Heretaunga (New Zealand electorate)

Heretaunga is a former parliamentary electorate in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. It existed for three parliamentary terms, from 1993 to 2002, having been created following the introduction of mixed-member proportional (MMP) representation. The electorate was named after Heretaunga, the Māori name for the Hawke's Bay area.

The electorate generally covered the urban areas of Hastings and Havelock North, and encompassed a mix of residential and horticultural land.

History and Representation:

The Heretaunga electorate was created in 1993 as part of the significant electoral boundary changes brought about by the adoption of the MMP electoral system. It was intended to represent a more urbanized area than the existing Hawke's Bay electorates.

During its existence, the seat was held by the following Members of Parliament:

• Michael Laws (National, 1993-1996): Laws won the seat in the initial 1993 election, but subsequently left the National Party and sat as an independent MP before joining New Zealand First.
• Rick Barker (Labour, 1996-2002): Barker defeated Laws in the 1996 election and retained the seat in the 1999 election.

Abolishment:

The Heretaunga electorate was abolished in the 2002 boundary review. The bulk of its territory was incorporated into the new Tukituki electorate, which Barker subsequently contested and won. Some parts were also included in the Napier electorate. The renaming and re-division of the electorates reflected population shifts and aimed to maintain fair representation across the Hawke's Bay region.