| West Coast-Tasman | |
|---|---|
| Single-member constituency for the New Zealand House of Representatives | |
 Location of West Coast-Tasmanwithin Tasman and West Coast | |
| Region | Tasman and West Coast |
| Area | 32,757.87 km2 (12,647.88 sq mi) |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 1996 |
| Current MP | Maureen Pugh |
| Party | National |
| List MPs | Damien O'Connor (Labour) |
West Coast-Tasman is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, currently held by Maureen Pugh of the New Zealand National Party as of the 2023 general election. West Coast-Tasman is the largest general electorate in the entire country, with an area larger than the entirety of Belgium.[1] It comprises the entirety of Te Tai Poutini and the Tasman District, as well as Brightwater in suburban Nelson.
Historically it has often been regarded as one of the safest New Zealand Labour Party seats in the entire country.[2][3] From its creation for the 1996 election until 2023, it was held by Damien O'Connor of the Labour Party, with the exception of one parliamentary term under National's Chris Auchinvole (between 2008 and 2011). Pugh's narrow victory in 2023 (915 votes) was considered a major upset, with the third-place independent candidacy of Patrick Phelps splitting the vote in her favour.[4][5]
- ^ Henry Cooke (16 January 2024). "Why we're eventually going to need more MPs". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "Most left and right-leaning electorates revealed by Vote Compass". 1News. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ "National's Maureen Pugh wins long-time red West Coast seat". RNZ. 16 October 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Joanne Naish (17 October 2023). "Maureen Pugh takes electorate seat while battling 'wave of grief'". The Press / Te Matatika. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
- ^ Phelps, Patrick. "Could The West Coast-Tasman Electorate Hold The Balance Of Power This October?". Scoop News (Press release). Retrieved 4 June 2024.