Blaxland by-election, 1996
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Blaxland by-election was held in the Australia
n electorate of Blaxland
in New South Wales
on 15 June 1996. The by-election
was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party
's Paul Keating
on 23 April 1996. The writ for the by-election was issued on 13 May 1996.
, who had been Treasurer
under Bob Hawke
from 1983, until he defeated Hawke in a leadership challenge in December 1991, becoming Prime Minister of Australia
. Keating went on to defeat John Hewson
at the 1993 election, but three years later the ALP was defeated in a landslide victory by a resurgent Coalition
led by John Howard
at the 1996 election on 2 March. Following the party's election loss, Keating immediately resigned as party leader, and several weeks later, resigned from the Parliament.
as their candidate. The Liberal Party of Australia
declined to run a candidate, and this saw a rise in the vote for two minor anti-immigration parties: Australians Against Further Immigration
and Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration
, which came second and third in the popular vote. On a two-party preferred basis, RARI gained their best ever result in an election, gaining over 30% of the vote on preferences.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n electorate of Blaxland
Division of Blaxland
The Division of Blaxland is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. It is based in the western suburbs of Sydney, and includes the working-class suburbs of Bass Hill, Birrong, Carramar, Chester Hill, Condell Park, Fairfield East, Georges Hall, Guildford West, Old Guildford,...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
on 15 June 1996. The by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
's Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
on 23 April 1996. The writ for the by-election was issued on 13 May 1996.
Background
Blaxland had been held since 1969 by Paul KeatingPaul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
, who had been Treasurer
Treasurer of Australia
The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government...
under Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
from 1983, until he defeated Hawke in a leadership challenge in December 1991, becoming Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
. Keating went on to defeat John Hewson
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM is an Australian economist, company director and a former politician. He was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 1990 to 1994 and led the party to defeat at the 1993 federal election.-Early life:...
at the 1993 election, but three years later the ALP was defeated in a landslide victory by a resurgent Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
led by John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
at the 1996 election on 2 March. Following the party's election loss, Keating immediately resigned as party leader, and several weeks later, resigned from the Parliament.
Results
Aftermath
The Australian Labor Party retained the seat with an increased majority, with Michael HattonMichael Hatton
Michael John Hatton was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from June 1996 to November 2007, representing the Division of Blaxland, New South Wales....
as their candidate. The Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
declined to run a candidate, and this saw a rise in the vote for two minor anti-immigration parties: Australians Against Further Immigration
Australians Against Further Immigration
Australians Against Further Immigration was an Australian political party who described themselves as "eco-nationalists" and were against positive net immigration. The party was founded in 1989 and registered in 1990 by Rodney and Robyn Spencer, the parents of actor Jesse Spencer...
and Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration
Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration
Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration was a minor Australian political party that was active from 1996 to 1999. The party advocated reducing immigration to Australia and was associated with the far right of Australian politics...
, which came second and third in the popular vote. On a two-party preferred basis, RARI gained their best ever result in an election, gaining over 30% of the vote on preferences.
External links
- Blaxland (NSW) By-Election (15 June 1996), Australian Electoral CommissionAustralian Electoral CommissionThe Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections and referendums. State and local government elections are overseen by the Electoral Commission in each state and territory.The Australian Electoral Commission...