1962 Waitaki by-election

The Waitaki by-election 1962 was a by-election held in the Waitaki electorate in South Canterbury and North Otago during the term of the 33rd New Zealand Parliament, on 10 March 1962. The by-election was won by Alan Dick.^[1]

1962 Waitaki by-election

← 1960 10 March 1962 (1962-03-10) 1963 →
Turnout	14,022 (77.80%)
Candidate Alan Dick Sir Basil Arthur Alf Barwood Party National Labour Social Credit Popular vote 6,359 5,957 1,664 Percentage 45.49 42.61 11.90
Member before election Thomas Hayman National Elected Member Alan Dick National

Background

The by-election was caused by the death of incumbent MP Thomas Hayman of the National Party on 2 January 1962.^[2]

Candidates

Labour

The Labour Party selected trade unionist Sir Basil Arthur as their candidate. In 1960 he had stood in the Hamilton electorate.^[3]

National

There were several names put forward as potential nominees for the National Party candidacy:^[4]

• Norman Stanley Brown, a farmer from Totara Valley and past president of the Waimate branch of Federated Farmers
• Alan Dick, a company director and chairman of the Tekapo Town Planning Commission
• Donald James Hulston, a farmer from Waihao Forks
• Bill Laney, a teacher and Mayor of Oamaru
• Derek Quigley, a farmer at Waipara who was National's candidate for Sydenham in 1960
• William Brown Trotter, a farmer from Fairlie

Dick was chosen to contest the seat.^[4]

Social Credit

The Social Credit Party selected Alfred William Barwood as their candidate. Barwood was director of two companies (a Fairlie-based transport company and the McKenzies Lime Works). He was president of Social Credit's Fairlie branch and vicepresident of the Waitaki electoral committee. He had contested the seat Waitaki seat in 1960.^[4][5]

Results

The following table gives the election results:

1962 Waitaki by-election^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	National	Allan Dick	6,359	45.49
	Labour	Sir Basil Arthur	5,957	42.61
	Social Credit	Alf Barwood	1,664	11.90
Majority			402	2.88
Informal votes			42	0.30
Turnout			14,022	77.80
Registered electors			18,023
	National hold		Swing

The National Party initially retained the seat with a substantially reduced majority with a majority of only 320. With an estimated 1000 special votes still to be counted, this put the result in doubt.^[7] In the official count National raised the majority slightly to 402 votes.^[8]