Dubbo state by-election, 2004
Encyclopedia
A by-election was staged in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
district of Dubbo
on 20 November 2004. It was triggered by the death of sitting independent
member Tony McGrane
.
The by-election saw McGrane succeeded by another independent in Dawn Fardell
.
for Dubbo died after a battle with liver cancer. McGrane was first elected at the 1999 state election
and re-elected at the 2003 state election
. His death triggered a by-election for the vacant seat.
The by-election presented the National Party
with an opportunity to regain the seat they had held for 18 years from 1981 before losing it to McGrane in 1999. However, the seat was won instead by another independent, Dubbo
deputy mayor Dawn Fardell
.
The by-election was not contested by the Labor Party
, the party in government at the time. Nor was it contested by the opposition Liberal Party
, who deferred to their junior coalition partner the National Party, as is typical in regional districts.
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...
district of Dubbo
Electoral district of Dubbo
Dubbo is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Troy Grant of the National Party of Australia....
on 20 November 2004. It was triggered by the death of sitting independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
member Tony McGrane
Tony McGrane
Anthony Michael McGrane was an Australian politician.McGrane was born in Forbes. He had a lengthy career in local government, as a long serving councillor in Gilgandra and Dubbo....
.
The by-election saw McGrane succeeded by another independent in Dawn Fardell
Dawn Fardell
Dawn Elizabeth Fardell , a former Australian politician, was an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Dubbo between 2004 and 2011.-Early years and background:...
.
Background
On 15 September 2004, the independent sitting member Tony McGraneTony McGrane
Anthony Michael McGrane was an Australian politician.McGrane was born in Forbes. He had a lengthy career in local government, as a long serving councillor in Gilgandra and Dubbo....
for Dubbo died after a battle with liver cancer. McGrane was first elected at the 1999 state election
New South Wales state election, 1999
Elections to the 52nd Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 27 March 1999. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...
and re-elected at the 2003 state election
New South Wales state election, 2003
Elections to the 53rd Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 22 March 2003. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election...
. His death triggered a by-election for the vacant seat.
The by-election presented the National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
with an opportunity to regain the seat they had held for 18 years from 1981 before losing it to McGrane in 1999. However, the seat was won instead by another independent, Dubbo
City of Dubbo
Dubbo is a Local Government Area in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The City is traversed by the Mitchell Highway, the Newell Highway, the Golden Highway and the Main Western railway line.The largest population centre is the city of Dubbo...
deputy mayor Dawn Fardell
Dawn Fardell
Dawn Elizabeth Fardell , a former Australian politician, was an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Dubbo between 2004 and 2011.-Early years and background:...
.
The by-election was not contested 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...
, the party in government at the time. Nor was it contested by the opposition 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...
, who deferred to their junior coalition partner the National Party, as is typical in regional districts.