Holt by-election, 1999
Encyclopedia
The 1999 Holt by-election was held in the Australia
n electorate of Holt
in Victoria
on 6 November 1999. The by-election
was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party
's Gareth Evans
on 30 September 1999. The writ for the by-election was issued on 1 October 1999.
, 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 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.
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.
won the seat easily, with the lack of a Liberal candidate seeing a positive swing to all parties.
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 Holt
Division of Holt
The Division of Holt is anAustralian Electoral Division in Victoria. The division was created in 1969 and is named for Harold Holt, who was Prime Minister of Australia 1966-67. It is located in...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
on 6 November 1999. 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 Gareth Evans
Gareth Evans (politician)
Gareth John Evans, AO, QC , is a former Australian politician from 1978 to 1999 representing the Australian Labor Party, serving in a number of ministries including Attorney-General and Foreign Minister from 1983 to 1996 in the Hawke and Keating governments. He was president and chief executive...
on 30 September 1999. The writ for the by-election was issued on 1 October 1999.
Background
Holt was held by Gareth EvansGareth Evans (politician)
Gareth John Evans, AO, QC , is a former Australian politician from 1978 to 1999 representing the Australian Labor Party, serving in a number of ministries including Attorney-General and Foreign Minister from 1983 to 1996 in the Hawke and Keating governments. He was president and chief executive...
, a former Senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
who had moved to the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
when the previous Labor member Michael Duffy
Michael Duffy (politician)
Michael John Duffy, ONZ , Australian politician, was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Holt from 1980 to 1996...
retired in 1996. When Labor was defeated by the Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
at the 1998 election, Evans resigned from the Opposition front bench. He announced his intention to retire during the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's television coverage of the 1998 election, but delayed his formal retirement until late 1999.
The 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...
did not field a candidate for the Holt by-election, with the main opponents being Labor's Anthony Byrne
Anthony Byrne
The Holt electorate covers an area of approximately 145 km2, in Melbourne's South Eastern suburbs, extending from Lysterfield South in the north to Cranbourne in the south....
, and Polly Morgan, the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
candidate.
The Holt by-election was held in conjunction with the 1999 referendum on the republic
Australian republic referendum, 1999
The Australian republic referendum held on 6 November 1999 was a two-question referendum to amend the Constitution of Australia. The first question asked whether Australia should become a republic with a President appointed by Parliament following a bi-partisan appointment model which had...
on 6 November, with the residents of Holt voting on an additional by-election ballot paper, as well as the two referendum questions.
Results
Aftermath
Anthony ByrneAnthony Byrne
The Holt electorate covers an area of approximately 145 km2, in Melbourne's South Eastern suburbs, extending from Lysterfield South in the north to Cranbourne in the south....
won the seat easily, with the lack of a Liberal candidate seeing a positive swing to all parties.
External links
- Holt (VIC) By-Election (6 November 1999) Results, 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...