk and the three head office nominees wanted the party secretary John Wybrow. O'Brien switched his vote to John Kirk, who got the nod. Kirk had talked to Warren Freer very frankly about his family, and made it quite clear that if any of his sons wished to have a political career, he hoped it would be Robert or Philip, but not John.
The National Party decided not to stand a candidate, although previous National candidate Saul Goldsmith from Wellington stood as an Independent National candidate.
The table below contains the election results:
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