North Dunedin by-election, 1953

North Dunedin by-election, 1953
New Zealand
12 December 1953 (1953-12-12)

Turnout 70.42
 
Candidate Ethel McMillan W. P. MacDougall
Party Labour National
Popular vote 6,424 3,944
Percentage 61.96 38.04

Member before election

Robert Walls
Labour

Elected Member

Ethel McMillan
Labour

The 1953 North Dunedin by-election was a by-election held during the 30th New Zealand Parliament in the Dunedin electorate of North Dunedin. The by-election occurred following the death of MP Robert Walls and was won by Ethel McMillan.

Background

Robert Walls, who was first elected to represent Dunedin North (the electorate's previous and subsequent name) for the Labour Party in the 1945 by-election, died on 6 November 1953. This triggered the North Dunedin by-election, which was held on 12 December 1953.[1] Ethel McMillan was the candidate for the Labour Party and W. P. MacDougall was the candidate for the National Party. McMillan obtained 61.96% of the votes and was successful.[2]

McMillan became the first woman to represent Dunedin North and would represent the electorate until the 1975 election, when she was defeated against Richard Walls of the National Party.

Previous election

1951 general election: North Dunedin[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Robert Walls 6,929 51.13 −0.89
National Donald Cameron 6,622 48.87 +1.68
Majority 307 2.27 −2.56
Turnout 13,551 92.03 −3.04

Results

The following table gives the election results:

North Dunedin by-election, 1953[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ethel McMillan 6,424 61.96
National W. P. MacDougall 3,944 38.04
Majority 2,480 23.92 +21.65
Turnout 10,368 70.41 −21.62

See also

Notes

References

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