1981 New South Wales state election

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1981 New South Wales state election
Flag of New South Wales.svg
  1978 19 September 1981 (1981-09-19) 1984  

All 99 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
and 15 (of 44) seats in the New South Wales Legislative Council
50 Assembly seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  Neville Wran cropped.png
L/NP
Leader Neville Wran Bruce McDonald
Party Labor Liberal/National coalition
Leader since 3 December 1973 1 June 1981
Leader's seat Bass Hill Kirribilli
(contested North Shore; lost)
Last election63 seats35 seats
Seats won6928
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 6Decrease2.svg 7
Popular vote1,564,6221,090,304
Percentage55.73%38.83%
SwingDecrease2.svg 2.04Increase2.svg 1.95
TPP 58.70%41.30%
TPP swingDecrease2.svg 2.00Increase2.svg 2.00

1981 New South Wales state election.svg
Two-candidate-preferred margin by electorate

Premier before election

Neville Wran
Labor

Elected Premier

Neville Wran
Labor

Elections were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 19 September 1981. The result was a second "Wranslide": a landslide victory for the Labor Party under Neville Wran. Labor increased its already sizeable majority, winning what is still its biggest-ever share of seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly–69 out of 99 seats, 69.7 percent of the chamber until 2011 when it was surpassed by Barry O'Farrell’s landslide election win when the Liberal—National Coalition won 74% of seats.

Contents

The Liberals suffered the doub le indignity of losing the seat contested by their leader Bruce McDonald to an independent, and of being reduced to the same number of seats in parliament as their ostensible junior coalition partner, the National Country Party. In fact it was the second election in a row in which the sitting Liberal leader had failed to win a seat; Peter Coleman had been rolled in his own seat in 1978. Both the Liberals and National Country Party finished with 14 seats.

The election marked another milestone for electoral reform in New South Wales. The allocation of preferences became optional, and partisan gerrymandering was eliminated. Additionally, the practice of creating smaller rural seats to boost country representation was ended. Two further reforms were proposed—and passed—in referendums put to voters on the same day.

Ted Mack, mayor of North Sydney Council, won the seat of North Shore from Opposition Leader McDonald. John Hatton was re-elected unopposed in the seat of South Coast.

Key dates

DateEvent
28 August 1981The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. [1]
3 September 1981Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon.
19 September 1981Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
2 October 1981The fourth Wran ministry was constituted.
23 October 1981The writ was returned and the results formally declared.
28 October 1981Parliament resumed for business.

Results

Legislative Assembly

New South Wales state election, 19 September 1981 [1] [2]
Legislative Assembly
<< 19781984 >>

Enrolled voters3,178,225 [a]
Votes cast2,897,033 Turnout 91.15–1.62
Informal votes89,306Informal3.08+0.80
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeatsChange
  Labor 1,564,62255.73–2.0469+ 6
  Liberal 775,46327.62+0.6414– 4
  National Country 314,84111.21+1.3114– 3
  Democrats 68,2522.43–0.220± 0
  Communist 6,1500.22–0.080± 0
  Independent 78,3992.79+0.552+ 1
Total2,807,727  99 
Two-party-preferred
  Labor 58.7%-2.0%
  Liberal/National 41.3%+2.0%

Popular vote
Labor
55.73%
Liberal
27.62%
National Country
11.21%
Independents
2.79%
Democrats
2.43%
Communist
0.22%
Two-party-preferred vote
Labor
58.7%
Coalition
41.3%
Parliamentary seats
Labor
69
Liberal
14
National Country
14
Independents
2

Legislative Council

New South Wales state election, 19 September 1981 [3]
Legislative Council

Enrolled voters3,212,657
Votes cast2,927,971 Turnout 91.14–1.63
Informal votes200,367Informal6.84+2.79
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeats
won
Seats
held
  Labor 1,412,42651.78–3.13824
  Liberal/National Coalition 921,08133.77–2.49518
  Call to Australia 248,4259.11+7.8011
  Democrats 109,9394.03+1.2511
 Environmental Action18,0560.66+0.6600
  Republican 10,1840.37+0.3700
  Progress 3,1210.11+0.1100
  Social Democrats 2,5120.09+0.0900
  Independent 24,7860.07–0.8300
Total2,727,604  15 

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1981SwingPost-1981
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Dubbo  Liberal John Mason 3.4N/A9.2 Ian Glachan National Country 
Northern Tablelands  National Countrynew seat1.9-4.82.9 Bill McCarthy Labor 
North Shore  Liberalnew seat3.8-8.44.6 Ted Mack Independent 

Redistribution affected seats

Seat1978 election1980 redistributionSwing1981 election
PartyMemberMarginPartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Bathurst  National Country Clive Osborne 2.7 LaborNotional7.7-7.60.1 Mick Clough Labor 
Bligh  Liberal John Barraclough 8.4 LaborNotional6.6-3.92.7 Fred Miller Labor 
Castlereagh  Labor Jim Curran 6.9 National CountryNotional4.3-0.93.4 Roger Wotton National Country 
Clarence  National Country Matt Singleton 10.9 LaborNotional2.8+3.86.6 Don Day Labor 
Hornsby  Liberal Neil Pickard 0.8 LaborNotional1.7-5.53.8 Neil Pickard Liberal 
Maitland  Liberal Peter Toms 4.3 LaborNotional0.3+7.27.5 Allan Walsh Labor 
Willoughby  Labor Eddie Britt 0.8 LiberalNotional2.2+1.53.7 Peter Collins Liberal 

Post-election pendulum

Labor seats (69)
Marginal
Bathurst Mick Clough ALP0.1%
Wollongong Eric Ramsay ALP0.1% v IND
Manly Alan Stewart ALP1.2%
Camden Ralph Brading ALP2.0%
Bligh Fred Miller ALP2.7%
Northern Tablelands Bill McCarthy ALP2.9%
Miranda Bill Robb ALP4.3%
Albury Harold Mair ALP5.3%
Cronulla Michael Egan ALP5.3%
Fairly safe
Campbelltown Michael Knight ALP6.0% v IND
Clarence Don Day ALP6.6%
Gosford Brian McGowan ALP6.8%
Burwood Phil O'Neill ALP6.9%
Wakehurst Tom Webster ALP7.0%
Burrinjuck Terry Sheahan ALP7.2%
Maitland Allan Walsh ALP7.5%
Hurstville Kevin Ryan ALP9.2%
Blue Mountains Bob Debus ALP9.6%
Kiama Bill Knott ALP9.9%
Safe
Gladesville Rodney Cavalier ALP10.1%
Ryde Garry McIlwaine ALP10.3%
Monaro John Akister ALP11.4%
Woronora Maurie Keane ALP12.1%
Earlwood Ken Gabb ALP12.2%
Wentworthville Ernie Quinn ALP12.6%
Murrumbidgee Lin Gordon ALP13.9%
Ingleburn Stan Knowles ALP14.3%
Parramatta Barry Wilde ALP15.7%
Coogee Michael Cleary ALP15.9%
Kogarah Bill Crabtree ALP16.2%
Tuggerah Harry Moore ALP16.8%
Ashfield Paul Whelan ALP18.2%
Charlestown Richard Face ALP18.3%
Bankstown Ric Mochalski ALP18.7%
Maroubra Bill Haigh ALP18.8%
Broken Hill Bill Beckroge ALP19.0%
Georges River Frank Walker ALP19.0%
Rockdale Brian Bannon ALP19.2%
Seven Hills Bob Christie ALP20.0%
Auburn Peter Cox ALP20.3%
Peats Keith O'Connell ALP20.8%
Penrith Peter Anderson ALP20.8%
Newcastle Arthur Wade ALP20.9%
Lake Macquarie Merv Hunter ALP21.7%
Granville Pat Flaherty ALP22.0%
Blacktown John Aquilina ALP23.1%
Heathcote Rex Jackson ALP23.1%
Waratah Sam Jones ALP23.6%
Drummoyne Michael Maher ALP23.8%
Riverstone Tony Johnson ALP23.9%
Cabramatta Eric Bedford ALP24.0%
Wallsend Ken Booth ALP24.3%
East Hills Pat Rogan ALP24.9%
Merrylands Jack Ferguson ALP25.3%
Bass Hill Neville Wran ALP25.7%
Corrimal Laurie Kelly ALP25.7%
Heffron Laurie Brereton ALP27.5%
St Marys Ron Mulock ALP27.5%
Marrickville Tom Cahill ALP28.0%
Canterbury Kevin Stewart ALP28.6%
Lakemba Vince Durick ALP28.6%
Swansea Don Bowman ALP28.8%
Illawarra George Petersen ALP29.6%
Fairfield Janice Crosio ALP30.2%
Liverpool George Paciullo ALP30.4%
Cessnock Stan Neilly ALP30.5%
Balmain Roger Degen ALP31.0%
Elizabeth Pat Hills ALP34.7%
Liberal/NCP seats (28)
Marginal
Goulburn Ron Brewer NCP1.8%
Castlereagh Roger Wotton NCP3.4%
Orange Garry West NCP3.5%
Willoughby Peter Collins LIB3.7%
Hornsby Neil Pickard LIB3.8%
Byron Jack Boyd NCP4.3%
Fairly safe
Upper Hunter Col Fisher NCP6.4%
Davidson Terry Metherell LIB7.8%
Wagga Wagga Joe Schipp LIB8.1%
Lachlan Ian Armstrong NCP8.7%
Dubbo Gerry Peacocke NCP9.2%
Coffs Harbour Matt Singleton NCP9.3%
Eastwood Jim Clough LIB9.7%
Safe
Gloucester Pat McNamaraNCP10.2%
Pittwater Max Smith LIB10.9%
Oxley Jim Brown NCP11.5%
The Hills Fred Caterson LIB11.7%
Tamworth Noel Park NCP12.1%
Hawkesbury Kevin Rozzoli LIB12.8%
Barwon Wal Murray NCP13.2%
Lane Cove John Dowd LIB14.1%
Northcott Jim Cameron LIB14.1%
Mosman David Arblaster LIB14.2%
Lismore Bruce Duncan NCP18.9%
Murray Tim Fischer NCP19.1%
Vaucluse Rosemary Foot LIB20.1%
Ku-ring-gai Nick Greiner LIB20.8%
Gordon Tim Moore LIB27.2%
Crossbench seats (2)
North Shore Ted Mack IND4.6% v LIB
South Coast John Hatton INDunopp.

See also

Notes

  1. There were 3,212,657 enrolled voters but 34,432 were enrolled in South Coast (Independent) which was uncontested at the election. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Green, Antony. "1981 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  2. Hughes, Colin A. (1986). A handbook of Australian government and politics, 1975-1984. ANU Press. p. 192. ISBN   0-08-033038-X.
  3. Hughes (1986), p. 194.