Western Australian state election, 2001
Encyclopedia
Elections were held in the state
of Western Australia
on 10 February 2001 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly
and all 34 members to the Legislative Council
. The two-term Liberal
–National
coalition government, led by Premier
Richard Court
, was defeated by the Labor Party
, led by Opposition Leader
Dr Geoff Gallop
.
The election produced the biggest change of seats at any election since 1911, with Labor winning 14 seats from the Coalition as well as an Independent-held seat, while losing the seat of Kalgoorlie
for the first time since 1923 to Liberal candidate Matt Birney
. Meanwhile, a minister in the outgoing Government, Doug Shave, lost his seat of Alfred Cove
to Independent candidate Dr Janet Woollard
, who was also a member of the Liberals for Forests
party.
Notes:
Notes:
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
on 10 February 2001 to elect all 57 members to 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....
and all 34 members to the Legislative Council
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
. The two-term Liberal
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...
–National
National Party of Western Australia
The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity....
coalition government, led by 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...
Richard Court
Richard Court
Richard Fairfax Court AC , was a Western Australian politician, representing the seat of Nedlands in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the Liberal Party of Australia from 1982 to 2001. He served as Premier of Western Australia from 1993 to 2001.Court was born into an old political...
, was defeated by the 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...
, led by Opposition Leader
Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)
The Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the Legislative Assembly...
Dr 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:...
.
The election produced the biggest change of seats at any election since 1911, with Labor winning 14 seats from the Coalition as well as an Independent-held seat, while losing the seat of Kalgoorlie
Electoral district of Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.The district includes not only the town of Kalgoorlie, but significant parts of the outback in central and eastern Western Australia....
for the first time since 1923 to Liberal candidate Matt Birney
Matt Birney
Matthew John Birney is an Australian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2008, serving as Leader of the Opposition from 2005 to 2006....
. Meanwhile, a minister in the outgoing Government, Doug Shave, lost his seat of Alfred Cove
Electoral district of Alfred Cove
The Electoral district of Alfred Cove is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. The district is named for the southern riverside Perth suburb of Alfred Cove which falls within its borders.-History:...
to Independent candidate Dr Janet Woollard
Janet Woollard
Janet May Woollard is the sitting member for the seat of Alfred Cove in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly.She stood for the seat in the February 2001 State election as an Independent candidate , and defeated the incumbent and frontbencher Doug Shave who as Fair Trading Minister, was...
, who was also a member of the Liberals for Forests
Liberals for Forests
Liberals for Forests is an Australian political minor party. It has contested both state and federal elections in recent years, but has only achieved one elected representative - Janet Woollard in Western Australia...
party.
Legislative Assembly
|}Notes:
- At the 1996 electionWestern Australian state election, 1996Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 14 December 1996 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and all 34 members to the Legislative Council...
, Labor Party member Larry GrahamLarry GrahamLarry Graham, Jr. is an African American bass guitar player, both with the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly & the Family Stone, and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station...
won the Pilbara seat. He resigned from the party during the term of parliament, and won his seat as an independent in 2001. The retirement of Labor independent Ernie BridgeErnie BridgeErnest Frances "Ernie" Bridge is an Australian politician and country music singer. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 2001, representing the electorate of Kimberley, first as an Australian Labor Party representative and then as an independent MP...
, whose seat of KimberleyElectoral district of Kimberley-External links:* ABC Election Profiles: * WAEC District Maps:...
was subsequently won at the election by Labor candidate Carol MartinCarol MartinCarol Martin is an Australian politician and the current member for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Kimberley for the Australian Labor Party, having first been elected to that position in 2001 following the retirement of Ernie Bridge...
, and Woollard's defeat of Shave in Alfred CoveElectoral district of Alfred CoveThe Electoral district of Alfred Cove is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. The district is named for the southern riverside Perth suburb of Alfred Cove which falls within its borders.-History:...
kept the numbers of Independents at four.
Legislative Council
|}Notes:
- At the 1996 electionWestern Australian state election, 1996Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 14 December 1996 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and all 34 members to the Legislative Council...
, the Liberals and Nationals ran a combined ticket in two regions, ran separately in a third, and the Liberals ran alone in the remaining three. The two parties received a combined vote of 46.45%. As such, the swing against the Coalition in the Legislative Council was 10.09%.
See also
- Candidates of the Western Australian state election, 2001Candidates of the Western Australian state election, 2001This article provides information on candidates who stood for the 2001 Western Australian state election, held on 10 February 2001.-Labor:*Ted Cunningham MLA *Julian Grill MLA *Bill Thomas *Diana Warnock MLA...
- Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1996–2001
- Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 2001–2005