RESEARCH PAPER SERIES, 2015–16 4 APRIL 2016 House of Representatives by-elections: 1901–2015 Stephen Barber Statistics and Mapping Section Executive summary This paper provides details of House of Representatives by-elections, from that held for Darling Downs on 14 September 1901 to the most recent held on 5 December 2015 for North Sydney. The following observations can be made about those by-elections: • there have been 149 by-elections, an average of 3.4 per parliament • the average number of nominations has grown over the years from 2.2 per by-election to 11.6 per by- election • in only four cases was a by-election contested by just a single candidate • an increasing tendency has been for governments to avoid contesting by-elections in their opponents’ safe seats • in only ten cases have the opposition party failed to contest a by-election • seventy-five of the by-elections followed the resignation of the member, 68 members died in office, there have been five voided elections, and one MP was expelled from the House • since 1949 most by-elections have been caused by the 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 • 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. ISSN 2203-5249 Contents Executive summary ..................................................................................... 1 Party abbreviations ..................................................................................... 3 Introduction ................................................................................................ 5 The organisation of Commonwealth by-elections ............................................. 5 The reasons why by-elections have been held ................................................... 5 The timing of by-elections .................................................................................. 6 Vacancies for which no by-election held ............................................................ 7 Number of nominations ..................................................................................... 8 Voter turnout ...................................................................................................... 9 Party performance ..................................................................................... 10 Seats lost at by-elections .................................................................................. 10 Impact upon party .......................................................................................... 10 Impact upon Government/Opposition ........................................................... 11 Party win/loss performance ........................................................................... 11 By-elections caused by resignation—safeness of seat ..................................... 11 Analysing by-election swings since 1949 .......................................................... 12 Average swings against government .............................................................. 12 Two-party preferred swings, by-elections, 1949–2015 ................................. 13 Personal and political matters ..................................................................... 14 The changing of the old guard .......................................................................... 14 Future Prime Ministers ..................................................................................... 14 The exiting of Prime Ministers .......................................................................... 14 Future leaders of the Opposition ..................................................................... 14 The exiting of leaders of the Opposition .......................................................... 15 Family matters .................................................................................................. 15 Famous entries into the House ........................................................................ 15 Kicked upstairs? ................................................................................................ 15 A matter of treason .......................................................................................... 16 By-elections that caused ripples ....................................................................... 16 Voided elections ............................................................................................... 17 Appendix 1: House of Representatives by-elections, 1901–2015 ................... 18 Appendix 2: By-election results by electoral division, 1901–2015 ................. 22 First past the post electoral system ................................................................. 22 Preferential voting electoral system ................................................................ 24 Appendix 3: Notes on Commonwealth by-elections, 1901–2015 ................... 44 Appendix 4: By-election timing, 1901–2015 ................................................. 53 Appendix 5: Sources on by-elections in Australia ......................................... 56 General studies ................................................................................................. 56 Case studies ...................................................................................................... 56 Commonwealth .............................................................................................. 56 House of Representatives by-elections: 1901–2015 2 Party abbreviations AAP Advance Australia Party AC Australian Christians ACP Australian Cyclists Party ADVP Australian Defence Veterans Party AFI Australians Against Further Immigration AJP Animal Justice Party ALP Australian Labor Party ANAG Australian National Action Group AntiSoc Anti-Socialist AP Australia Party APPG Australian Pensioner Pressure Group AR Australian Republican ARM Australian Reform Movement ASP Australian Shooters Party ASxP Australian Sex Party Atok Atokist AusConst Australian Constitutionalist BTA Bullet Train for Australia CCC Climate Change Coalition CDP Christian Democratic Party CCE Conservatives for Climate and Environment CEC Citizens Electoral Council Com Communist Party Cons Conservative Const Constitutionalist CP Country Party CRep Constitutional Republican CTA Call to Australia Dem Australian Democrats DLP Democratic Labor Party DOGS Council for the Defence of Government Schools DSP Deadly Serious Party EcRef Economic Reform EFN Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy Farmers Farmers’ Party FFP Family First Party FishP The Fishing Party FLP Federal Labor Party FLR Family Law Reform Party FP Future Party FPA Federal Party of Australia FST Australia First Party FT Free Trade Grn Greens Gry Grey Power GWA The Greens (WA) HAN Pauline Hanson’s One Nation HMP Help End Marijuana Prohibition HPA Hope Party Australia ICP Independent Country Party ILab Independent Labor ILCL Independent Liberal Country League ILib Independent Liberal INat Independent Nationalist Ind Independent House of Representatives by-elections: 1901–2015 3 KAP Katter’s Australian Party LDP Liberal Democratic Party LFF Liberals for Forests Lib Liberal Party LibF Liberal Forum LLab Lang Labor LNP Liberal National Party LP Liberal Party LRG Liberal Reform Group NA National Alliance NAP New Australian Party Nat Nationalist NCPP Non-Custodial Parents Party NGST No GST Party NHP National Humanitarian Party NLP Natural Law Party NP National Party NSP National Socialist Party ON One Nation ONNSW One Nation NSW Division PCP Progressive Conservative Party PIR Pirate Party Australia PLP Progressive Labour Party PORP Property Owners’ Rights Party PP Progress Party Prot Protectionist ProtLab Protestant Labor PUP Palmer United Party RARI Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration RPA Republican Party of Australia RSNP Returned Soldiers National Party SA Socialist Alliance SC Social Credit SLib State Liberal Soc Socialist SP Socialist Party of Australia SPA Secular Party of Australia SPP Sustainable Population Party ST Single Tax League SWP Socialist Workers’ Party TA Taxpayers’ Association TAP The Arts Party UAP United Australia Party UM Uninflated Movement Unite Unite Australia Party UTG United Tasmanian Group UWU Unemployed Workers Union VEF Voluntary Euthanasia Party VFU Victorian Farmers’ Union VOTE Voice of the Elderly Note: all tables and charts have been compiled by the Parliamentary Library. House of Representatives by-elections: 1901–2015 4 Introduction This Research Paper updates an earlier Parliamentary Library Research paper and details the 149 by-elections for the House of Representatives held to date, including some of the factors involved in their being held.1 It also discusses relevant factors such as the timing of by-elections, the number of nominations, the voter turnout and party performance over the years, and the swings that have occurred. The paper concludes with a general discussion of some of the personal and political aspects of the by- elections. The organisation of Commonwealth by-elections By-elections are held to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives resulting from the death, resignation, absence without leave, expulsion, disqualification or ineligibility of a member. The first by-election was held in