Fraser by-election, 1997
Encyclopedia
The 1997 Fraser by-election was held in the Australia
n electorate of Fraser
in the Australian Capital Territory
on 1 February 1997. The by-election
was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party
's John Langmore
on 6 December 1996. The writ for the by-election was issued on 30 December 1996.
had held the seat of Fraser since the 1984 election, but resigned to take up the post of Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development at the United Nations
.
Cheryl Hill had previously stood for election in Fraser as a Liberal Party
candidate in the 1996 federal election. She had also unsuccessfully stood for election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
seat of Bulli
in the 1991 New South Wales election
. By the time of the Fraser by-election, Hill had resigned from the Liberal Party because of the party's attitude to race and immigration, and chose to run as an independent.
, the ALP candidate, who held the seat until 1998 when he lost preselection in favour of Bob McMullan
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n electorate of Fraser
Division of Fraser
The Division of Fraser is an Australian Electoral Division in the Australian Capital Territory. It also covers the Jervis Bay Territory.The division was created in 1974 and is named for James Fraser, who was member for Australian Capital Territory 1951-70...
in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
on 1 February 1997. The by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
's John Langmore
John Langmore
John Vance Langmore is an Australian academic and politician. He was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1984 to 1996....
on 6 December 1996. The writ for the by-election was issued on 30 December 1996.
Background
John LangmoreJohn Langmore
John Vance Langmore is an Australian academic and politician. He was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1984 to 1996....
had held the seat of Fraser since the 1984 election, but resigned to take up the post of Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Cheryl Hill had previously stood for election in Fraser as a Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
candidate in the 1996 federal election. She had also unsuccessfully stood for election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
seat of Bulli
Electoral district of Bulli
Bulli was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in the Bulli area. It was originally created in 1930, replacing Wollongong. In 1971 it was abolished and was divided between the new electoral district of Heathcote and Corrimal. In 1991,...
in the 1991 New South Wales election
New South Wales state election, 1991
Elections to the 50th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 25 May 1991. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...
. By the time of the Fraser by-election, Hill had resigned from the Liberal Party because of the party's attitude to race and immigration, and chose to run as an independent.
Results
Aftermath
The by-election was won easily by Steve DargavelSteve Dargavel
Steven John "Steve" Dargavel is a former Australian politician.Dargavel was born in Traralgon, Victoria and received an Associate Diploma in Welfare Studies from Monash University. He then worked as a youth refuge worker, youth housing worker and employment counsellor...
, the ALP candidate, who held the seat until 1998 when he lost preselection in favour of Bob McMullan
Bob McMullan
Robert Francis McMullan is an Australian former politician who represented the Australian Labor Party in both the Senate and the House of Representatives....
.
External links
- Fraser (ACT) By-Election (1 February 1997), Australian Electoral CommissionAustralian Electoral CommissionThe Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections and referendums. State and local government elections are overseen by the Electoral Commission in each state and territory.The Australian Electoral Commission...