1986 Western Australian state election

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1986 Western Australian state election
Flag of Western Australia.svg
  1983 8 February 1986 (1986-02-08) 1989  

All 57 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
and 17 (of the 34) seats to the Western Australian Legislative Council
29 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
ALP
LIB
NAT
Leader Brian Burke Bill Hassell Hendy Cowan
Party Labor Liberal National
Leader since18 September 198115 February 1984August 1978
Leader's seat Balga Cottesloe Merredin
Last election32 seats20 seats5 seats
Seats won32196
Seat changeSteady2.svgDecrease2.svg1Increase2.svg1
Popular vote416,805324,96129,156
Percentage53.00%41.32%3.71%
SwingDecrease2.svg0.16Increase2.svg1.46Decrease2.svg1.40
TPP 54.12%45.88%
TPP swingIncrease2.svg0.37Decrease2.svg0.37

Premier before election

Brian Burke
Labor

Elected Premier

Brian Burke
Labor

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 8 February 1986 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and 17 members to the 34-seat Legislative Council. The Labor government, led by Premier Brian Burke, won a second term in office against the Liberal Party, led by Opposition Leader Bill Hassell since 16 February 1984.

Contents

The election resulted in one of Labor's best state election results after World War II, and featured a united National Party for the first time since the 1977 election.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Western Australian state election, 8 February 1986
Legislative Assembly
<< 19831989 >>

Enrolled voters883,239
Votes cast807,634 Turnout 91.44%+3.51%
Informal votes21,240Informal2.63%–0.20%
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeatsChange
  Labor 416,80553.00%–0.16%32± 0
  Liberal 324,96141.32%+1.46%19– 1
  National [1] 29,1563.71%–1.40%6+ 1
  Democrats 5,1920.66%–0.14%0± 0
 Other parties2,6300.33%–0.73%0± 0
  Independent 7,6500.98%+0.48%0± 0
Total786,394  57 
Two-party-preferred
  Labor 427,70454.12%+0.37%
  Liberal 362,64245.88%–0.37%

Notes:

1 The National Country Party (NCP) and the National Party (NP), which had been two separate parties from 1978 onwards, united in 1985 to form the National Party. Three sitting members who had previously identified as National Country Party stood for the Liberal Party in 1986, with two losing their seats to the Nationals, and the other (Bert Crane in Moore) retaining his seat. The Nationals also gained Avon from the Labor Party, and Mount Marshall from the Liberals, who had held it for a single term.

Legislative Council

Western Australian state election, 8 February 1986
Legislative Council

Enrolled voters883,239
Votes cast807,496 Turnout 91.42%+2.44%
Informal votes26,530Informal3.29%–0.43%
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeats
won
Seats
held
  Labor 352,43745.13%–5.50%915
  Liberal 327,78641.97%+0.40%615
  National 37,1944.76%–1.59%24
  Democrats 63,4838.13%+6.68%00
  Independent 660.01%+0.01%00
Total780,966  1734
Two-party-preferred
  Labor 418,12453.54%+0.57%
  Liberal 361,16046.25%–0.57%

Seats changing parties

SeatPre-1986SwingPost-1986
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Avon  Labor Ken McIver 8.4*N/A1.8** Max Trenorden National 
Mount Marshall  Liberal Bill McNee 5.7***N/A3.3 Mort Schell National 
Subiaco  Independent Tom Dadour 1.6**3.31.7* Carmen Lawrence Labor 

Post-election pendulum

Labor seats (32)
Marginal
Geraldton Jeff Carr ALP0.4%
Subiaco Carmen Lawrence ALP1.7%
Warren David Evans ALP2.9%
Collie Tom Jones ALP4.2%
Mundaring Gavan Troy ALP5.3%
Bunbury Phil Smith ALP5.4%
Fairly safe
Esperance-Dundas Judyth Watson ALP7.1%
Mandurah John Read ALP9.4%
Joondalup Jackie Watkins ALP9.5%
Whitford Pam Beggs ALP9.8%
Nollamara Keith Wilson ALP9.9%
Safe
Mitchell David Smith ALP10.0%
Scarborough Graham Burkett ALP10.3%
Welshpool Bill Thomas ALP13.2%
Balcatta Ron Bertram ALP13.4%
Helena Gordon Hill ALP14.5%
Rockingham Mike Barnett ALP14.6%
Pilbara Pam Buchanan ALP14.7%
Gosnells Yvonne Henderson ALP14.8%
Perth Terry Burke ALP14.9%
Victoria Park Ron Davies ALP14.9%
Armadale Bob Pearce ALP15.7%
Canning Tom Bateman ALP15.8%
Kimberley Ernie Bridge ALP16.5%
Morley-Swan Arthur Tonkin ALP16.9%
Maylands Peter Dowding ALP17.1%
Ascot Mal Bryce ALP18.2%
Melville Barry Hodge ALP19.5%
Fremantle David Parker ALP21.8%
Cockburn Clive Hughes ALP24.7%
Balga Brian Burke ALP29.6%
Kalgoorlie Ian Taylor ALP30.1% v IND
Liberal/National seats (25)
Marginal
Dale Cyril Rushton LIB1.6%
Murchison-Eyre Ross Lightfoot LIB1.6%
Avon Max Trenorden NAT1.8%
Mount Lawley George Cash LIB2.1%
Murdoch Barry MacKinnon LIB2.3%
Albany Leon Watt LIB3.3%
Mount Marshall Mort Schell NAT3.3% v LIB
Fairly safe
Darling Range George Spriggs LIB6.2%
Karrinyup Jim Clarko LIB6.3%
South Perth Bill Grayden LIB6.5%
Clontarf Tony Williams LIB8.1%
Cottesloe Bill Hassell LIB8.2%
Kalamunda Ian Thompson LIB8.9%
Narrogin Cambell Nalder NAT9.1% v LIB
Murray-Wellington John Bradshaw LIB9.8%
Safe
East Melville Richard Lewis LIB10.0%
Gascoyne Ian Laurance LIB10.5%
Katanning-Roe Monty House NAT11.2% v LIB
Stirling Matt Stephens NAT12.2% v LIB
Vasse Barry Blaikie LIB13.5%
Floreat Andrew Mensaros LIB14.6%
Nedlands Richard Court LIB14.9%
Greenough Reg Tubby LIB23.6%
Moore Bert Crane LIB24.5%
Merredin Hendy Cowan NAT29.0%

Opinion polling

Morgan Gallop opinion poll results [1]
DatePrimary voteLeader's approval rating
LaborLiberal-NationalLaborLiberal
19 February 1983 election 53.844.2
March–April 198358377044
May–June 198355417248
July–August 198351436847
September–October 198348476343
November–December 198356406345
January–February 198453427137
15 February 1984 Bill Hassell replaces Ray O'Connor as leader of the Liberal Party
March–April 198449466838
May–June 198454416638
July–August 198450466540
September–October 198457386939
November–December 198453426341
January–February 198545495839
March–April 198545475336
May–June 198545486137
July–August 198548476434
September–October 198549456132
November–December 198553406532
8 February 1986 election53.244.9

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References

  1. Hamilton, John (1988). Burkie: A biography of Brian Burke. St. George Books. pp. 217–218. ISBN   0867780363.