The electoral fortunes of MPs who left major parties and contested the next election as Independents

Posted 10/05/2016 by Rob Lundie

In early April this year, sitting member Dr Dennis Jensen failed to win Liberal Party preselection for his Western Australian seat of Tangney. A month later, he announced that he would contest the seat in the 2016 election as an Independent. In support of his chances of winning the seat, Dr Jensen cited the examples of West Australians Paul Filing and Allan Rocher who both did so after losing preselection and standing as Independents at the 1996 federal election.

Over the last 50 years there have been 17 MPs from major parties who contested their seats as Independents after leaving their parties. Only five of these (Sam Benson, Graeme Campbell, Allan Rocher, Paul Filing and Bob Katter) successfully regained their seats as Independents at the election following their departure from their parties. Three (Campbell, Rocher and Filing) then lost their seats at their second election as Independents. Benson retired before his second election as an Independent, and Katter went on to win three more elections as an Independent and then a fifth election (2013) as the leader of Katter’s Australian Party.

The table below lists the electoral outcomes for members of the House of Representatives who left major parties and then stood as Independents:

After having failed to win preselection for their party; or
After having been disendorsed by their party; or
After having been expelled from their party; or
After having resigned from their party.

MP	Electorate	State	Date of election(s) as party candidate	Party/IND	Electoral Outcome as an Independent
Bate, Jeff	Macarthur	Vic	10.12.49	LIB; lost preselection and became IND from Oct 1972	Def 2.12.72
Benson, Sam	Batman	Vic	1.9.62	ALP; expelled and became IND from Aug 1966	Won 26.11.66
Buchanan, Alexander	McMillan	Vic	10.12.55	LIB; lost preselection and became IND from Nov 1972	Def 2.12.72
Campbell, Graeme	Kalgoorlie	WA	18.10.80	ALP; disendorsed and became IND from Nov 1995	Won 2.3.96 Def 3.10.98
Filing, Paul	Moore	WA	24.3.90	LIB; lost preselection and became IND from Jun 1995	Won 2.3.96 Def 3.10.98
Johnson, Michael	Ryan	Qld	10.11.01	LIB; expelled and became IND from May 2010	Def 21.8.10
Katter, Bob	Kennedy	Qld	13.3.93 7.9.13	NPA; resigned and became IND from Jul 2001; KAP from Sep 2011	Won 10.11.01 Won 9.10.04 Won 24.11.07 Won 21.8.10
King, Peter	Wentworth	NSW	10.11.01	LIB; lost preselection and became IND from Sep 2004	Def 9.10.04
O’Connor, Gavan	Corio	Vic	13.3.93	ALP; lost preselection and became IND from Oct 2007	Def 24.11.07
Rocher, Allan	Curtin	WA	21.2.81	LIB; lost preselection and became IND from Aug 1995	Won 2.3.96 Def 3.10.98
Slipper, Peter	Fisher	Qld	1.12.84 13.3.93	NPA (Def 11.7.87) LIB; resigned and become IND from Nov 2011	Def 7.9.13
Smith, Anthony	Dickson	Qld	2.3.96	LIB; lost preselection and became IND from May 1998	Def 3.10.98
St John, Edward	Warringah	NSW	26.11.66	LIB; resigned and became IND from Apr 1969	Def 25.10.69
Theophanous, Andrew	Burke Calwell	Vic Vic	18.10.80 1.12.84	ALP; resigned and became IND from Apr 2000	Def 10.11.01
Thomson, Craig	Dobell	NSW	24.11.07	ALP; resigned and became IND from Apr 2012	Def 7.9.13
Wright, Keith	Capricornia	Qld	1.12.84	ALP; disendorsed and became IND from Feb 1993	Def 13.3.93
Zammit, Paul	Lowe	NSW	2.3.96	LIB; resigned and became IND from Feb 1998	Def 3.10.98