1984 New South Wales state election

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1984 New South Wales state election
Flag of New South Wales.svg
  1981 24 March 1984 (1984-03-24) 1988  

All 99 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
and 15 (of the 45) seats in the New South Wales Legislative Council
50 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  Neville Wran Premier.jpg Nick Greiner.jpg
Leader Neville Wran Nick Greiner
Party Labor Liberal/National coalition
Leader since17 November 197315 March 1983
Leader's seat Bass Hill Ku-ring-gai
Last election69 seats28 seats
Seats won5837
Seat changeDecrease2.svg11Increase2.svg9
Popular vote1,466,4131,292,996
Percentage48.77%43.00%
SwingDecrease2.svg6.95Increase2.svg4.16
TPP 52.4%47.6%
TPP swingDecrease2.svg6.3Increase2.svg6.3

1984 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 24 March 1984. The Labor government led by Neville Wran won a fourth term in office, though with a reduced (if still sizeable) majority and a 7% swing against it.

Contents

As the two previous elections each saw the sitting Opposition Leader lose the election and failing to be elected to Parliament, the 1984 election saw Nick Greiner becoming the first Opposition Leader to lose an election and retain his seat since Pat Hills in 1974.

Independents Ted Mack and John Hatton retained their seats of North Shore and South Coast respectively. They were joined on the cross benches by a third independent and Bruce Duncan.

Duncan, a former National Country Party member, withdrew from the party in protest at their change to the National Party name. He ran on an "Independent Country Party" ticket and won his seat of Lismore.

At a 1981 referendum, voters had approved an increase in the maximum parliamentary term from three years to four.

Key dates

DateEvent
5 March 1984The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. [1]
9 March 1984Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon.
24 March 1984Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
5 April 1984The seventh Wran Ministry was reconstituted.
30 April 1984The writ was returned and the results formally declared.
1 May 1984Parliament resumed for business.

Results

Legislative Assembly

New South Wales state election, 24 March 1984 [1] [2] [3]
Legislative Assembly
<< 19811988 >>

Enrolled voters3,330,350
Votes cast3,081,226 Turnout 92.52+1.37
Informal votes74,316Informal2.41–0.67
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeatsChange
  Labor 1,466,41348.77–6.9558– 11
  Liberal 1,026,90134.15+6.5322+ 8
  National 266,0958.85–2.3715+ 1
  Democrats 85,6042.85+0.420± 0
 Ind. Country25,2270.84+0.841+ 1
  Call to Australia 2,3470.08+0.080± 0
  Socialist Labour 2,1130.07+0.070± 0
  Independent 130,0134.32+1.533+ 1
 Other [lower-alpha 1] 2,1970.07+0.070± 0
Total3,006,910  99 
Two-party-preferred
  Labor 52.4%-6.3%
  Liberal/National 47.6%+6.3%

Popular vote
Labor
48.77%
Liberal
34.15%
National
8.85%
Independents
4.32%
Democrats
2.85%
Others
1.06%
Two-party-preferred vote
Labor
52.4%
Coalition
47.6%
Parliamentary seats
Labor
58
Liberal
22
National
15
Independents
3
Ind. Country
1

Legislative Council

New South Wales state election, 24 March 1984 [4]
Legislative Council

Enrolled voters3,330,350
Votes cast3,081,223 Turnout 92.52+1.38
Informal votes205,275Informal6.66–0.18
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeats
won
Seats
held
  Labor 1,348,34846.88–4.90724
  Liberal/National Coalition 1,225,51942.61+8.84718
  Call to Australia 175,0686.09–3.0212
  Democrats 90,6343.15–0.8801
 Concerned Citizens14,0360.49+0.4900
  Progress 6,4160.22+0.1100
 Silent Majority3,8990.14+0.1400
  Independent 12,0280.42+0.3500
Total2,875,948  15 

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1984SwingPost-1984
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Bligh  Labor Fred Miller 2.7-3.91.2 Michael Yabsley Liberal 
Burwood  Labor Phil O'Neill 7.2-8.81.6 Paul Zammit Liberal 
Camden  Labor Ralph Brading 2.0-7.25.2 John Fahey Liberal 
Clarence  Labor Don Day 6.6-10.94.3 Ian Causley National 
Cronulla  Labor Michael Egan 5.3-5.80.5 Malcolm Kerr Liberal 
Hurstville  Labor Kevin Ryan 9.2-10.10.9 Guy Yeomans Liberal 
Lismore  National Bruce Duncan 18.9N/A26.9 Bruce Duncan Independent Country 
Manly  Labor Alan Stewart 1.2-5.74.5 David Hay Liberal 
Miranda  Labor Bill Robb 4.3-6.11.8 Ron Phillips Liberal 
Murrumbidgee  Labor Lin Gordon 13.9-15.41.5 Adrian Cruickshank National 
Wakehurst  Labor Tom Webster 7.0-8.21.2 John Booth Liberal 
Wollongong  Labor Eric Ramsay 0.1-4.34.2 Frank Arkell Independent 

Post-election pendulum

Labor seats (58)
Marginal
Northern Tablelands Bill McCarthy ALP1.6%
Albury Harold Mair ALP1.9%
Gosford Brian McGowan ALP1.9%
Woronora Maurie Keane ALP3.3%
Blue Mountains Bob Debus ALP3.5%
Waverley Ernie Page ALP3.7%
Burrinjuck Terry Sheahan ALP4.3%
Wentworthville Ernie Quinn ALP4.6%
Ryde Garry McIlwaine ALP4.9%
Georges River Frank Walker ALP5.0%
Earlwood Ken Gabb ALP5.2%
Bathurst Mick Clough ALP5.3%
Parramatta Barry Wilde ALP5.3%
Gladesville Rodney Cavalier ALP5.5%
Monaro John Akister ALP5.9%
Fairly safe
Kogarah Brian Langton ALP6.3%
Coogee Michael Cleary ALP6.8%
Campbelltown Michael Knight ALP8.7% v IND
Kiama Bill Knott ALP8.7%
Maitland Allan Walsh ALP8.9%
Charlestown Richard Face ALP9.0%
Drummoyne John Murray ALP9.0%
Ashfield Paul Whelan ALP9.9%
Safe
Seven Hills Bob Christie ALP10.1%
Heathcote Rex Jackson ALP11.1%
Lakemba Wes Davoren ALP11.8%
Tuggerah Harry Moore ALP11.8%
Lake Macquarie Merv Hunter ALP12.2%
Ingleburn Stan Knowles ALP13.0%
Maroubra Bob Carr ALP13.2%
Peats Paul Landa ALP13.2%
Waratah John Price ALP13.2%
Penrith Peter Anderson ALP14.3%
Wallsend Ken Booth ALP14.3%
Newcastle Arthur Wade ALP14.4%
Bankstown Ric Mochalski ALP14.5%
Rockdale Brian Bannon ALP14.6%
Riverstone Richard Amery ALP14.9%
Cabramatta Eric Bedford ALP15.1%
Heffron Laurie Brereton ALP15.6%
East Hills Pat Rogan ALP16.0%
Blacktown John Aquilina ALP16.6%
Auburn Peter Cox ALP16.8%
Bass Hill Neville Wran ALP17.3%
Merrylands Geoff Irwin ALP17.4%
Canterbury Kevin Stewart ALP17.9%
Corrimal Laurie Kelly ALP18.9%
Granville Laurie Ferguson ALP18.9%
Balmain Peter Crawford ALP19.0%
St Marys Ron Mulock ALP19.0%
Illawarra George Petersen ALP19.6%
Broken Hill Bill Beckroge ALP20.1%
Fairfield Janice Crosio ALP21.8%
Elizabeth Pat Hills ALP22.2%
Liverpool George Paciullo ALP22.2%
Swansea Don Bowman ALP22.2%
Marrickville Andrew Refshauge ALP23.4%
Cessnock Stan Neilly ALP26.2%
Liberal/National seats (37)
Marginal
Cronulla Malcolm Kerr LIB0.5%
Byron Don Beck NAT0.8%
Hurstville Guy Yeomans LIB0.9%
Bligh Michael Yabsley LIB1.2%
Wakehurst John Booth LIB1.2%
Murrumbidgee Adrian Cruickshank NAT1.5%
Burwood Paul Zammit LIB1.6%
Miranda Ron Phillips LIB1.8%
Goulburn Robert Webster NAT2.3%
Clarence Ian Causley NAT4.3%
Manly David Hay LIB4.5%
Fairly safe
Camden John Fahey LIB7.2%
Castlereagh Roger Wotton NAT7.3%
Orange Garry West NAT8.0%
Hornsby Neil Pickard LIB9.2%
Upper Hunter Col Fisher NAT9.5%
Safe
Coffs Harbour Matt Singleton NAT11.3%
Gloucester Leon Punch NAT11.9%
Oxley Bruce Jeffery NAT12.7%
Barwon Wal Murray NAT13.0%
Tamworth Noel Park NAT13.4%
Wagga Wagga Joe Schipp LIB14.0%
Eastwood Jim Clough LIB14.8%
Dubbo Gerry Peacocke NAT14.9%
Willoughby Peter Collins LIB15.4%
Davidson Terry Metherell LIB15.5%
Pittwater Max Smith LIB15.5%
Lachlan Ian Armstrong NAT15.9%
Hawkesbury Kevin Rozzoli LIB18.0%
The Hills Fred Caterson LIB18.9%
Lane Cove John Dowd LIB19.2%
Mosman Phillip Smiles LIB19.5%
Northcott Bruce Baird LIB20.0%
Murray Tim Fischer NAT22.6%
Vaucluse Rosemary Foot LIB24.6%
Gordon Tim Moore LIB30.3%
Ku-ring-gai Nick Greiner LIB30.9%
Crossbench seats (4)
Wollongong Frank Arkell IND4.2% v ALP
North Shore Ted Mack IND7.7% v LIB
South Coast John Hatton IND26.0% v ALP
Lismore Bruce Duncan IND26.9% v ALP

See also

Notes

  1. One candidate each from the Citizens Action, Rainbow, Uninflated and National Action Parties. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Green, Antony. "1984 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  2. Australian Government and Politics Database. "Parliament of New South Wales, Assembly election, 24 March 1984" . Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  3. Hughes (1986), p. 195.
  4. Hughes (1986), p. 196.

Sources cited