2008 Port Macquarie state by-election
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A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Port Macquarie on 18 October 2008.[1] This was triggered by the resignation of independent MP Rob Oakeshott who was elected to the federal seat of Lyne at a by-election the previous month.[2]
The writ for the Port Macquarie by-election was issued on 29 August, which was also when the rolls closed. Candidate nominations closed on 18 September. The by-election was contested on the same boundaries drawn for Port Macquarie at the 2007 state election. At that election, the independent MP won the seat over the Nationals by a two-party preferred margin of 78.2% to 21.8%.
Background[edit]
Created in a 1988 redistribution, Port Macquarie has always been based on Port Macquarie and Laurieton–Camden Haven. It was a safe National Party seat prior to the election of Oakeshott, who was MP for Port Macquarie since 1996, becoming an independent in 2002.
Candidates[edit]
The following candidates nominated for the election:[3]
- Independent - James Langley, contested federal Lyne for Labor in 2007. Quit the party over protest at the Iemma state Labor electricity privatisation.[4]
- Christian Democratic Party - Bob Waldron
- Independent - Lisa Intemann (former Port Macquarie-Hastings councillor)
- Greens - Susie Russell
- National Party - Leslie Williams, Lake Cathie resident, contested Port Macquarie for the Nationals in 2007. Ms Williams is a nurse at Port Macquarie Base Hospital and current chairman of the party's Port Macquarie Electorate Council.[5]
- Independent - Tony Galati
- Independent - Grant Rogers
- Independent - Bob Sharpham
- Independent - Peter Besseling
- Independent - Jamie Harrison (former Port Macquarie-Hastings councillor)
- Independent - Cameron Price
Campaign[edit]
Federal Hume MP Alby Schultz was seen campaigning a few times for Besseling, referring to him as "the pick of the candidates", with similar support from Senator Bill Heffernan, sparking anger and resentment within the coalition.[6]
Results[edit]
Despite independent Rob Oakeshott moving into federal politics, another independent, Peter Besseling, retained the seat, winning on the primary and two party vote.[3][7]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Peter Besseling | 15,003 | 35.94 | +35.94 | |
| National | Leslie Williams | 14,061 | 33.69 | +14.24 | |
| Independent | Jamie Harrison | 3,484 | 8.35 | +8.35 | |
| Independent | Lisa Intemann | 3,134 | 7.51 | +7.51 | |
| Independent | James Langley | 2,045 | 4.90 | +4.90 | |
| Greens | Susie Russell | 1,971 | 4.72 | +1.97 | |
| Independent | Bob Sharpham | 795 | 1.90 | +1.90 | |
| Christian Democrats | Bob Waldron | 514 | 1.23 | +1.23 | |
| Independent | Tony Galati | 417 | 1.00 | +1.00 | |
| Independent | Grant Rogers | 196 | 0.47 | +0.47 | |
| Independent | Cameron Price | 129 | 0.31 | +0.31 | |
| Total formal votes | 41,749 | 98.20 | −0.54 | ||
| Informal votes | 765 | 1.26 | +0.54 | ||
| Turnout | 42,514 | 88.21 | −5.27 | ||
| Two-candidate-preferred result | |||||
| Independent | Peter Besseling | 20,068 | 54.52 | +54.52 | |
| National | Leslie Williams | 16,741 | 45.48 | +23.70 | |
| Independent hold | Swing | N/A | |||
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Date set for Port Macquarie by-election". ABC News. 14 August 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
- ^ "By-elections pressure Coalition's unity". ABC News. 6 August 2008. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
- ^ a b c "Port Macquarie 2008 by-election result - primary vote" (PDF). elections.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2009.
- ^ Langley to contest Port Macquarie as independent: ABC News 12 August 2008
- ^ "A Nationals' hopeful for Port Macquarie by-election". taree.yourguide.com.au. 8 August 2008. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012.
- ^ Drummond, Andy (19 October 2008). "Besseling wins poll thanks to Schultz". The Age. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
- ^ "Port Macquarie 2008 by-election result - two party preferred" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2009.
- ^ "Port Macquarie - 2008 New South Wales By-elections". ABC Elections. Retrieved 11 September 2019.