1999 Holt by-election

The 1999 Holt by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Holt in Victoria on 6 November 1999. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, former Australian Labor Party deputy leader Gareth Evans on 30 September 1999. The writ for the by-election was issued on 1 October 1999.

1999 Holt by-election
6 November 1999
  First party Second party
 
DEM
Candidate Anthony Byrne Polly Morgan
Party Labor Democrats
Popular vote 48,499 10,896
Percentage 65.63% 14.74%
Swing Increase 5.85 Increase 8.75
TPP 72.06% 27.94%
TPP swing Increase 6.95 Increase 27.94
MP before election

Gareth Evans
Labor

 Elected MP

Anthony Byrne
Labor

Background

Holt was held by Gareth Evans, a former Senator who had moved to the House of Representatives when the previous Labor member Michael Duffy retired in 1996. When Labor was defeated by the Coalition at the 1998 election, Evans resigned as deputy leader and from the Opposition front bench. He announced his intention to retire during the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television coverage of the 1998 election, but delayed his formal retirement until late 1999.[1]

The Liberal Party did not field a candidate for the Holt by-election, with the main opponents being Labor's Anthony Byrne, and Polly Morgan, the Australian Democrats candidate.

The Holt by-election was held in conjunction with the 1999 referendum on the republic on 6 November, with the residents of Holt voting on an additional by-election ballot paper, as well as the two referendum questions.

Results
Holt by-election, 1999
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Anthony Byrne 48,499 65.63 +5.85
Democrats Polly Morgan 10,896 14.74 +8.75
Democratic Labor John Mulholland 5,404 7.31 +7.31
Greens Daniel Scoullar 4,701 6.36 +6.36
Christian Democrats Lynne Dickson 4,399 5.95 +4.20
Total formal votes 73,899 92.81 -2.66
Informal votes 5,727 7.19 +2.66
Turnout 79,626 93.98 -1.23
Two-candidate-preferred result
Labor Anthony Byrne 53,252 72.06 +6.95
Democrats Polly Morgan 20,647 27.94 +27.94
Labor hold SwingN/A

Aftermath

Anthony Byrne won the seat easily, with the lack of a Liberal candidate seeing a positive swing to all parties.

See also

References
  1. Green, Antony: Federal Election Guide 2007 - Holt, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
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