passed one of their safe seats into the hands of Brian Neeson. Neeson opted not to recontest Te Atatu in 1993; instead shifting to Waitakere. His departure, coupled with a reversal of electoral fortune for the National Party (down from 47.8 to 35.1 percent) led to a victory for incoming Labour MP Chris Carter. In his first three years in Parliament, Carter made news for being the first openly gay member of Parliament. With the introduction of MMP voting in 1996, Te Atatū was briefly abolished in favour of a new seat called Waipareira, which covered the same area as Te Atatū but also included the wealthy harbourside suburbs to the north of the seat. Te Atatu was re-established for the 1999 election, with the new seat focused more on the working class suburbs at the southern end of Waitakere City. Carter, who had lost Waipareira to Neeson and spent three years out of Parliament, returned as Te Atatu MP and held the position in the 2002, 2005 and 2008 elections. Since 2008 the electorate has been spelled Te Atatū, with a macron. Carter resigned from the Labour Party in 2010 and from Parliament in 2011. He was succeeded by Labour's Phil Twyford. Members of Parliament Key List MPs Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections since 1999 where that person also unsuccessfully contested the Te Atatū electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs' terms began and ended at general elections. Election results 2020 election 2017 election 2014 election 2011 election Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 43,746 2008 election 2005 election 2002 election 1999 election Refer to Candidates in the New Zealand general election 1999 by electorate#Te Atatu for a list of candidates. 1993 election 1990 election 1987 election 1984 election 1981 election 1978 election Notes References Bibliography External links Electorate Profile Parliamentary Library New Zealand electorates in the Auckland Region Politics of the Auckland Region 1978 establishments in New Zealand 1996 disestablishments in New Zealand 1999 establishments in New Zealand West Auckland, New Zealand