2008 Port Macquarie state by-election

Last updated

2008 Port Macquarie state by-election
Flag of New South Wales.svg
18 October 2008
 First partySecond party
 
IND
Nationals Placeholder.png
Candidate Peter Besseling Leslie Williams
Party Independent National
Popular vote15,00314,061
Percentage35.94%33.69%
SwingIncrease2.svg 35.94Increase2.svg 14.24
TPP 54.52%45.48%
TPP swingIncrease2.svg 54.52Increase2.svg 23.70

Port macquarie NSW State Electoral District.png
Location in New South Wales

MP before election

Rob Oakeshott
Independent

Elected MP

Peter Besseling
Independent

A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Port Macquarie on 18 October 2008. [1] This was triggered by the resignation of independent MP Rob Oakeshott who was elected to the federal seat of Lyne at a by-election the previous month. [2]

Contents

The writ for the Port Macquarie by-election was issued on 29 August, which was also when the rolls closed. Candidate nominations closed on 18 September. The by-election was contested on the same boundaries drawn for Port Macquarie at the 2007 state election. At that election, the independent MP won the seat over the Nationals by a two-party preferred margin of 78.2% to 21.8%.

Background

Created in a 1988 redistribution, Port Macquarie has always been based on Port Macquarie and LaurietonCamden Haven. It was a safe National Party seat prior to the election of Oakeshott, who was MP for Port Macquarie since 1996, becoming an independent in 2002.

Candidates

The following candidates nominated for the election: [3]

Campaign

Federal Hume MP Alby Schultz was seen campaigning a few times for Besseling, referring to him as "the pick of the candidates", with similar support from Senator Bill Heffernan, sparking anger and resentment within the coalition. [6]

Results

Despite independent Rob Oakeshott moving into federal politics, another independent, Peter Besseling, retained the seat, winning on the primary and two party vote. [3] [7]

2008 Port Macquarie by-election
Saturday 18 October [3] [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Peter Besseling 15,00335.94+35.94
National Leslie Williams 14,06133.69+14.24
Independent Jamie Harrison3,4848.35+8.35
Independent Lisa Intemann3,1347.51+7.51
Independent James Langley2,0454.90+4.90
Greens Susie Russell1,9714.72+1.97
Independent Bob Sharpham7951.90+1.90
Christian Democrats Bob Waldron5141.23+1.23
Independent Tony Galati4171.00+1.00
Independent Grant Rogers1960.47+0.47
Independent Cameron Price1290.31+0.31
Total formal votes41,74998.20−0.54
Informal votes7651.26+0.54
Turnout 42,51488.21−5.27
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent Peter Besseling 20,06854.52+54.52
National Leslie Williams 16,74145.48+23.70
Independent hold Swing N/A

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Hartsuyker</span> Australian politician

Luke Hartsuyker is a former Australian politician who was a member of the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2019, representing the Division of Cowper in New South Wales for the National Party. He served as a government minister in the Turnbull government and an assistant minister in the Abbott government. In August 2018, he announced he would retire from parliament at the 2019 federal election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Division of Lyne</span> Australian federal electoral division

The Division of Lyne is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales.

Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who served in the 51st parliament held their seats from 1995 to 1999. They were elected at the 1995 state election, and at by-elections. The Speaker was John Murray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Macquarie-Hastings Council</span> Local government area in New South Wales, Australia

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is a local government area in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral district of Port Macquarie</span>

Port Macquarie is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Leslie Williams of the Liberal Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Oakeshott</span> Australian politician

Robert James Murray Oakeshott is a retired Australian politician. He was the independent Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Lyne in New South Wales from 2008, when he won the 2008 Lyne by-election, until his retirement in 2013. Oakeshott described his views as economically conservative and socially progressive.

Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who served in the 54th parliament held their seats from 2007 to 2011. They were elected at the 2007 state election, and at by-elections. The Speaker was Richard Torbay.

This is a list of members of the Australian House of Representatives of the 42nd Parliament of Australia (2007–2010), as elected at the 2007 federal election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Australian federal election</span> Election for the 43rd Parliament of Australia

The 2010 Australian federal election was held on Saturday, 21 August 2010 to elect members of the 43rd Parliament of Australia. The incumbent centre-left Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard won a second term against the opposition centre-right Liberal Party of Australia led by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and Coalition partner the National Party of Australia, led by Warren Truss, after Labor formed a minority government with the support of three independent MPs and one Australian Greens MP.

The following tables show state-by-state results in the Australian House of Representatives at the 2007 federal election, 83 Labor, 65 coalition, 2 independent. Detailed results for all 150 seats are also available. The Nationals were reduced to nine seats and the coalition to 64 when independent Rob Oakeshott won the 2008 Lyne by-election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Port Macquarie-Hastings Council dismissal</span> Mall construction stoppage

The dismissal of the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council on 27 February 2008 marked the end of a series of events involving a project which was initiated in 2001 in the New South Wales coastal town of Port Macquarie to build a cultural and entertainment centre, known to locals as the Glasshouse. The project, initially a joint venture with the management of the neighbouring shopping centre, Port Central, was originally expected to cost the Council A$7.3 million. However, by late 2007, despite the centre not yet having opened, the costs had blown out to over A$41.7 million, with interest repayments likely to extend the council's liability to A$66 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Lyne by-election</span>

The 2008 Lyne by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Lyne on 6 September 2008. This was triggered by the resignation of National Party MP Mark Vaile. The by-election was held on the same day as the Mayo by-election, and the Western Australian state election.

Peter Edward Besseling is an Australian politician. Besseling was the Mayor of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, from 8 September 2012 to 8 May 2017, as an independent. Besseling served as Member for Port Macquarie between 2008 and 2011. Besseling is now General Manager at Birdon Pty Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 New South Wales state election</span> Elections to the 55th parliament of New South Wales

Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year-incumbent Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal–National Coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.

Leslie Gladys Williams is an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Port Macquarie since 2011 for the Nationals until switching to the Liberal Party in 2020. Williams has been the New South Wales Assistant Minister for Education, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and Minister for Early Childhood Education from 2 April 2015 until 23 January 2017 when she was replaced in Gladys Berejiklian's cabinet by Sarah Mitchell. From 7 May 2019 until 9 May 2023, she was Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

Port Macquarie, an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, was established in 1988.

This article provides information on candidates for the 2013 Australian federal election held on 7 September 2013. There were 1,717 candidates in total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Gillespie (politician)</span> Australian politician and gastroenterologist

David Arthur Gillespie is an Australian politician and gastroenterologist. He is a member of the National Party and has served in the House of Representatives since 2013, representing the New South Wales seat of Lyne. He held ministerial portfolios during the Turnbull and Morrison governments as Assistant Minister for Rural Health (2016–2017), Assistant Minister for Health (2017), Assistant Minister for Children and Families (2017–2018), Minister for Regional Health (2021–2022), and Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment (2021–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 New South Wales local elections</span>

The 2021 New South Wales local elections were held on 4 December 2021 to elect the councils of 161 of the 168 local government areas (LGAs) in New South Wales. Several councils also held mayoral elections and/or referendums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 New South Wales local elections</span>

The 2024 New South Wales local elections are scheduled to be held on 14 September 2024 to elect the councils of the 168 local government areas (LGAs) in New South Wales.

References

  1. "Date set for Port Macquarie by-election". ABC News . 14 August 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  2. "By-elections pressure Coalition's unity". ABC News . 6 August 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "Port Macquarie 2008 by-election result - primary vote" (PDF). elections.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2009.
  4. Langley to contest Port Macquarie as independent: ABC News 12 August 2008
  5. "A Nationals' hopeful for Port Macquarie by-election". taree.yourguide.com.au. 8 August 2008. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012.
  6. Drummond, Andy (19 October 2008). "Besseling wins poll thanks to Schultz". The Age. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  7. "Port Macquarie 2008 by-election result - two party preferred" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2009.
  8. "Port Macquarie - 2008 New South Wales By-elections". ABC Elections. Retrieved 11 September 2019.