2024 Ipswich West state by-election

2024 Ipswich West state by-election

←  2020 16 March 2024 2024  →
Electoral district of Ipswich West in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Registered	39,136
Turnout	31,579 (80.7% 6.1)
First party Second party   Candidate Darren Zanow Wendy Bourne Party Liberal National Labor Popular vote 11,676 10,349 Percentage 39.5% 35.0% Swing 18.4 15.1 TPP 53.5% 46.5% TPP swing 17.9 17.9
Map of boundaries
MP before election Jim Madden Labor Elected MP Darren Zanow Liberal National

A by-election for the electoral district of Ipswich West in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland was held on 16 March 2024 following the resignation of Labor MP Jim Madden. The by-election was held on the same day as the Inala by-election and the statewide local government elections. ^[1]

Madden resigned on 26 January 2024 to contest Division 4 of Ipswich City Council at the March local government elections. ^[2]

Although the seat was considered safe for the Labor Party, Liberal National candidate Darren Zanow won the by-election after a 17.9% two-party-preferred swing. ^[3]

Following the by-election, Zanow was diagnosed with Microvascular Ischemic Disease, an incurable brain disease, on 16 April 2024 − the day he was formally sworn into parliament. ^[4] He made his diagnosis public on 12 July and announced he would not contest the 2024 Queensland state election in October. ^[5]

Background

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labor MP Jim Madden, who had served as a member for Ipswich West since 2015 after he defeated sitting Liberal National MP Sean Choat, the first major party non-Labor MP to represent the seat since Nationals MP Albert Hales (who served between 1974 and 1977).

Madden previously announced that he would not contest the 2024 state election, but resigned whilst still in office shortly after the resignation of former premier and Inala MP Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Previous election results

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2020 Queensland state election § Ipswich West.[ edit ]

2020 Queensland state election: Ipswich West ^{[6] [7]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Jim Madden	15,033	50.15	+2.88
	Liberal National	Chris Green	6,328	21.11	+4.57
	One Nation	Gary Duffy	4,412	14.72	−13.44
	Greens	Raven Wolf	1,957	6.53	−1.50
	Legalise Cannabis	Anthony Hopkins	1,361	4.54	+4.54
	Civil Liberties & Motorists	Clem Grieger	565	1.88	+1.88
	Independent	Karakan Kochardy	321	1.07	+1.07
Total formal votes			29,977	95.99	+0.73
Informal votes			1,252	4.01	−0.73
Turnout			31,229	86.76	−2.08
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Jim Madden	19,289	64.35	+2.70
	Liberal National	Chris Green	10,688	35.65	−2.70
	Labor hold		Swing	+2.70

Candidates

Party		Candidate	Background
	Legalise Cannabis	Melody Lindsay
	Liberal National	Darren Zanow	Businessman in the construction industry [8]
	One Nation	Mark Bone
	Labor	Wendy Bourne	Former president of the Rosewood & District Kindergarten and member of the party's right faction. [9] [10]

Results

2024 Ipswich West state by-election ^{[11] [12]}

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal National	Darren Zanow	11,676	39.53	+18.42
	Labor	Wendy Bourne	10,349	35.04	−15.11
	Legalise Cannabis	Melody Lindsay	4,302	14.57	+10.03
	One Nation	Mark Bone	3,206	10.86	−3.86
Total formal votes			29,533	93.52	−2.47
Informal votes			2,046	6.48	+2.47
Turnout			31,579	80.69	−6.07
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal National	Darren Zanow	15,801	53.50	+17.85
	Labor	Wendy Bourne	13,732	46.50	−17.85
	Liberal National gain from Labor		Swing	+17.85

References

1. Raue, Ben (14 June 2023). "Ipswich West by-election, 2024". The Tally Room.
2. Johnson, Hayden (27 January 2024). "Labor MP Jim Madden resigns to run for Ipswich City Council" . The Courier-Mail . Brisbane: News Corp Australia . Retrieved 27 January 2024.
3. Evans, Duncan; Brennan, Aisling (17 March 2024). "The Queensland Labor government has suffered big swings against it in two key by-elections". news.com.au . Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
4. Hevesi, Bryant (12 July 2024). "Ipswich West LNP MP Darren Zanow announces he will not contest October state election due to devastating diagnosis". Sky News Australia. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
5. Stewart, Rachel (12 July 2024). "Ipswich West MP Darren Zanow diagnosed with incurable brain disease and will step down at state election". ABC News. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
6. 2020 State General Election – Ipswich West – District Summary, ECQ.
7. "Ipswich West - QLD Electorate, Candidates, Results". Australian Broadcasting Corporation .
8. "Darren Zanow - LNP for Ipswich West" . Retrieved 14 March 2024.
9. "First Palaszczuk, now Madden; two Queensland by-elections in March" . The Australian.
10. "Wendy Bourne | Labor Candidate for Ipswich West". Queensland Labor . Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
11. Green, Antony. "Ipswich West By-election - BCC Election 2024". Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024– via ABC News.
12. "2024 Ipswich West State By-election". Electoral Commission of Queensland. 16 March 2024. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.