Victoria Park state by-election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The Victoria Park state by-election, 2006 was a by-election
held on 11 March 2006 for the Western Australia
n Legislative Assembly
seat of Victoria Park
in the inner southeastern suburbs of Perth
.
member
Dr. Geoff Gallop
on 16 January 2006. Dr Gallop had represented the area since a by-election
on 7 June 1986, and had served as a minister, shadow minister, Opposition Leader
(1996–2001) and, finally, as Premier of Western Australia
since 2001. Gallop announced his resignation as Premier and from State Parliament effective immediately in order to aid his recovery from depression
, and that "in the interests of my health and my family, I've decided to rethink my career."
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly advised Parliament on 7 March 2006 that he had received a letter from Gallop on 25 January announcing his resignation as the member for Victoria Park, and announced that under section 67(2) of the Electoral Act 1907, he had on 2 February 2006 directed the Acting Electoral Commissioner to proceed with an election in the district. The battle for Labor party preselection was hard fought, with 31-year-old DPP lawyer Ben Wyatt
defeating former national president of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, Helen Creed, at a vote on 1 February 2006 of the 14-member Administrative Committee. The by-election, called for 11 March 2006, attracted a total of eleven candidates, one of the largest in Western Australian electoral history.
The seat of Victoria Park, which elects a single member to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
using a preferential method
, was established in 1929 by the Government of Western Australia
under the Redistribution of Seats Act (No 1 of 1929), which was given assent by the Governor on 15 April 1929. The seat is considered a safe Australian Labor Party
seat, and has been held by the party between 1930 and 1945, and since the 1953 state election
.
, One Nation, Daylight Saving Party, Family First
, the Christian Democrats
and the unregistered Socialist Alliance
also represented, as well as three independents.
One Nation candidate Sue Bateman made national headlines when it emerged that she was running for the seat of Victoria Park. The former One Nation president was accused of being a prolific online racist, using the forum Stormfront. She was also dismissive of Gallop's battle with depression, saying that average Joe did not have the luxury of becoming depressed.
Voter turnout was low, given that Victoria Park is a safe Labor seat, with only 64% of voters casting their vote: the lowest for a by-election in the state since 1936.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on 11 March 2006 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 Victoria Park
Electoral district of Victoria Park
The Electoral district of Victoria Park is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Victoria Park is named for the inner southeastern Perth suburb of Victoria Park which falls within its borders.-History:...
in the inner southeastern 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....
.
Background
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of LaborAustralian 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...
member
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Dr. Geoff Gallop
Geoff Gallop
Geoffrey Ian Gallop, AC is an Australian academic and former politician. He was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He currently resides in Sydney.-Early life and education:...
on 16 January 2006. Dr Gallop had represented the area since a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
on 7 June 1986, and had served as a minister, shadow minister, Opposition Leader
Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)
The Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the Legislative Assembly...
(1996–2001) and, finally, as Premier of Western Australia
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...
since 2001. Gallop announced his resignation as Premier and from State Parliament effective immediately in order to aid his recovery from depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, and that "in the interests of my health and my family, I've decided to rethink my career."
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly advised Parliament on 7 March 2006 that he had received a letter from Gallop on 25 January announcing his resignation as the member for Victoria Park, and announced that under section 67(2) of the Electoral Act 1907, he had on 2 February 2006 directed the Acting Electoral Commissioner to proceed with an election in the district. The battle for Labor party preselection was hard fought, with 31-year-old DPP lawyer Ben Wyatt
Ben Wyatt
Benjamin Sana Wyatt is an Indigenous Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since March 2006, representing the electorate of Victoria Park.-Early life and education:...
defeating former national president of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union, Helen Creed, at a vote on 1 February 2006 of the 14-member Administrative Committee. The by-election, called for 11 March 2006, attracted a total of eleven candidates, one of the largest in Western Australian electoral history.
The seat of Victoria Park, which elects a single member to the Western Australian 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....
using a preferential method
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
, was established in 1929 by the Government of Western Australia
Government of Western Australia
The formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
under the Redistribution of Seats Act (No 1 of 1929), which was given assent by the Governor on 15 April 1929. The seat is considered a safe 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...
seat, and has been held by the party between 1930 and 1945, and 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...
.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 16 January 2006 | Dr Geoff Gallop resigned, vacating the seat of Victoria Park Electoral district of Victoria Park The Electoral district of Victoria Park is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Victoria Park is named for the inner southeastern Perth suburb of Victoria Park which falls within its borders.-History:... . |
| 2 February 2006 | 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 2006 | Close of nominations and draw of ballot papers. |
| 11 March 2006 | Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. |
| 24 March 2006 | The writ was returned and the results formally declared. |
Candidates
The by-election attracted eleven candidates, significantly more than the previous Victoria Park election, which attracted only five candidates. Both major parties fielded a candidate, with the GreensAustralian 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...
, One Nation, Daylight Saving Party, Family First
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
, the Christian Democrats
Christian Democratic Party (Australia)
The Christian Democratic Party is a right-wing political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.-Formation:...
and the unregistered Socialist Alliance
Socialist Alliance (Australia)
The Socialist Alliance was founded in 2001 as an alliance of socialist organisations and individuals in Australia, initiated by the Democratic Socialist Perspective and the International Socialist Organisation along with 6 other founding socialist organisations, to create greater left unity in the...
also represented, as well as three independents.
One Nation candidate Sue Bateman made national headlines when it emerged that she was running for the seat of Victoria Park. The former One Nation president was accused of being a prolific online racist, using the forum Stormfront. She was also dismissive of Gallop's battle with depression, saying that average Joe did not have the luxury of becoming depressed.
Results
As largely predicted, Ben Wyatt retained the seat for the Labor party, with a swing against him of 4.86%. Wyatt claimed victory within two hours and became one of three Aboriginal parliamentarians in Western Australia.Voter turnout was low, given that Victoria Park is a safe Labor seat, with only 64% of voters casting their vote: the lowest for a by-election in the state since 1936.