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All 17 seats of the unicameral Legislative Assembly 9 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Turnout | 88.8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections to the 1989 Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly was held on Saturday, 4 March. This was the first direct election by voters in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) for their power legislative body.
The Labor Party, led by Rosemary Follett, and the Liberal Party, led by Trevor Kaine, were the main challengers. Candidates were elected to fill seats using modified d'Hondt electoral system [1] for a multi-member single (at-large) constituency.
The result was a hung parliament. However, Labor, with the largest representation in the 17-member unicameral Assembly, formed Government with the support of various non-aligned minor parties. Follett was elected the first Chief Minister at the first sitting of the first Assembly on 11 May 1989. [2]
The Australian Capital Territory was established in 1911, initially called the Federal Capital Territory. The Territory was carved out of the state of New South Wales to make way for the site of the capital of Australia. As the Territory grew, particularly the city of Canberra from the 1960s, there were increasing calls for some form of self-government. [4] There were a number of appointed and elected advisory bodies between 1920 and 1986. The main elected representative body of the ACT was the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly that sat from 1975 to 1986. This House served primarily as an advisory body, with most legislative powers managed by the Federal Minister for the Territories, under section 122 of the Australian Constitution. [5] In an advisory referendum held in 1978, voters in the ACT rejected a proposal for self-government, with 63% voting in favour of the proposition that the 'present arrangements for governing the Australian capital should continue for the time being'. Thirty percent of voters favoured self-government with a locally elected body with state-like powers, and 6% voted for a locally elected body with powers and functions similar to those of local government. [6] [7] In spite of the referendum outcome, in 1983, the federal Labor government of Prime Minister Bob Hawke set up a Self-Government Task Force to report on the government of the ACT. [8] Further, it wanted to force the ACT into line with the states on funding levels [7] and, in late 1988, the Australian Government passed the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act, allowing for the self-government of the ACT.
The Australian Capital Territory comprised one electorate for the election. However, electors were only able to cast ordinary votes within their own federal electoral seats of either Canberra or Fraser. The election was conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission, operating under Commonwealth legislation. [3] The election was notable for having a ballot paper almost one-metre wide that listed 117 candidates for election representing 22 political parties. A number of parties ran in opposition to self-government and there was a number of people taking full advantage of some of the more ludicrous or ridiculous aspects of the ballot paper. [9] The parties include the "Sun-Ripened Warm Tomato Party", "Party! Party! Party!" and "Surprise Party". [10]
The centre-left Labor Party, led by Rosemary Follett, and the centre-right Liberal Party, led by Trevor Kaine, were the main challengers. Three minor parties also played a prominent role in the campaign including Residents Rally, a self described "community-based urban green party", [11] led by Bernard Collaery, as well as two parties campaigning on platforms of opposing self-government. [9]
[12] At the inaugural election, candidates were elected to fill seats using a modified D'Hondt method for a multi-member single constituency covering the entire Territory. Seventeen vacancies were available to fill the unicameral ACT Legislative Assembly. Tickets that elected at least one MLA are highlighted in the relevant colour. Successful candidates are indicated by an asterisk (*).
With the ACT House of Assembly abolished in 1986, the following elected representatives from the previous House nominated as candidates for election to the inaugural ACT Legislative Assembly:
Labor candidates | Liberal candidates | NSG candidates | Residents Rally candidates | ASGC candidates |
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Democrats candidates | Nationals candidates | Family Team candidates | FEC candidates | Canberra First candidates |
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Haslem candidates | Party! Party! Party! candidates | SWP candidate | DRWP candidates | Home Rule OK candidate |
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A Better Idea candidate | Christian Alt. candidates | Sleepers Wake candidate | Community candidates | Tomato candidates |
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Spagnolo candidate | Surprise Party candidate | Ungrouped candidates | ||
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| Frank Crnkovic (Ind) |
Australian Capital Territory general election, 4 March 1989 | ||||||
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Enrolled voters | 169,493 | |||||
Votes cast | 150,421 | Turnout | 88.8% | N/A | ||
Informal votes | 8,560 | Informal | 5.7% | N/A | ||
Summary of votes by party | ||||||
Party | Primary votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |
Labor | 32,370 | 22.8 | N/A | 5 | N/A | |
Liberal | 21,088 | 14.9 | N/A | 4 | N/A | |
Independent | 16,351 | 11.5 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
No Self-Government Party | 16,274 | 11.5 | N/A | 3 | N/A | |
Residents Rally | 13,647 | 9.6 | N/A | 4 | N/A | |
Abolish Self-Govt | 10,641 | 7.5 | N/A | 1 | N/A | |
Fair Elections Coalition | 7,765 | 5.5 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
The A.C.T. Community Party | 5,777 | 4.1 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Canberra First Party | 4,918 | 3.5 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Family Movement | 3,885 | 2.7 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Democrats | 2,350 | 1.7 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
National | 1,947 | 1.4 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Sun-Ripened Warm Tomato | 1,666 | 1.2 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Party! Party! Party! | 979 | 0.7 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Christian Alternative Party | 846 | 0.6 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Socialist Workers | 713 | 0.5 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Sleepers Wake | 173 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Surprise Party | 166 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Disabled & Redeployed Workers Party | 163 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
A Better Idea | 80 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Home Rule OK | 62 | 0.0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Total | 141,861 | 17 |
It took almost two months after election day to determine the results of the election. [13] Four people won seats on ostensible platforms of abolishing self-government. The result was a hung parliament. First preference results of the major contenders at conclusion of the final count were: Labor Party – 22.8 per cent, Liberal – 14.9 per cent, No Self-Government Party – 11.5 per cent, Residents Rally – 9.6 per cent, and Abolish Self-Government Coalition – 7.5 per cent. [14] Other candidates and parties that polled well, but failed to achieve a quota included Fair Elections Coalition (5.5%), John Haslem (4.8%), The A.C.T. Community Party (4.1%), and Bill Mackay (4.0%).
Following distribution of preferences, the membership of the first Assembly was one member from the Abolish Self-Government Coalition; five members from the Australian Labor Party; four members from the Liberal Party; three members from the No Self-Government Party and four members from the Residents Rally. [15] Labor, with the largest representation in the 17-member unicameral Assembly, formed a minority Government. Follett was elected the first Chief Minister at the first sitting of the first Assembly on 11 May 1989, [2] sitting in rented premises at 1 Constitution Avenue, Canberra City. The final sitting of the first Assembly was on 17 December 1991.
The office holders of the first Assembly [2] were:
Gary John Joseph Humphries is a Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. He was a member of the Australian Senate representing the Australian Capital Territory for the Liberal Party of Australia from 2003 to 2013. He was the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2000 to 2001; and was elected to the first parliament of the Australian Capital Territory, in 1989, later representing the Molonglo electorate until 2003.
The Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It sits in the Legislative Assembly Building on Civic Square, close to the centre of the city of Canberra.
Rosemary Follett is a former Australian politician who was the first Chief Minister of Australian Capital Territory, serving in 1989 and again between 1991 and 1995. She was the first woman to become head of government in an Australian state or territory.
Residents Rally was an Australian political party, with four candidates elected to the first Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly at the 1989 Australian Capital Territory general election. Residents Rally were led by Canberra human rights barrister and lawyer, Bernard Collaery. Collaery defined the party as "a community-based urban green party". The Rally formed a coalition with the Liberal Party, led by Trevor Kaine, in late 1989. However, this fractious Alliance was to last for only two years before collapsing. The Rally was unsuccessful in retaining any seats at the 1992 ACT general election.
Trevor Thomas Kaine, was an Australian politician who served as Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 1989 to 1991. Kaine was elected into a multi-member single electorate in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, from 1989 to 2001, initially as a member of the Liberal Party and later as an independent.
Elections to the 1992 Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly was held on Saturday, 15 February, alongside a referendum on an electoral system for future elections. The incumbent Labor Party, led by Rosemary Follett, was challenged by the Liberal Party, led by Trevor Kaine. Candidates were elected to fill seats using the modified d'Hondt electoral system for a multi-member single constituency. The result was another hung parliament. However, Labor, with the largest representation in the 17-member unicameral Assembly, formed Government with the support of Michael Moore and Helen Szuty. Follett was elected Chief Minister at the first sitting of the second Assembly on 27 March 1992.
Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly were held on Saturday, 20 October 2001. The incumbent Liberal Party, led by Gary Humphries, was challenged by the Labor Party, led by Jon Stanhope. Candidates were elected to fill three multi-member electorates using a single transferable vote method, known as the Hare-Clark system. The result was another hung parliament. However Labor, with the largest representation in the 17-member unicameral Assembly, formed Government with the support of the ACT Greens and Democrats. Stanhope was elected Chief Minister at the first sitting of the fifth Assembly on 12 November 2001. The election was conducted by the ACT Electoral Commission and was the first time in Australia's history that an electronic voting and counting system was used for some, but not all, polling places.
Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly were held on Saturday, 16 October 2004. The incumbent Labor Party, led by Jon Stanhope, was challenged by the Liberal Party, led by Brendan Smyth. Candidates were elected to fill three multi-member electorates using a single transferable vote method, known as the Hare-Clark system. The result was a clear majority of nine seats in the 17-member unicameral Assembly for Labor. It marked the first and so far only time in the history of ACT self-government that one party was able to win a majority in its own right. Stanhope was elected Chief Minister at the first sitting of the sixth Assembly on 4 November 2004. The election was conducted by the ACT Electoral Commission and was the second time in Australia's history that an electronic voting and counting system was used for some, but not all, polling places, expanding on the initial trial of the system at the 2001 ACT election.
The Molonglo electorate was one of the three electorates for the unicameral 17-member Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly between 1995 and 2016. It had seven seats, and was the largest of the three electorates in terms of population.
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Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly were held on Saturday, 18 October 2008. The incumbent Labor Party, led by Jon Stanhope, was challenged by the Liberal Party, led by Zed Seselja. Candidates were elected to fill three multi-member electorates using a single transferable vote method, known as the Hare-Clark system. The result was another hung parliament with Labor winning seven seats, the Liberals six seats and the Greens finishing with four seats, giving the Greens the balance of power in the 17-member unicameral Assembly. On 31 October 2008, after almost two weeks of deliberations, the Greens chose to support a Labor minority government. Consequently, Labor was re-elected to a third consecutive term of government in the ACT. Stanhope was elected Chief Minister at the first sitting of the seventh Assembly on 5 November 2008. The election was conducted by the ACT Electoral Commission.
The Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly was the main elected representative body of the Australian Capital Territory between 1975 and 1986, when preparations began to be made for the granting of self-government to the Territory. It served a largely advisory role, with most powers over the Territory still lying in the hands of the relevant federal minister through the life of the Assembly.
Craig John Duby, former Australian politician, was a member of the unicameral Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory between 1989 and 1992, elected to the multi-member single constituency Assembly as a representative of the No Self-Government Party. During his term in office, Duby was a member of the Independents Group and the Hare-Clark Independence Party. Duby was the Minister for Finance and Urban Services and briefly was the Minister for Housing and Community Services in the Kaine ministry. For part of one day, he served as the Leader of the Opposition.
Harold James Hird is a former Australian politician who was a member of the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Ginninderra for the Liberal Party from 1995 to 2001. Hird also served in the elected ACT House of Assembly, representing the electoral district of Fraser, from 1975 until 1986 as an Independent. He was the Speaker from 1982 to 1986.
Bernard Joseph Edward Collaery is an Australian barrister, lawyer and former politician. Collaery was a member of the Australian Capital Territory's first Legislative Assembly for the Residents Rally party, from 1989 to 1992. He served as Deputy Chief Minister and Attorney-General from 1989 to 1991 in the Kaine Alliance Government.
The First Follett Ministry was the first ministry of the Government of the Australian Capital Territory, and was led by Labor Chief Minister Rosemary Follett and her deputy, Paul Whalan. It was sworn in on 16 May 1989, after the 1989 election when a hung parliament was the outcome. Labor, with a plurality of seats, led a minority government in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly.
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