Redrawing of Electorate Boundaries Soon to Get Underway
MEDIA RELEASE
1 October 2013
Representation Commission
Te Komihana Whakatau Rohe Pōti
Redrawing of Electorate Boundaries Soon to Get Underway
The Representation Commission will soon start its work to redraw the electorate boundaries for use in the 2014 and 2017 general elections.
Under the Electoral Act, the boundaries of the General and Māori electorates must be reviewed after each population census and Māori Electoral Option.
“This is an important step in our electoral process, to ensure electorates have similar population numbers. The Representation Commission’s final decisions may change the electorate or the name of the electorate that some voters are in,” says Representation Commission Chairperson Bernard Kendall.
The Government Statistician will announce the number of General and Māori electorates and the electoral populations on 7 October 2013.
There are currently 70 electorates – 63 General electorates and seven Māori electorates. The number of electorates may change for the 2014 and 2017 general elections.
The overall size of Parliament will not change, however the number of list seats will if there are any changes to the number of electorates.
The Representation Commission will begin meeting to consider the new electorate boundaries on 16 October.
“Changes to New Zealand’s population mean that the number of electorates may change and a number of current electorate boundaries will need to be redrawn,” says Mr Kendall. “Our job is to review the existing electorate boundaries to reflect changes in population.
“We will consider factors such as the existing electorate boundaries, communities of interest generally and specifically amongst members of Māori tribes, communications facilities, topographical features and projected population changes to determine the proposed electorate boundaries,” says Mr Kendall.
The Representation Commission expects to release proposed electorate boundaries for public comment on 21 November 2013. Members of the public will have the opportunity to make objections (submissions) to the proposed electorate boundaries and names from 21 November to 23 December. The Commission will summarise the objections and make them publicly available. Members of the public will be able to make counter objections between 14 and 29 January and the Commission will conduct public hearings in February 2014.
Final electorate boundaries will be released in mid-April 2014.
The 2013/14 Representation Commission members
are:
Chairperson Bernard Kendall
Government
representative Hon Roger Sowry
Opposition
representative Hon Pete Hodgson
When
considering Māori electorate boundaries:
Government
Māori representative Dan Te Kanawa
Opposition Māori
representative Whetu Wereta
The ex-officio members
will be:
Chief Electoral Officer Robert
Peden
Deputy Surveyor-General Anselm Haanen
Deputy
Government Statistician Vince
Galvin
Chairperson of the Local Government
Commission Basil Morrison
When
considering the Māori electorate boundaries the ex-officio
membership will include:
Chief Executive of Te Puni
Kōkiri Michelle Hippolite
ENDS
1 October 2013
2013/14 Representation Commission
Questions and Answers
1. What is the Representation Commission?
The Representation Commission is an independent body convened after every population census and Māori Electoral Option to review and redraw the Parliamentary electorate boundaries.
2. When will the Representation Commission start reviewing the electorate boundaries?
The Commission starts its work 16 October 2013 and will release its proposed boundaries for public comment on Thursday 21 November 2013.
3. Why are the electorate boundaries being redrawn?
Electorate boundaries are redrawn after each
population Census to make sure that the number of people in
each electorate reflects changes in population and that
electorate names remain relevant.
Because of changes to
the population between each Census, approximately half of
existing electorates are either over or under-populated and
many changes to boundaries will result.
4. What is the process for making decisions on the proposed boundaries?
Statistics New Zealand calculates
the average population size for electorates following the
Census and Māori Electoral Option. The Representation
Commission uses these electoral populations to review and
redraw electorate boundaries.
The public can make
objections and counter objections to the proposed names and
boundaries as part of the Representation Commission’s
consultation process.
5. How many electorates will there be?
The Government Statistician will release the number of electorates and the electoral populations for the North Island, South Island and Māori electorates on 7 October 2013.
6. What other criteria apply to deciding on the proposed boundaries?
To arrive at the required electoral population,
the Representation Commission uses the following criteria to
decide each of the electorate boundaries:
• Existing
electorate boundaries
• Community of interest
•
Communications facilities – including links such as roads
and telephone services
• Topographical features –
such as mountains and rivers
• Projected variations in
electoral populations – particularly large regional
changes expected within five years.
In respect of Māori electorates, the Representation Commission uses the above criteria and also takes into account tribal affiliations when deciding the electorate boundaries.
7. How will changes to the number of electorates impact on the size of Parliament?
There are currently 70
electorates – 63 General electorates and seven Māori
electorates. The number of electorates may change for the
2014 and 2017 general elections.
The overall size of
Parliament will not change, however the number of list seats
will if there are any changes to the number of electorates.
8. When will the proposed boundaries be released for public comment?
The Representation Commission will release proposed electorate boundaries for public comment on Thursday 21 November 2013. Objections must be received by 10am Monday 23 December 2013.
9. How do people have their say?
Anyone can make an objection to the proposed boundaries. There is also an opportunity to make a counter objection. Objections must be received by 10am Monday 23 December 2013. People can make an objection online at www.elections.org.nz or write in and make an objection. The Commission will release a summary of objections on 14 January 2014. Counter objections must be received by 5pm Wednesday 29 January 2014. People can make a counter objection online at www.elections.org.nz or write in and make a counter objection.
10. When will the boundaries be finalised?
Final electorate
boundaries for the 2014 and 2017 general elections will be
released on Thursday 17 April.
11. When will the
new electorate boundaries be used?
The
electorate boundaries will be used for the next two general
elections. If a by-election is held before the next general
election the existing boundaries will be used.
12. Who is on the Representation Commission?
The 2013 Representation Commission members are:
• Chairperson, Judge Bernard Kendall
•
Government Representative, Hon Roger Sowry
•
Opposition Representative, Hon Pete Hodgson
• Chief
Electoral Officer, Robert Peden
• Deputy Surveyor
General, Anselm Haanen
• Deputy Government
Statistician, Vince Galvin
• Chairperson, Local
Government Commission, Basil Morrison
When considering
the Māori electorate boundaries the membership also
includes:
• Government Representative (Māori), Dan Te
Kanawa
• Opposition Representative (Māori), Whetu
Wereta
• Chief Executive, Te Puni Kōkiri, Michelle
Hippolite
13. What are the key dates for the
2013/14 Representation Commission?
21 October
Representation Commission begins meeting to set proposed
electorate boundaries
21 November 2013 Proposed
boundaries released
21 November – 23 December 2013
Objections (public submissions) on proposed boundaries
received
14 January 2014 Representation Commission
releases summary of objections received
14 – 29
January 2014 Counter objections received
7-19 February
2014 Public hearings of objections and counter objections
17 April 2014 Final electorate boundaries published