Ramsay state by-election, 2012
Encyclopedia
A by-election will be held for the South Australian House of Assembly
seat of Ramsay
, likely to occur in early February 2012. This will be triggered by the resignation of former Premier and state Labor
MHA Mike Rann
.
announcing they would step down from their parliamentary seats of Ramsay and Port Adelaide
. On two-party preferred margins of 18.0 percent and 12.8 percent from the 2010 election, Labor are likely to retain both seats. In the lower house, 24 seats form a majority, the Labor government currently hold 26 of 47 seats. If one or both seats were lost, Labor would still retain majority government
.
Rann was first elected as the member for the new northern metropolitan seat of Briggs
at the 1985 election
. From 1989 he held various ministries in the Bannon
Labor government. Briggs was abolished in an electoral redistribution, with Rann moving to Ramsay in 1993. Rann became state Labor leader and leader of the opposition
in 1994, leading his party to minority government
at the 2002 election, a landslide majority government at the 2006 election, and retained majority government at the 2010 election despite a swing. Rann stepped down in favour of Jay Weatherill
as party leader and Premier in 2011. Assuming Labor holds government until the 2014 election
, with four-year terms, it will be the longest-serving period of South Australian Labor government in history. Rann is the third-longest serving Premier of South Australia and longest serving South Australian Labor leader.
The last by-election was the 2009 Frome by-election
, when another former Premier, Rob Kerin
, retired from politics. The seat was won by an independent candidate.
The Liberal Party of Australia
is yet to decide if it will run a candidate. The Australian Greens
are expected to run a candidate.
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
seat of Ramsay
Electoral district of Ramsay
Ramsay is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after Alexander Ramsay , who was General Manager of the South Australian Housing Trust for 25 years and devoted to the improvement of South Australian life...
, likely to occur in early February 2012. This will be triggered by the resignation of former Premier and state Labor
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...
MHA Mike Rann
Mike Rann
Michael David Rann MHA, CNZM , Australian politician, served as the 44th Premier of South Australia. He led the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party to minority government at the 2002 election, before attaining a landslide win at the 2006 election...
.
Background
Twin by-elections will occur as a result of Rann and Kevin FoleyKevin Foley
Kevin Owen Foley , Australian politician, is the current Minister for Industry and Trade and Minister for Federal/State Relations in the Rann Labor government. He previously served as Treasurer of South Australia and Deputy Premier of South Australia from 2002 until his resignation in 2011...
announcing they would step down from their parliamentary seats of Ramsay and Port Adelaide
Electoral district of Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. Named after Port Adelaide because of its geographical location, it is a 113.4 km² urban electorate on Adelaide's Lefevre Peninsula and stretches east to cove some of Adelaide's northern...
. On two-party preferred margins of 18.0 percent and 12.8 percent from the 2010 election, Labor are likely to retain both seats. In the lower house, 24 seats form a majority, the Labor government currently hold 26 of 47 seats. If one or both seats were lost, Labor would still retain majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
.
Rann was first elected as the member for the new northern metropolitan seat of Briggs
Electoral district of Briggs
Briggs was an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia from 1985 to 1993. The district was based in the northern suburbs of Adelaide....
at the 1985 election
South Australian state election, 1985
State elections were held in Australia on December 7, 1985. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia John Bannon defeated the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the Opposition John...
. From 1989 he held various ministries in the Bannon
John Bannon
John Charles Bannon AO is a former Australian politician. He was the 39th Premier of South Australia, leading the Labor Party to government at the 1982 election. The Bannon Labor government was re-elected at the 1985 election and the 1989 election...
Labor government. Briggs was abolished in an electoral redistribution, with Rann moving to Ramsay in 1993. Rann became state Labor leader and leader of the opposition
Leader of the Opposition (South Australia)
The Leader of the Opposition in South Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties, known as the Opposition, in the House of Assembly of the Parliament of South Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the House of Assembly...
in 1994, leading his party to minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
at the 2002 election, a landslide majority government at the 2006 election, and retained majority government at the 2010 election despite a swing. Rann stepped down in favour of Jay Weatherill
Jay Weatherill
Jay Wilson Weatherill is an Australian politician and current Premier of South Australia. He has represented the electoral district of Cheltenham in the South Australian House of Assembly as a member of the Australian Labor Party since the 2002 election.-Early life:Born in the western suburbs of...
as party leader and Premier in 2011. Assuming Labor holds government until the 2014 election
South Australian state election, 2014
The 2014 South Australian state election will elect members to the 53rd Parliament of South Australia on 15 March 2014. All seats in the House of Assembly or lower house, whose current members were elected at the 2010 election, and half the seats in the Legislative Council or upper house, last...
, with four-year terms, it will be the longest-serving period of South Australian Labor government in history. Rann is the third-longest serving Premier of South Australia and longest serving South Australian Labor leader.
The last by-election was the 2009 Frome by-election
Frome state by-election, 2009
A by-election was held for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Frome on 17 January 2009. This was triggered by the resignation of former Premier and state Liberal MHA Rob Kerin...
, when another former Premier, Rob Kerin
Rob Kerin
Robert Gerard Kerin was the Liberal Premier of South Australia from 22 October 2001 to 5 March 2002. He also served as Deputy Premier of South Australia to John Olsen from 7 July 1998 until he became premier upon Olsen's resignation....
, retired from politics. The seat was won by an independent candidate.
Candidates
Confirmed nominations are:- Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor PartyThe 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...
- Zoe Bettison. - One Nation - Chris Walsh.
- Independent - Mark Aldridge.
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...
is yet to decide if it will run a candidate. The Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
are expected to run a candidate.