1981 Curtin by-election

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A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Curtin on 21 February 1981. This was triggered by the resignation of Liberal MP Victor Garland in order to be appointed High Commissioner of Australia to the United Kingdom. It was held on the same day as by-elections for Boothby and McPherson.

Contents

The by-election was won by Liberal Allan Rocher, who had resigned from the Senate to contest it.

Key dates

DateEvent
22 January 1981Hon Victor Garland resigned from Parliament. [1]
27 January 1981The writ for the by-election was issued. [2]
11 February 1981Close of nominations.
21 February 1981Polling day. [3]
4 March 1981The writ was returned and Allan Rocher was sworn in as the member for Curtin. [4]
27 March 1981The original deadline for the writ to be returned. [2]
24 April 1981Garland arrived in London to commence his duties as High Commissioner of Australia. [5]

Results

Curtin by-election, 1981 [6] [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Allan Rocher 22,95147.04-11.88
Labor John Crouch15,64432.06-0.72
Democrats Shirley de la Hunty 8,35617.13+8.83
Independent Alfred Bussell1,8433.78+3.78
Total formal votes48,79496.70–1.15
Informal votes1,6643.30+1.15
Turnout 50,45878.21–14.83
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Allan Rocher 27,06255.46-6.8
Labor John Crouch21,73244.54+6.8
Liberal hold Swing -6.8

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References

  1. Hon Billy Snedden,  Speaker (24 February 1981). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. p. 1.
  2. 1 2 "The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives". Australian Government Gazette . No. S 13. 27 January 1981. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  3. 1 2 Australian Electoral Office (1983). Commonwealth By-Elections 1901–82. Australian Government Publishing Service. pp. 166–167, 187. ISBN   0-644-02369-4.
  4. Hon Billy Snedden, Speaker (4 March 1981). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. p. 403.
  5. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) (2010). The High Commissioners: Australia's Representatives in the United Kingdom, 1910–2010 (PDF). Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. p. 239. ISBN   978-1-92161-211-4.
  6. "By-Elections 1980-1983". Psephos. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2012.