Mel Courtney
Encyclopedia
Melvyn Francis Courtney (born 1943) is a former Labour
then Independent
Member of Parliament
for Nelson
, in the South Island
of New Zealand
.
from 1976 to 1981 and was Opposition Spokesman for Horticulture and Fisheries for five years. He was a recipient of both the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 for service to the community and the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
in recognition of services to New Zealand. Mel Courtney was also a member of the Nelson City Council
for nine years.
as an independent
.
Courtney's resignation from the Labour Party came at the end of a lengthy period in which public differences between him and his local electorate committee (and also the Nelson Trades Council) had occurred with increasing frequency. His announcement of his independent candidacy for the 1981 general election
was made only a few days before the 35th anniversary of the death of Harry Atmore
, MP for Nelson from 1911 to 1946. Atmore had been the last independent MP to be elected to the New Zealand Parliament.
candidate's share of the vote. This was the best result by an independent candidate in New Zealand Elections in nearly forty years.
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
then Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
, in the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Member of Parliament
Mel Courtney represented the Nelson electorateNelson (New Zealand electorate)
Nelson is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the New Zealand House of Representatives. From 1853 to 1860, the electorate was called Town of Nelson. From 1860 to 1881, it was City of Nelson...
from 1976 to 1981 and was Opposition Spokesman for Horticulture and Fisheries for five years. He was a recipient of both the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 for service to the community and the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal
The New Zealand 1990 Commemorative Medal was instituted by the Queen by Royal Warrant on 9 February 1990. It was to be awarded only during 1990 to about 3,000 people selected in recognition of the contribution they have made to some aspect of New Zealand life, especially the various 1990 celebrations...
in recognition of services to New Zealand. Mel Courtney was also a member of the Nelson City Council
Nelson City Council
Nelson City Council is a Unitary Authority that administers the Nelson Tasman or "Top of the South" region alongside Tasman District Council. Nelson City Council is one of only five Unitary Authorities in the country...
for nine years.
Independent
In March 1981 Mel Courtney announced that he had let his membership of the Labour Party lapse. Soon after, he withdrew from the Labour Party caucus and sat in the New Zealand House of RepresentativesNew Zealand House of Representatives
The New Zealand House of Representatives is the sole chamber of the legislature of New Zealand. The House and the Queen of New Zealand form the New Zealand Parliament....
as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
.
Courtney's resignation from the Labour Party came at the end of a lengthy period in which public differences between him and his local electorate committee (and also the Nelson Trades Council) had occurred with increasing frequency. His announcement of his independent candidacy for the 1981 general election
New Zealand general election, 1981
The 1981 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the 40th New Zealand Parliament. It saw the governing National Party, led by Robert Muldoon, win a third term in office, although the opposition Labour Party, led by Bill Rowling, actually won the largest share of...
was made only a few days before the 35th anniversary of the death of Harry Atmore
Harry Atmore
Harry Atmore was a New Zealand Independent Member of Parliament for Nelson in the South Island.Harry Atmore held the Nelson seat as an Independent for a total of thirty years from 1911 to 1914 and then from 1919 to his death in 1946...
, MP for Nelson from 1911 to 1946. Atmore had been the last independent MP to be elected to the New Zealand Parliament.
1981 election
At the 1981 election supporters rallied around Mel Courtney's Independent campaign and, although defeated, it was by the narrow margin of 698 votes. Courtney took a very creditable 37.0 per cent of the total vote, only 3.4 percentage points behind the Labour candidate and nearly three times as many votes as the NationalNew Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
candidate's share of the vote. This was the best result by an independent candidate in New Zealand Elections in nearly forty years.
External links
- Mel Courtney's Political Papers. National Register of Archives and Manuscripts
- Radio New Zealand Interview 1981. Sound Archives
See also
- Nelson by-election 1976Nelson by-election 1976The Nelson by-election was a by-election in the New Zealand electorate of Nelson a predominantly urban seat at the top of the South Island.The by-election occurred on 28 February 1976, and was precipitated by the death of sitting Labour Party MP and Speaker of the House Sir Stanley Whitehead on 9...