Western Australian state election, 1996

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 14 December 1996 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and all 34 members to the Legislative Council. The Liberal–National coalition government, led by Premier Richard Court, won a second term in office against the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Dr Geoff Gallop since 15 October 1996.

The election resulted in the Liberals winning the election outright for the first (and to date only) time in Western Australia's history without needing to rely upon their Coalition partner, and Labor attracting their lowest share of the primary vote since 1901.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Australian elections/Title row
title = Western Australian state election, 14 December 1996
house = Legislative Assembly
series = Western Australian state election
back = 1993
forward = 2001
enrolled = 1,119,992
total_votes = 1,007,835
turnout % = 89.99%
turnout chg = –3.51%
informal = 44,229
informal % = 4.39%
informal chg = +0.26%Australian elections/Party summary
government = yes
party_id = Liberal
votes = 384,518
votes % = 39.90%
votes chg = –4.25%
seats = 29
seats chg = + 3Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Labor
votes = 345,159
votes % = 35.82%
votes chg = –1.26%
seats = 19
seats chg = – 5Australian elections/Party summary
government = yes
party_id = Nationals
party = National
votes = 55,817
votes % = 5.79%
votes chg = +0.46%
seats = 6
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Democrats
votes = 48,985
votes % = 5.08%
votes chg = +2.76%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Greens
party = Greens WA
votes = 45,550
votes % = 4.73%
votes chg = +0.42%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party = Marijuana
votes = 3,245
votes % = 0.34%
votes chg = +0.34%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party = Other parties
votes = 6,929
votes % = 0.72%
votes chg = –4.35%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Independent
party = Independentref label|Inde|1|1
votes = 74,179
votes % = 7.70%
votes chg = +5.94%
seats = 3
seats chg = + 2Australian elections/Total row
total_votes = 963,606
total_seats = 57Australian elections/2PP summary
party id 1 = Liberal
party 1 = Liberal/National
2pp votes 1 = 530,603
2pp % 1 = 55.16%
2pp chg 1 = –0.29%
party id 2 = Labor
2pp votes 2 = 431,245
2pp % 2 = 44.84%
2pp chg 2 = +0.29%

Notes::note label|Inde|1|1 At the 1993 election, Liberal Party member Phillip Pendal won the South Perth seat, whilst Labor Party member Ernie Bridge won Kimberley. Both members resigned from their parties during the term of parliament, and won their seats as independents in 1996.

Legislative Council

Australian elections/Title row
title = Western Australian state election, 14 December 1996
house = Legislative Council
enrolled = 1,119,992
total_votes = 1,009,592
turnout % = 90.14%
turnout chg = –3.53%
informal = 30,430
informal % = 3.01%
informal chg = –0.73%Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Liberal
party = Liberal (metropolitan)
votes = 313,953
votes % = 32.06%
votes chg = –2.59%
seats = 7
seats chg = – 1Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Liberal Nationals
party = Liberal/Nationalref label|nonmetro|1|1
votes = 140,933
votes % = 14.39%
votes chg = –0.24%
seats =
seats chg = Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Liberal
party = "Liberal (country)"
votes =
votes % =
votes chg =
seats = 7
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Nationals
party = "National"
votes =
votes % =
votes chg =
seats = 3
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Labor
votes = 323,886
votes % = 33.08%
votes chg = –3.74%
seats = 12
seats chg = – 2Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Democrats
votes = 64,461
votes % = 6.58%
votes chg = +3.57%
seats = 2
seats chg = + 2Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Greens
party = Greens WA
votes = 54,336
votes % = 5.55%
votes chg = +0.39%
seats = 3
seats chg = + 2Australian elections/Party summary
party = Marijuana
votes = 24,373
votes % = 2.49%
votes chg = +2.49%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Christian Democrats
party = Call to Australia
votes = 6,675
votes % = 0.68%
votes chg = +0.68%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party = Other parties
votes = 13,309
votes % = 1.36%
votes chg = +0.12%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Independent
party = Independentref label|Inde|1|1
votes = 74,179
votes % = 3.80%
votes chg = –0.38%
seats = 0
seats chg = – 1Australian elections/Total row
total_votes = 979,162
total_seats = 34

note label|nonmetro|1|1 In the Agricultural and South West regions, the Liberals and Nationals ran a joint ticket, and in Mining and Pastoral, they ran separately, with the Liberals attracting 18,635 of the 52,240 valid votes and the Nationals 5,087.

ee also

* Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1993–1996
* Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1996–2001

References