Isaacs by-election, 2000

The 2000 Isaacs by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Isaacs in Victoria on 12 August 2000. The by-election was triggered by the death of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party's Greg Wilton on 14 June 2000. The writ for the by-election was issued on 30 June 2000.

Background

The Labor Party's member for Isaacs, Greg Wilton, committed suicide on 14 June 2000. Wilton's marriage had broken down earlier in the year, and shortly afterwards Victoria Police arrested Wilton after finding him, clearly distressed, with his children in a car in the You Yangs national park. While Wilton's intentions on the day were unclear, unrestrained media coverage of the incident was considered by his colleagues to have contributed to his eventual suicide six weeks later. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s140872.htm Questions over MP's suicide] , "The 7.30 Report" (ABC), 15 June 2000.]

The Isaacs by-election was the first election in Australia to be held after the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax on 1 July 2000, and the Liberal Party declined to run a candidate, perhaps fearing a backlash against the GST. Labor's preselection was a messy battle with the party's left faction proposing to pre-select Jill Hennessy, the former state president of the Labor Party and an advisor to Premier Steve Bracks. They were overridden by the party's federal executive, who put forward Ann Corcoran, although the change resulted in a convoluted factional deal in which pre-selection ballots were altered after their submission. [Johnston, Nick: [http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/vic/content/2000/s154444.htm Labor tries to keep hold of seat after Wilton's suicide] , "Stateline" (ABC), 21 July 2000.]

Results

Election box begin
title=Isaacs by-election, 2000 Election box candidate AU party
party = Labor
candidate = Ann Corcoran
votes = 34,483
percentage = 56.54
change = +8.11Election box candidate AU party
party = Democrats
candidate = Haydn Fletcher
votes = 10,540
percentage = 17.28
change = +11.36Election box candidate AU party
party = Greens
candidate = Mary Hutchison
votes = 5,539
percentage = 9.08
change = +6.94Election box candidate AU party
party = Independent
candidate = Carl Wesley
votes = 5,329
percentage = 8.74
change = +8.74Election box candidate AU party
party = Australia First
candidate = Patricia Brook
votes = 3,270
percentage = 5.36
change = +4.92Election box candidate AU party
party = Democratic Labor
candidate = Gail King
votes = 1,832
percentage = 3.00
change = +3.00

Election box formal
votes = 60,993
percentage = 91.84
change = -4.55Election box informal
votes = 5,420
percentage = 8.16
change = +4.55Election box turnout
votes = 66,413
percentage = 81.65
change = -14.56

Election box candidate AU party
party = Labor
candidate = Ann Corcoran
votes = 40,280
percentage = 66.04
change = +8.11

Election box candidate AU party
party = Democrats
candidate = Haydn Fletcher
votes = 20,713
percentage = 33.96
change = +28.04

Election box hold AU party
winner = Labor
swing = N/A

Aftermath

The Labor Party held the seat of Isaacs, with a swing of 8.11 towards them. The lack of a Liberal candidate saw positive swings towards all the minor parties, in particular the Australian Democrats, the main rival on a two-party basis. Ann Corcoran when on to hold the seat in the 2001 and 2004 federal elections, but lost pre-selection prior to the 2007 election. [Green, Antony: [http://abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/isaa.htm Federal Election Guide 2007 - Isaacs] , Australian Broadcasting Corporation.]

References

External links

* [http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/supplementary_by_elections/isaacs/results.htm Isaacs (VIC) By-Election (12 August 2000) Results] , Australian Electoral Commission