Posted 22/01/2014 by Toby Bellwood
The Australian Electoral Commission has
announced the candidates who have nominated to fill the vacancy caused by Kevin Rudd's resignation. Early voting
has begun so it’s a good time to review some of the history of by-elections for the House of Representatives.
The Griffith by-election is due to be held on 8 February 2014, 1526 days since the previous by-election, a period exceeded only by Balaclava (Vic) and Macquarie (NSW) in 1951 (1946 days) and Fremantle (WA) in 1945 (1547 days).
Here we draw on Stephen Barber, Christopher Lawley, Scott Bennett and Gerard Newman's paper from 2009 (House of Representatives by-elections 1901-2009), which is still current as there have been no by-elections held since Bradfield and Higgins on 5 December 2009. Once the result from the Griffith by-election is known, we will update this paper to reflect the current situation.
In their paper, Barber et al. make the following observations:
- there have been 146 by-elections, an average of 3.5 per parliament
- the number of nominations has grown over time from 2.2 per by-election in the 24 occurrences to 1918 to 11.5 per by-election since 2000
- in four cases a by-election was contested by a single candidate
- there has been an increasing tendency for governments to avoid contesting by-elections in their opponents’ safe seats
- in only seven cases has the opposition party failed to contest a by-election
- 67 of the by-elections followed the death of the member, 73 members resigned, there have been five voided elections, and one MP was expelled from the House
- since 1949 most by-elections have been caused by resignation of the sitting member and have occurred in safe seats
- on 35 occasions the party complexion of a seat has altered at a by-election
- five of the losses have been by the opposition of the day
- the average two-party preferred swing against the government of the day has been 4.0 per cent and
- since 1949 the largest two-party swing against a government occurred in Canberra in 1995. The largest swing to a government occurred in McPherson in 1981.
Of particular interest here is that, of the 146 by-elections, only 35 (24%) have resulted in a seat changing hands, of which only five have been lost by the Opposition of the day (3.4%), and only one has been won from the Opposition by the Government, being Kalgoorlie in 1920. The four other opposition party losses were Riverina 1904 (to the Protectionist Party), Maranoa 1921 (to the Country Party), Cunningham 2002 (to the Green Party), Lyne 2008 (to an independent candidate).
On the 1920 Kalgoorlie by-election
On 7 November 1920 Hugh Mahon chaired a public meeting in Melbourne sponsored by the Irish Ireland League and, in a speech attacking the British presence in Ireland, spoke of ‘this bloody and accursed Empire’. He was expelled from the House of Representatives four days later for his ‘seditious and disloyal utterances’ after the House found him ‘guilty of conduct unfitting him to remain a member of this House’. Mahon's is the only expulsion to have occurred from the Parliament, and it forced a by-election (Kalgoorlie 1920) which he contested but ultimately lost. The House of Representatives lost the power to expel members with the passage of the Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987.
Other sources of information:
The 43rd Parliamentary Handbook
The Australian Electoral Commission
Antony Green’s blog
Adam Carr's (Psephos) website
Complete list of House of Representative by-elections
By-election date | Division/State | Member elected | Party | Previous Member | Party | Cause of by-election | Days vacant |
14/09/1901 | Darling Downs, Qld | Groom, LE | PROT | Groom, WH | PROT | Died | 37 |
26/03/1902 | Tasmania | Hartnoll, W | FT | Piesse, FW | FT | Died | 20 |
4/09/1903 | East Sydney, NSW | Reid, GH | FT | Reid, GH | FT | Resigned | 17 |
26/02/1904 | Wilmot, Tas. | Cameron, DN | FT | Braddon, ENC | FT | Died | 24 |
30/03/1904 | Melbourne, Vic. | Maloney, WRN | ALP | McEacharn, MD | PROT | Election void | 20 |
18/05/1904 | Riverina, NSW | Chanter, JM | PROT | Blackwood, RO | FT | Election void | 35 |
10/07/1907 | Echuca, Vic. | Palmer, AC | PROT | Palmer, AC | PROT | Election void | 30 |
13/06/1908 | Adelaide, SA | Roberts, EA | ALP | Kingston, CC | PROT | Died | 33 |
28/08/1909 | Wakefield, SA | Foster, RW | | Holder, FW | | Died | 36 |
24/08/1910 | Kooyong, Vic. | Best, RW | LIB | Knox, W | LIB | Resigned | 29 |
8/02/1911 | Batman, Vic. | Brennan, F | ALP | Beard, HE | ALP | Died | 52 |
11/03/1911 | North Sydney, NSW | Ryrie, G de L | LIB | Edwards, GB | LIB | Died | 35 |
11/11/1911 | Boothby, SA | Gordon, DJ | LIB | Batchelor, EL | ALP | Died | 34 |
1/06/1912 | Werriwa, NSW | Bennett, BH | ALP | Hall, DR | ALP | Resigned | 61 |
22/12/1913 | Kalgoorlie, WA | Mahon, H | ALP | Frazer, CE | ALP | Died | 27 |
10/01/1914 | Adelaide, SA | Yates, GE | ALP | Roberts, EA | ALP | Died | 39 |
6/02/1915 | Bendigo, Vic. | Hampson, AJ | ALP | Arthur, JA | ALP | Died | 59 |
20/02/1915 | Grampians, Vic. | Salmon, CC | LIB | Jolley, EFG | ALP | Died | 50 |
6/05/1915 | Dalley, NSW | Mahony, WG | ALP | Howe, R | ALP | Died | 34 |
11/12/1915 | Wide Bay, Qld | Corser, EBC | LIB | Fisher, A | ALP | Resigned | 46 |
30/06/1917 | Darwin, Tas. | Spence, WG | NAT | Howroyd, CR | NAT | Died | 51 |
27/10/1917 | Grampians, Vic. | Jowett, E | NAT | Salmon, CC | LIB | Died | 42 |
11/05/1918 | Flinders, Vic. | Bruce, SM | NAT | Irvine, WH | NAT | Resigned | 36 |
26/10/1918 | Swan, WA | Corboy, EW | ALP | Forrest, J | NAT | Died | 54 |
14/12/1918 | Corangamite, Vic. | Gibson, WG | FU | Manifold, JC | NAT | Died | 52 |
20/09/1919 | Echuca, Vic. | Hill, WC | VFU | Palmer, AC | NAT | Died | 37 |
10/07/1920 | Ballaarat, Vic. | McGrath, DC | ALP | Kerby, ETJ | NAT | Election void | 38 |
18/12/1920 | Kalgoorlie, WA | Foley, GJ | NAT | Mahon, H | ALP | Expelled | 36 |
30/07/1921 | Maranoa, Qld | Hunter, JAJ | CP | Page, J | ALP | Died | 57 |
3/09/1921 | West Sydney, NSW | Lambert, WH | ALP | Ryan, TJ | ALP | Died | 33 |
10/12/1921 | Parramatta, NSW | Pratten, HE | NAT | Cook, J | NAT | Resigned | 29 |
18/02/1922 | Yarra, Vic. | Scullin, JH | ALP | Tudor, FG | ALP | Died | 39 |
6/03/1926 | Eden-Monaro, NSW | Perkins, JA | NAT | Chapman, A | NAT | Died | 53 |
26/02/1927 | Dalley, NSW | Theodore, EG | ALP | Mahony, WG | ALP | Resigned | 39 |
21/05/1927 | Warringah, NSW | Parkhill, RA | NAT | Ryrie, G de L | NAT | Resigned | 38 |
16/06/1928 | Martin, NSW | Pratten, FG | NAT | Pratten, HE | NAT | Died | 40 |
3/09/1928 | Wide Bay, Qld | Corser, BH | CP | Corser, EBC | NAT | Died | 34 |
3/08/1929 | Balaclava, Vic. | White, TW | NAT | Watt, WA | NAT | Resigned | 29 |
14/12/1929 | Franklin, Tas. | Frost, CW | ALP | McWilliam, WJ | IND | Died | 53 |
31/01/1931 | Parkes, NSW | Marr, CWC | NAT | McTiernan, EA | ALP | Resigned | 43 |
7/03/1931 | East Sydney, NSW | Ward, EJ | ALP | West, JE | ALP | Died | 30 |
6/02/1932 | East Sydney, NSW | Ward, EJ | LANG LAB | Clasby, JJ | UAP | Died | 22 |
11/11/1933 | Flinders, Vic. | Fairbairn, JV | UAP | Bruce, SM | UAP | Resigned | 36 |
1/06/1935 | Newcastle, NSW | Watkins, DO | FLP | Watkins, D | FLP | Died | 54 |
17/08/1935 | Fawkner, Vic. | Holt, HE | UAP | Maxwell, GA | UAP | Died | 53 |
12/12/1936 | Kennedy, Qld | Riordan, WJF | FLP | Riordan, D | FLP | Died | 58 |
19/12/1936 | Darling Downs, Qld | Fadden, AW | CP | Groom, LE | UAP | Died | 43 |
8/05/1937 | Gwydir, NSW | Scully, WJ | ALP | Abbott, CLA | CP | Resigned | 41 |
10/12/1938 | Wakefield, SA | McHugh, S | ALP | Hawker, CAS | UAP | Died | 46 |
20/05/1939 | Griffith, Qld | Conelan, WP | ALP | Baker, FMJ | FLP | Died | 53 |
27/05/1939 | Wilmot, Tas. | Spurr, LT | ALP | Lyons, JA | UAP | Died | 50 |
2/03/1940 | Corio, Vic. | Dedman, JJ | ALP | Casey, RG | UAP | Resigned | 32 |
16/11/1940 | Kalgoorlie, WA | Johnson, HV | ALP | Green, AE | ALP | Died | 45 |
21/12/1940 | Swan, WA | Marwick, TW | CP | Gregory, H | CP | Died | 36 |
24/05/1941 | Boothby, SA | Price, AG | UAP | Price, JL | UAP | Died | 31 |
18/08/1945 | Fremantle, WA | Beazley, KE | ALP | Curtin, J | ALP | Died | 44 |
9/02/1946 | Wimmera, Vic. | Turnbull, WG | CP | Wilson, A | CP | Resigned | 40 |
30/03/1946 | Henty, Vic. | Gullett, HB | LIB | Coles, AW | IND | Resigned | 47 |
28/07/1951 | Balaclava, Vic. | Joske, PE | LIB | White, TW | LIB | Resigned | 38 |
28/07/1951 | Macquarie, NSW | Luchetti, AS | ALP | Chifley, JB | ALP | Died | 45 |
22/03/1952 | Lyne, NSW | Lucock, PE | CP | Eggins, EJ | CP | Died | 54 |
18/10/1952 | Flinders, Vic. | Ewert, KWW | ALP | Ryan, RS | LIB | Died | 53 |
29/11/1952 | Werriwa, NSW | Whitlam, EG | ALP | Lazzarini, HP | ALP | Died | 59 |
20/12/1952 | Bradfield, NSW | Turner, HB | LIB | Hughes, WM | LIB | Died | 53 |
9/05/1953 | Dalley, NSW | Greenup, AE | ALP | Rosevear, JS | ALP | Died | 49 |
29/08/1953 | Corangamite, Vic. | MacKinnon, ED | LIB | McDonald, AM | LIB | Died | 80 |
29/08/1953 | Lang, NSW | Stewart, FE | ALP | Mulcahy, D | ALP | Died | 47 |
19/12/1953 | Gwydir, NSW | Allan, AI | CP | Treloar, TJ | CP | Died | 34 |
21/05/1955 | Cook, NSW | Cope, JF | ALP | Sheehan, T | ALP | Died | 56 |
11/04/1956 | Cunningham, NSW | Kearney, VD | ALP | Davies, W | ALP | Died | 54 |
13/10/1956 | Barker, SA | Forbes, AJ | LIB | Cameron, AG | LIB | Died | 65 |
8/12/1956 | Wentworth, NSW | Bury, LHE | LIB | Harrison, EJ | LIB | Resigned | 52 |
14/09/1957 | Richmond, NSW | Anthony, JD | CP | Anthony, HL | CP | Died | 64 |
8/03/1958 | Parramatta, NSW | Barwick, GEJ | LIB | Beale, OH | LIB | Resigned | 26 |
9/04/1960 | Hunter, NSW | James, AW | ALP | Evatt, HV | ALP | Resigned | 59 |
9/04/1960 | La Trobe, Vic. | Jess, JD | LIB | Casey, RG | LIB | Resigned | 59 |
16/07/1960 | Balaclava, Vic. | Whittorn, RH | LIB | Joske, PE | LIB | Resigned | 44 |
16/07/1960 | Bendigo, Vic. | Beaton, NL | ALP | Clarey, PJ | ALP | Died | 60 |
5/11/1960 | Calare, NSW | England, JA | CP | Howse, JB | LIB | Resigned | 38 |
10/12/1960 | Higinbotham, Vic. | Chipp, DL | LIB | Timson, TF | LIB | Died | 55 |
1/09/1962 | Batman, Vic. | Benson, SJ | ALP | Bird, AC | ALP | Died | 42 |
1/06/1963 | Grey, SA | Mortimer, J | ALP | Russell, EHD | ALP | Died | 62 |
28/09/1963 | East Sydney, NSW | Devine, LT | ALP | Ward, EJ | ALP | Died | 59 |
15/02/1964 | Denison, Tas. | Gibson, A | LIB | Townley, AG | LIB | Died | 53 |
20/06/1964 | Angas, SA | Giles, GO | LIB | Downer, ARJ | LIB | Resigned | 58 |
20/06/1964 | Parramatta, NSW | Bowen, NH | LIB | Barwick, GE | LIB | Resigned | 57 |
5/12/1964 | Robertson, NSW | Bridges-Maxwell, CW | LIB | Dean, RL | LIB | Resigned | 66 |
27/02/1965 | Riverina, NSW | Armstrong, AA | CP | Roberton, HS | CP | Resigned | 37 |
26/02/1966 | Dawson, Qld | Patterson, RA | ALP | Shaw, GW | CP | Died | 48 |
2/04/1966 | Kooyong, Vic. | Peacock, AS | LIB | Menzies, RG | LIB | Resigned | 44 |
22/07/1967 | Corio, Vic. | Scholes, GGD | ALP | Opperman, HF | LIB | Resigned | 42 |
30/09/1967 | Capricornia, Qld | Everingham, DN | ALP | Gray, GH | ALP | Died | 59 |
24/02/1968 | Higgins, Vic. | Gorton, JG | LIB | Holt, HE | LIB | Died | 67 |
19/04/1969 | Curtin, WA | Garland, RV | LIB | Hasluck, PMC | LIB | Resigned | 68 |
7/06/1969 | Bendigo, Vic. | Kennedy, AD | ALP | Beaton, NL | ALP | Resigned | 59 |
7/06/1969 | Gwydir, NSW | Hunt, RJD | CP | Allan, AI | CP | Resigned | 38 |
30/05/1970 | ACT | Enderby, KE | ALP | Fraser, JR | ALP | Died | 59 |
19/09/1970 | Chisholm, Vic. | Staley, AA | LIB | Kent Hughes, WS | LIB | Died | 50 |
20/03/1971 | Murray, Vic. | Lloyd, B | CP | McEwen, J | CP | Resigned | 47 |
22/09/1973 | Parramatta, NSW | Ruddock, PM | LIB | Bowen, NH | LIB | Resigned | 73 |
28/06/1975 | Bass, Tas. | Newman, KE | LIB | Barnard, LH | ALP | Resigned | 26 |
15/10/1977 | Cunningham, NSW | West, SJ | ALP | Connor, RFX | ALP | Died | 54 |
23/09/1978 | Werriwa, NSW | Kerin, JC | ALP | Whitlam, EG | ALP | Resigned | 54 |
23/06/1979 | Grayndler, NSW | McLeay, LB | ALP | Stewart, FE | ALP | Died | 68 |
21/02/1981 | Boothby, SA | Hall, RS | LIB | McLeay, JE | LIB | Resigned | 30 |
21/02/1981 | Curtin, WA | Rocher, AC | LIB | Garland, RV | LIB | Resigned | 30 |
21/02/1981 | McPherson, Qld | White, PND | LIB | Robinson, EL | LIB | Died | 45 |
11/04/1981 | Wentworth, NSW | Coleman, WP | LIB | Ellicott, RJ | LIB | Resigned | 53 |
13/03/1982 | Lowe, NSW | Maher, MJ | ALP | McMahon, W | LIB | Resigned | 68 |
4/12/1982 | Flinders, Vic. | Reith, PK | LIB | Lynch, PR | LIB | Resigned | 43 |
7/05/1983 | Wannon, Vic. | Hawker, DPM | LIB | Fraser, JM | LIB | Resigned | 37 |
28/05/1983 | Bruce, Vic. | Aldred, KJ | LIB | Snedden, BM | LIB | Resigned | 37 |
5/11/1983 | Moreton, Qld | Cameron, DM | LIB | Killen, DJ | LIB | Resigned | 82 |
18/02/1984 | Corangamite, Vic. | McArthur, FS | LIB | Street, AA | LIB | Resigned | 31 |
18/02/1984 | Hughes, NSW | Tickner, RE | ALP | Johnson, LR | ALP | Resigned | 61 |
18/02/1984 | Richmond, NSW | Blunt, CW | NPA | Anthony, JD | NPA | Resigned | 31 |
8/02/1986 | Scullin, Vic. | Jenkins, HA | ALP | Jenkins, Dr HA | ALP | Resigned | 50 |
6/02/1988 | Adelaide, SA | Pratt, MP | LIB | Hurford, CJ | ALP | Resigned | 37 |
26/03/1988 | Port Adelaide, SA | Sawford, RW | ALP | Young, MJ | ALP | Resigned | 47 |
9/04/1988 | Groom, Qld | Taylor, WL | LIB | McVeigh, DT | NPA | Resigned | 40 |
8/10/1988 | Oxley, Qld | Scott, LJ | ALP | Hayden, WG | ALP | Resigned | 52 |
15/04/1989 | Gwydir, NSW | Anderson, JD | NPA | Hunt, RJD | NPA | Resigned | 50 |
11/05/1991 | Menzies, Vic. | Andrews, KJ | LIB | Brown, NA | LIB | Resigned | 75 |
11/04/1992 | Wills, Vic. | Cleary, PR | IND | Hawke, RJL | ALP | Resigned | 51 |
29/01/1994 | Werriwa, NSW | Latham, MW | ALP | Kerin, JC | ALP | Resigned | 38 |
12/03/1994 | Fremantle, WA | Lawrence, CM | ALP | Dawkins, JS | ALP | Resigned | 36 |
19/03/1994 | Bonython, SA | Evans, MJ | ALP | Blewett, N | ALP | Resigned | 36 |
26/03/1994 | Mackellar, NSW | Bishop, BK | LIB | Carlton, JJ | LIB | Resigned | 71 |
26/03/1994 | Warringah, NSW | Abbott, AJ | LIB | MacKellar, MJR | LIB | Resigned | 36 |
19/11/1994 | Kooyong, Vic. | Georgiou, P | LIB | Peacock, AS | LIB | Resigned | 63 |
25/03/1995 | Canberra, ACT | Smyth, BM | LIB | Kelly, RJ | ALP | Resigned | 54 |
8/04/1995 | Wentworth, NSW | Thomson, AP | LIB | Hewson, JR | LIB | Resigned | 39 |
15/06/1996 | Blaxland, NSW | Hatton, MJ | ALP | Keating, PJ | ALP | Resigned | 53 |
19/10/1996 | Lindsay, NSW | Kelly, JM | LIB | Kelly, JM | LIB | Election void | 38 |
1/02/1997 | Fraser, ACT | Dargavel, SJ | ALP | Langmore, JV | ALP | Resigned | 57 |
6/11/1999 | Holt, Vic. | Byrne, AM | ALP | Evans, GJ | ALP | Resigned | 37 |
12/08/2000 | Isaacs, Vic. | Corcoran, AK | ALP | Wilton, GS | ALP | Died | 59 |
17/03/2001 | Ryan, Qld | Short, LM | ALP | Moore, JC | LIB | Resigned | 40 |
14/07/2001 | Aston, Vic. | Pearce, CJ | LIB | Nugent, PE | LIB | Died | 81 |
19/10/2002 | Cunningham, NSW | Organ, MK | GRN | Martin, SP | ALP | Resigned | 64 |
19/03/2005 | Werriwa, NSW | Hayes, CP | ALP | Latham, MW | ALP | Resigned | 57 |
28/06/2008 | Gippsland, Vic. | Chester, DJ | NP | McGauran, PJ | NP | Resigned | 80 |
6/09/2008 | Lyne, NSW | Oakeshott, RJM | IND | Vaile, MAJ | NP | Resigned | 38 |
6/09/2008 | Mayo, SA | Briggs, JE | LIB | Downer, AJG | LIB | Resigned | 54 |
5/12/2009 | Bradfield, NSW | Fletcher, PW | LIB | Nelson, BJ | LIB | Resigned | 47 |
5/12/2009 | Higgins, Vic. | O'Dwyer, KM | LIB | Costello, PH | LIB | Resigned | 47 |
8/02/2014 | Griffith, Qld | TBA | | Rudd, KM | ALP | Resigned | 78 |