A by-election for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly

Western Australian Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....

 district of Peel

Electoral district of Peel

Peel was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1989 to 2008.The district was based in the south-western suburbs of Perth.Peel was at all times a safe Labor seat.-History:...

was held on 3 February 2007.

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 Labor

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...

 MP Norm Marlborough

Norm Marlborough

Norman "Norm" Richard Marlborough was a Western Australian state politician.Marlborough was born in Yorkshire, England and arrived in Western Australia in 1963. Before he entered parliament he was a fitter and turner and later a union official...

. Labor candidate Paul Papalia

Paul Papalia

Paul Papalia CSC is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since February 2007. Originally the member for Peel. he is now the member for Warnbro...

 was elected to fill the vacancy.

Background

Norm Marlborough

Norm Marlborough

Norman "Norm" Richard Marlborough was a Western Australian state politician.Marlborough was born in Yorkshire, England and arrived in Western Australia in 1963. Before he entered parliament he was a fitter and turner and later a union official...

 was appointed to cabinet in 2006 as Minister for Small Business, Minister for the Peel and the South West, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Education and Training. This followed the replacement of Geoff Gallop

Geoff Gallop

Geoffrey Ian Gallop, AC is an Australian academic and former politician. He was the Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He currently resides in Sydney.-Early life and education:...

 by Alan Carpenter

Alan Carpenter

Alan John Carpenter is a former Australian politician. He was the 28th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 2006 to 2008. He took office following the resignation of Dr Geoff Gallop...

 as Premier

Premier of Western Australia

The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...

 and Labor leader. Carpenter relaxed the previously existing ban on ministerial contact with disgraced former Premier turned lobbyist Brian Burke

Brian Burke

Brian Thomas Burke was Labor premier of Western Australia from 25 February 1983 until his resignation on 25 February 1988...

. Marlborough, a friend of Burke's, would prove an embarrassment to the government when it was revealed by the Corruption and Crime Commission

Corruption and Crime Commission

The Corruption and Crime Commission is a permanent investigative commission established by the Government of Western Australia in 2003, largely as a result of the findings of a Royal Commission into the state's police service. Its role is to investigate public corruption...

 that he had deliberately passed on confidential cabinet information to Burke.

Marlborough resigned from parliament on 10 November 2006, following his sacking from the ministry. On 21 November 2006, the Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly

Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly

The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889...

 issued a writ directing the Electoral Commissioner to proceed with an election in the district.

Timeline

Date	Event
10 November 2006	Norm Marlborough resigned, vacating the seat of Peel Electoral district of Peel Peel was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1989 to 2008.The district was based in the south-western suburbs of Perth.Peel was at all times a safe Labor seat.-History:... .
21 November 2006	Writs were issued by the Speaker Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889...  of the Legislative Assembly Western Australian Legislative Assembly The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....  to proceed with a by-election.
4 January 2007	Close of nominations and draw of ballot papers.
3 February 2007	Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
19 February 2007	The writ was returned and the results formally declared.

Results

Despite the controversy surrounding Marlborough's resignation, the government went unpunished at the ballot box. Instead, the by-election produced an increased two-party preferred majority for Labor.