1997 Gippsland West state by-election

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1997 Gippsland West state by-election
Flag of Victoria (Australia).svg
←  1996 1 February 1997 1999  →
Electoral district of Gippsland West in the
Victorian Legislative Assembly
Registered31,375
Turnout88.7% (Decrease2.svg 6.6)
 First partySecond party
  Liberal Placeholder.png
IND
CandidateMatthew Coleman Susan Davies
Party Liberal Independent
First preference  vote11,2148,844
Percentage41.4%32.6%
SwingDecrease2.svg 16.4Decrease2.svg 0.6 [a]
2CP 49.7%50.3%
2CP swingDecrease2.svg 12.9Increase2.svg 12.9 [a]
MP before election

Alan Brown
Liberal

Elected MP

Susan Davies
Independent

The 1997 Gippsland West state by-election was held on 1 February 1997 to elect the member for Gippsland West in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, following the resignation of Liberal Party MP Alan Brown. [1] [2]

Contents

Brown, who served as Liberal leader from 1989 until 1991, resigned on 31 December 1966 after being appointed by the Kennett government as the Agent General for Victoria. [3] At the time, his seat was the second-safest for the Liberals in Victoria. [4]

Susan Davies, who contested Gippsland West for the Labor Party at the 1996 state election, nominated as an independent candidate after Labor chose not to contest. [5] She won the seat after a 12.9% two-party-preferred vote swing against the Liberals, helped by the preferences of other independent and minor party voters. [6] [7]

The result was a significant defeat for premier Jeff Kennett and his government, and was the first of two by-election losses it experienced in 1997 (the other being Mitcham in December). [8] [9] Davies was re-elected at the 1999 state election and subsequently played a decisive role in defeating the Kennett government by supporting a minority Labor government led by Steve Bracks. [10] [11]

Candidates

Candidates are listed in the order they appeared on the ballot. [4] This was the first election contested by the Australian Reform Party after its formation in May 1996. [12] [13]

PartyCandidateBackground
  Independent Susan Davies Labor candidate for Gippsland West in 1996 [14] [15]
  Shooters Neville Sayers Olympian sports shooter [16]
  Independent David Turnbull
  Reform Ray MathiesonFarmer and former policeman [17]
  Independent Mike Lowry Publican and independent candidate for Gippsland West in 1996 [18]
  Liberal Matthew Coleman

Results

1997 Gippsland West state by-election [4] [19] [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Matthew Coleman11,21441.4−16.4
Independent Susan Davies 8,84432.6−0.6 [a]
Reform Ray Mathieson2,5559.4+9.4
Independent Mike Lowry1,8676.9−2.1
Independent David Turnbull1,3615.0+5.0
Shooters Neville Sayers 1,2754.7+4.7
Total formal votes27,11697.5−0.8
Informal votes7082.5+0.8
Turnout 27,82488.7−6.6
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent Susan Davies 13,60650.3+12.9 [a]
Liberal Matthew Coleman13,44749.7−12.9
Independent gain from Liberal Swing +12.9

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Compared to results as a Labor Party candidate at the 1996 election. [4]

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References

  1. ↑ "Victorian Election 1999". Parliament of Australia. 11 April 2000. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  2. ↑ Raue, Ben. "Bass – Victoria 2022". The Tally Room. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "Jeff Kennett Dumped From Liberal Leadership In Victoria". AustralianPolitics.com. 23 May 1989. Archived from the original on 22 June 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "THE FIFTY-THIRD PARLIAMENT ELECTED 30 MARCH 1996". Psephos: Adam Carr's Electoral Archive. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  5. ↑ "Susan Davies". La Trobe University. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  6. ↑ Sibelle, Maurice (12 February 1997). "Kennett loses by-election". Green Left. Archived from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  7. ↑ Chapman, Simon (1998). "Over Our Dead Bodies: Port Arthur and Australia's fight for gun control" (PDF). Sydney Open Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 October 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  8. ↑ Costar, Brian; Hayward, David (3 September 2010). "Victoria's unexpected minority". Inside Story. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  9. ↑ Colebatch, Tim (21 November 2017). "Earthquake in Northcote. Where next?". Inside Story. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "Susan Davies: Statement In Support Of A Minority Labor Government". AustralianPolitics.com. 18 October 1999. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  11. ↑ "Victorian State Election 2010: Bass". Crikey. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  12. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Aidyn (28 May 1996). "Far right takes aim at gun laws". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  13. ↑ Dodd, Andrew (21 July 1996). "Stalking Ted". ABC Listen. Archived from the original on 22 January 2025. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
  14. ↑ "Davies, Susan Margaret". The Australian Women's Register. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  15. ↑ "Davies to contest LaTrobe for ALP". ABC News. 1 August 2003. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  16. ↑ "VALE: Neville Sayers". Combined Firearms Council of Victoria. 6 October 2018. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  17. ↑ Boreham, Gareth (31 January 1997). "Grassroots candidate fights for people". go.gale.com. The Age. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  18. ↑ Rule, Andrew; Buttler, Mark (11 May 2023). "Deadline: Locals suspect sex worker shot Korumburra Hotel owner Mike Lowry". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 16 May 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  19. ↑ "Gippsland West District 1997 By-Election Results". Victorian Electoral Commission. 1 February 1997. Retrieved 2 March 2001.
  20. ↑ "Gippsland West District 1997 By-Election Results Two Candidate Preferred Results by Polling Place". Victorian Electoral Commission. 1 February 1997. Retrieved 11 March 2001.
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