Nedlands state by-election, 1982
Encyclopedia
The Nedlands state by-election, 1982 was a by-election
held on 13 March 1982 for the Western Australia
n Legislative Assembly
seat of Nedlands
in the western suburbs of Perth
.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the Liberal
member for the seat, Premier
Sir Charles Court
, on 25 January 1982. Court had held the seat since the 1953 state election
. Having served as a senior minister in the Brand-Watts Ministry
and then as Premier since the 1974 state election
, his retirement had been widely expected and was announced on 18 December, a few months after his 70th birthday. He claimed that he had delayed his retirement to carry through the battle against the federal government over funding for Western Australia.
On 2 February 1982, the Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
issued a writ for an election in the district. It was to be held concurrently with a by-election in the Labor-held seat of Swan
and a Legislative Council
by-election for South Metropolitan
. His son, 33-year-old businessman Richard Court
, was preselected for the Liberal Party to run for the seat.
The seat of Nedlands, first established in 1929, was considered to be a safe seat for the Liberal Party, and had had just two other members since its creation—former Attorney-General
and leader of the Nationalist Party
, Norbert Keenan, and the independent Liberal member David Grayden, who served for a single term from 1950 until his defeat in 1953 by Court.
nominated lawyer Ian Temby
QC
, who had been prominent in assisting the Labor Party with court challenges to the government's electoral legislation. Temby accused local real estate agents of discriminating against him with a view to preventing him from obtaining a campaign office. The Australian Democrats
, perennial independent candidate Alf Bussell and another independent who had also stood at the 1977 and 1980 elections also nominated.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 13 March 1982 for the Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
seat of Nedlands
Electoral district of Nedlands
The Electoral district of Nedlands is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Nedlands is named for the inner western Perth suburb of Nedlands which falls within its borders.-History:...
in the western suburbs of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the Liberal
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...
member for the seat, Premier
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
Sir Charles Court
Charles Court
Sir Charles Walter Michael Court, was a Western Australian politician, 21st Premier of Western Australia and member for the seat of Nedlands for the Liberal Party for nearly 30 years.-Early life:...
, on 25 January 1982. Court had held the seat since the 1953 state election
Western Australian state election, 1953
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 14 February 1953 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The two-term Liberal-Country Party coalition government, led by Premier Sir Ross McLarty, was defeated by the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Bert Hawke.The election...
. Having served as a senior minister in the Brand-Watts Ministry
Brand-Watts Ministry
The Brand-Watts Ministry was the 23rd Ministry of the Government of Western Australia, led by Liberal Premier David Brand and his deputy, Country Party leader Arthur Watts. It succeeded the Hawke ministry on 2 April 1959, following the defeat of the Labor government at the 1959 election twelve days...
and then as Premier since the 1974 state election
Western Australian state election, 1974
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 30 March 1974 to elect all 51 members to the Legislative Assembly and 15 members to the 30-seat Legislative Council...
, his retirement had been widely expected and was announced on 18 December, a few months after his 70th birthday. He claimed that he had delayed his retirement to carry through the battle against the federal government over funding for Western Australia.
On 2 February 1982, the Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889...
issued a writ for an election in the district. It was to be held concurrently with a by-election in the Labor-held seat of Swan
Electoral district of Swan
Swan was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1890 to 1950 and again from 1962 to 1983....
and a Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
by-election for South Metropolitan
South Metropolitan Province
The South Metropolitan Province was a two-member electoral province of the Western Australian Legislative Council, located in metropolitan Perth. It was one of several metropolitan seats created following the enactment of the Constitution Acts Amendment Act 1963, and became effective on 22 May 1965...
. His son, 33-year-old businessman Richard Court
Richard Court
Richard Fairfax Court AC , was a Western Australian politician, representing the seat of Nedlands in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the Liberal Party of Australia from 1982 to 2001. He served as Premier of Western Australia from 1993 to 2001.Court was born into an old political...
, was preselected for the Liberal Party to run for the seat.
The seat of Nedlands, first established in 1929, was considered to be a safe seat for the Liberal Party, and had had just two other members since its creation—former Attorney-General
Attorney-General of Western Australia
The Attorney-General of Western Australia is the member of the Government of Western Australia responsible for maintenance and improvement of Western Australia's system of law and justice. Before the advent of representative government in 1870, the title was Advocate-General of Western Australia...
and leader of the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
, Norbert Keenan, and the independent Liberal member David Grayden, who served for a single term from 1950 until his defeat in 1953 by Court.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 18 December 1981 | Sir Charles Court Charles Court Sir Charles Walter Michael Court, was a Western Australian politician, 21st Premier of Western Australia and member for the seat of Nedlands for the Liberal Party for nearly 30 years.-Early life:... announced that he would resign as Premier Premier of Western Australia The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions... and as a member of Parliament. |
| 25 January 1982 | Court's resignation took effect; Ray O'Connor Ray O'Connor Raymond James "Ray" O'Connor was the 22nd Premier of Western Australia.-Pre-political life:He was born in Perth and attended schools in towns of Narrogin and York, and St Patrick's Boys' School in Perth... became premier, and the seat of Nedlands Electoral district of Nedlands The Electoral district of Nedlands is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Nedlands is named for the inner western Perth suburb of Nedlands which falls within its borders.-History:... became vacant. |
| 2 February 1982 | Writs were issued by the Speaker Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889... of the Legislative Assembly Western Australian Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth.... to proceed with a by-election. |
| 17 February 1982 | Close of nominations and draw of ballot papers. |
| 13 March 1982 | Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. |
| 22 March 1982 | The writ was returned and the results formally declared. |
Candidates
The by-election attracted six candidates. Local businesswoman and long-standing Liberal Party member Margaret Sheen nominated as an Independent Liberal, while the Labor PartyAustralian 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...
nominated lawyer Ian Temby
Ian Temby
Ian Temby AO QC . First Commissioner of the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption . More recently commissioner in the Temby Royal Commission into the Finance Broking Industry . Has lived in Summer Hill, New South Wales.-External links:* .* .*...
QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, who had been prominent in assisting the Labor Party with court challenges to the government's electoral legislation. Temby accused local real estate agents of discriminating against him with a view to preventing him from obtaining a campaign office. The Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
, perennial independent candidate Alf Bussell and another independent who had also stood at the 1977 and 1980 elections also nominated.