Aston by-election, 2001

The 2001 Aston by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Aston in Victoria on 14 July 2001. The by-election was triggered by the death the sitting member, the Liberal Party of Australia's Peter Nugent, on 24 April 2001. The writ for the by-election was issued on 1 June 2001.

Background

The by-election was an important one for the Liberal Party. The federal Liberal government had introduced a controversial Goods and Services Tax just over a year before, and unpopular sentiment surrounding the government and its GST were believed to have seen out Liberal state governments in Western Australia and Queensland in landslide victories.Coorey, Phillip: [http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/no-glorious-july-for-pm-this-year/2007/07/12/1183833687249.html No glorious July for PM this year] , "The Sydney Morning Herald", 13 July 2007.] The Liberals had also lost the seat of Ryan in a recent by-election, and the ALP led by Kim Beazley was ahead in opinion polls.

Results

Election box begin
title=Aston by-election, 2001Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Chris Pearce
party = Liberal
votes = 31,640
percentage = 40.73
change = -7.76Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Kieran Boland
party = Labor
votes = 28,716
percentage = 36.96
change = -1.55Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Pierre Harcourt
party = Democrats
votes = 6,271
percentage = 8.07
change = +0.54Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Garry Scates
party = Independent
votes = 3,401
percentage = 4.38
change = +4.38Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Mick Kir
party = Greens
votes = 1,877
percentage = 2.42
change = +2.42Election box candidate AU party
candidate = June Scott
party = One Nation
votes = 1,369
percentage = 1.76
change = -1.13Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Peter O'Loughlin
party = Independent
votes = 1,160
percentage = 1.49
change = +1.49Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Graeme Dunstan
party = HEMP
votes = 711
percentage = 0.92
change = +0.92Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Luke James Chamberlain
party = liberals for forests
votes = 680
percentage = 0.88
change = +0.88Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Mark Sloan
party = No GST
votes = 618
percentage = 0.80
change = +0.80Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Doug Mitchell
party = CEC
votes = 334
percentage = 0.43
change = +0.43Election box candidate
candidate = Josephine Cox
party =
votes = 328
percentage = 0.42
change = +0.42Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Steve Raskovy
party = Independent
votes = 227
percentage = 0.29
change = +0.29Election box candidate
candidate = Tim Petherbridge
party = Hope Party Australia
votes = 232
percentage = 0.30
change = +0.30Election box candidate
candidate = Mark Ward
party =
votes = 126
percentage = 0.16
change = +0.16

Election box formal
votes = 77,690
percentage = 94.16
change = -3.01

Election box informal
votes = 4,819
percentage = 5.84
change = +3.01

Election box turnout
votes = 82,509
percentage = 92.54
change = -4.10

Election box candidate AU party
party = Liberal
candidate = Chris Pearce
votes = 39,299
percentage = 50.58
change = -3.66

Election box candidate AU party
party = Labor
candidate = Kieran Boland
votes = 38,391
percentage = 49.42
change = +3.66

Election box hold AU party
winner = Liberal
loser = Labor
swing = -3.66

Aftermath

Chris Pearce won the by-election, retaining Aston for the Liberal Party, but with a small swing of 3.66 against them. Prime Minister John Howard appeared on the first episode of the ABC program "Insiders" the next day, where he suggested that Labor's electoral momentum had been held in check, and the government was back in the game:

References

External links

* [http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/supplementary_by_elections/aston/results.htm Aston (VIC) By-Election (14 July 2001) Results] , Australian Electoral Commission