Which MPs can not vote for themselves?
November 16th, 2011 at 8:35 am by David FarrarHaving seen some of the tension in Ohariu about who does and does not live in the electorate, it got me curious about which MPs are standing in a seat where they are unable to vote for themselves. Based on what I could find out, this is my list of MPs who will not be able to vote for themselves in this election:
| MP | Voting | Standing |
| Tony Ryall | Tauranga | Bay of Plenty |
| Michael Woodhouse | Dunedin South | Dunedin North |
| David Parker | Dunedin North | Epsom |
| John Key | Epsom | Helensville |
| Ross Robertson | Hunua | Manukau East |
| Cam Calder | North Shore | Manurewa |
| David Clendon | Tamaki Makaurau | Mt Albert |
| Jackie Blue | Auckland Central | Mt Roskill |
| Phil Goff | Hunua | Mt Roskill |
| David Cunliffe | Auckland Central | New Lynn |
| Charles Chauvel | Wellington Central | Ohariu |
| Gareth Hughes | Wellington Central | Ohariu |
| Katrina Shanks | Wellington Central | Ohariu |
| Shane Jones | Te Tai Tokerau | Tamaki Makaurau |
| Pita Sharples | Te Tai Tokerau | Tamaki Makaurau |
| Shane Ardern | Whanganui | Taranaki King-Country |
| Rick Barker | Tukituki | Taranaki King-Country |
In four electorates there are multiple MPs standing who do not live there – Mt Roskill, Ohariu, Tamaki Makaurau and Taranaki King-Country. I haven’t gone into the reasons for each case, but in some cases they have a very good reason. For example Shane Ardern has lived and farmed in Opunake for several decades and that was in the TKC boundaries when he first got elected. The boundaries has since shifted, so hence he is now just outside the electorate.
Some like John Key have never lived in their electorate, while others like Phil Goff lived there initially and then moved out.
The most geographically remote MP will be David Parker who is enrolled in Dunedin North but standing in Epsom!
Related posts:
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- iPredict on electorate contests
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- Labour candidates getting Green votes
November 16th, 2011 at 9:05 am
So Andrew Little has actually bothered to register to vote in NP then?
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 9:22 am
I think you could add Chris Finlayson (living Wellington Central; standing Rongotai) and Hekia Parata (living Wellington; standing Mana; enrolled Te Tai Tonga?). I’d bet there are plenty of others too!
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 9:24 am
Andrew Little is not an MP.
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 9:25 am
Ive alwys been hot on this issue and also Independent Mps vs Political Parties.
IMHO and following the English traditional model 18thC an MP MUST reside in the consitutiency and have resided in the consitutency for a period of 3/5 years. They must be local so they know and understand the local environment. They must represent ALL the people not just those who vote for them.
They must be independent.. Politicial Parties are just gangs in suits
Do you know where the term Carpet Baggers comes from. Well thats this lot who take their carpet bag and move into a consitutency just so they can get into the Parliament.
They are obsence parasites.
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 9:29 am
Ah yes Linda…I read it as candidates rather than MP’s.
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 9:58 am
Paul Goldsmith
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 10:02 am
I wonder how many MPs are standing in electorates they grew up in? I’d imagine that would be a rather small number, Maori electorates aside.
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 11:00 am
Aer you sure John Key has never lived in Helensville? I seem to recall a bit of a flap about that a few years back. Standardistas got very hot and bothered about it.
Why on earth is Rick Barker a former local electorate MP for Tukituki competing in Taranaki? Does he have other interests outside his area like David Parker?
@ shazza
What does it matter? People have lives and make choices separate from their parents. That said, Mallard is one.
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 11:09 am
lastmanstanding,
Vote:Maybe this made sense in the 18th century. Not now. In most of the cases DPF lists the MP is only living a street or two away. Modern transport and communications mean this hardly matters, and if voters don’t like it they can always vote for someone else. Most of the cases above would give me no concern as a local voter.
November 16th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
Is Bill English still enrolled to vote in Dipton? I thought they officially lived in Wellington now? Probably the most geographically separated that is likely to win.
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 2:12 pm
lastmanstanding – that is utter nonsense. Winston Churchill came from Kent – he entered Parliament for Oldham, then for Epping. He never lived in either place. Margaret Thatcher was from Grantham, she represented Finchley, and never lived there either. Tony Blair had no connection with his Yorkshire constituency whatsoever. It is quite common in Britain for MPs to represent places they don’t live in. I think it helps to live in a place, and personally I wouldn’t want to stand for somewhere I didn’t have some passing connection with, but I don’t think it is a big deal. It is about the quality of the person standing, not where their house is.
Vote:November 16th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
A residency requirement is not the solution. We have already have a good solution. If the voters in an electorate are concerned that a candidate does not live there, they will vote against that candidate. And sometimes do. And if they are not concerned about the non residency then they will vote for them. Or at least factor it into their voting decision. Let the people decide what is important. That’s democracy. It’s a great thing.
Vote: