2018 Darling Range state by-election

A Darling Range state by-election for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Darling Range was held on 23 June 2018 following the resignation of Barry Urban on 8 May.[1]

2018 Darling Range state by-election
23 June 2018
The Darling Range seat in the Legislative Assembly
  First party Second party
 
Candidate Alyssa Hayden Tania Lawrence
Party Liberal Labor
Popular vote 8,418 7,809
Percentage 34.5% 32.0%
Swing Increase 4.1 Decrease 9.5
TPP 53.5% 46.5%
TPP swing Increase 9.3 Decrease 9.3
The Darling Range seat in Western Australia
MP before election

Barry Urban
Labor

 Elected MP

Alyssa Hayden
Liberal

Won by Labor for the first time in the seat's history at the landslide 2017 state election, the Liberals regained the seat.[2]

Background

Following a large 19 percent two-party swing, Barry Urban was the first ever Labor candidate to be elected to the previously safe Liberal seat of Darling Range in the seat's 64 year history at the landslide state election in March 2017. In November 2017, Urban resigned from Labor and moved to the crossbench to sit as an independent, after questions were raised about his academic claims and his wearing an overseas police service medal he had not been awarded. Urban was referred to the procedures and privileges committee, which in May 2018 recommended his expulsion from the Legislative Assembly for contempt of parliament and misleading the House. Urban resigned immediately after the committee's report was released.[3]

Labor originally selected Colleen Yates as its candidate for the by-election. However, on 24 May 2018, Yates announced that she would withdraw from the race, after reporters discovered that she had incorrectly claimed multiple university degrees which she had never obtained on her LinkedIn profile.[4]

Candidates
Candidates (11) in ballot paper order[5]
Party Candidate Background
  Western Australia Russell Goodrick TV producer and journalist. Candidate for East Metropolitan region at the 2017 election.[5]
  Greens Anthony Pyle Disability support worker. Candidate for Armadale at the 2017 election.[6]
  Animal Justice Jehni Thomas-Wurth City of Armadale Librarian.[5]
  Liberal Alyssa Hayden Former member of the Legislative Council for East Metropolitan region.[5]
  Fluoride Free John Watt Candidate for East Metropolitan region at the 2017 election.[5]
  One Nation Rod Caddies Candidate for Agricultural region at the 2017 election.[5]
  Labor Tania Lawrence Manager at Woodside Petroleum and former public servant.[7]
  Christians Eric Eikelboom [5]
  SFF Stuart Ostle Candidate for Darling Range at the 2017 election.[5]
  Independent Doug Shaw Realtor and property manager.[5] Former state president of Pauline Hanson's One Nation.[8]
  Independent George O'Byrne [5]

Polling
Darling Range by-election polling
Date Firm Commissioned by Sample Primary vote Two-party vote
ALP LIB ONP GRN OTH UND ALP LIB
c. 14 June 2018 ReachTEL The Weekend West[9] >600 37.5% 31% 9.4% 3.5% ~8.5% ~10% 54% 46%
2017 election 41.5% 30.4% 8.7% 7.7% 11.8% 55.8% 44.2%

Results
Further information: Electoral results for the district of Darling Range
Darling Range state by-election, 2018[10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alyssa Hayden 8,418 34.5 +4.1
Labor Tania Lawrence 7,809 32.0 −9.5
One Nation Rod Caddies 1,894 7.8 −1.0
Greens Anthony Pyle 1,427 5.8 −1.8
Western Australia Russell Goodrick 1,413 5.8 +5.8
Christians Eric Eikelboom 1,145 4.7 +0.3
Shooters, Fishers, Farmers Stuart Ostle 1,112 4.6 +0.3
Animal Justice Jehni Thomas-Wurth 803 3.3 +3.3
Independent Doug Shaw 146 0.6 +0.6
Independent George O'Byrne 137 0.5 +0.5
Fluoride Free WA John Watt 106 0.4 +0.4
Total formal votes 24,410 95.6 +0.5
Informal votes 1,126 4.4 −0.5
Turnout 25,536 78.4 −11.1
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Alyssa Hayden 13,039 53.5 +9.3
Labor Tania Lawrence 11,331 46.5 −9.3
Liberal gain from Labor Swing+9.3

Ninety-two minutes after polling booths closed, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Antony Green called the by-election for the Liberals.[2]

See also

References
  1. Caporn, Dylan. "Date of Darling Range by-election announced following resignation of Barry Urban". The West.
  2. Commentary, 2018 Darling Range by-election: Antony Green ABC
  3. Hondros, Nathan (8 May 2018). "Barry Urban quits WA parliament after committee moves for expulsion". WAtoday. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  4. Colleen Yates resigns as Labor Darling Range by-election candidate after Barry Urban scandal
  5. 2018 Darling Range by-election guide: Antony Green ABC
  6. Greens put forward Anthony Pyle for June 23 Darling Range by-election
  7. "Labor names new Darling Range candidate Tania Lawrence after Colleen Yates, Barry Urban sagas". ABC News. 31 May 2018.
  8. One Nation's WA president quits party to make solo poll run at Darling Range by-election: The West Australian 20 June 2018
  9. ReachTEL: 54-46 to Labor in Darling Range - The Poll Bludger 17 June 2018
  10. 2018 Darling Range By-election results: WAEC
  11. 2018 Darling Range By-election results: Antony Green ABC
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