Port Macquarie by-election, 2008
Encyclopedia
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 Port Macquarie
Electoral district of Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Leslie Williams of the National Party....
on 18 October 2008. This was triggered by the resignation of independent MP Rob Oakeshott
Rob Oakeshott
Robert James Murray "Rob" Oakeshott is an Australian politician. He is the independent Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Lyne in New South Wales, which he won in the 2008 by-election following the resignation of former Nationals leader and Howard minister Mark Vaile...
who was elected to the federal seat of Lyne
Division of Lyne
The Division of Lyne is an Australian electoral division located in the State of New South Wales. It lies on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales and includes the Local Government Areas of Gloucester, Greater Taree, Port Macquarie-Hastings and southern Kempsey...
at a by-election
Lyne by-election, 2008
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Lyne on 6 September 2008. This was triggered by the resignation of National Party MP Mark Vaile. The by-election was held on the same day as the Mayo by-election, and the Western Australian state election.The writ for the...
the previous month.
The writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
for the Port Macquarie by-election was issued on 29 August, which was also when the rolls closed. Candidate nominations closed on 18 September. The by-election was contested on the same boundaries drawn for Port Macquarie at the 2007 state election. At that election, the independent MP won the seat over the Nationals by a two-party preferred margin of 78.2% to 21.8%.
Background
Created in a 1988 redistribution, Port Macquarie has always been based on Port MacquariePort Macquarie, New South Wales
Port Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313....
and Laurieton
Laurieton, New South Wales
Laurieton is a coastal town on the Mid North Coast of the Australian state of New South Wales. Laurieton is the largest town in the Camden Haven district. Laurieton is 365 km north of Sydney and 42 km south of Port Macquarie...
–Camden Haven
Camden Haven, New South Wales
Camden Haven is a small harbour in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 30 km south of the major regional centre of Port Macquarie. The harbour is located where the Camden Haven River empties into the Tasman Sea....
. It was a safe National Party seat prior to the election of Oakeshott, who was MP for Port Macquarie since 1996, becoming an independent in 2002.
Candidates
The following candidates nominated for the election:- Independent - James Langley, contested federal LyneDivision of LyneThe Division of Lyne is an Australian electoral division located in the State of New South Wales. It lies on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales and includes the Local Government Areas of Gloucester, Greater Taree, Port Macquarie-Hastings and southern Kempsey...
for Labor in 2007. Quit the party over protest at the IemmaMorris IemmaMorris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
state Labor electricity privatisation. - Christian Democratic PartyChristian Democratic Party (Australia)The Christian Democratic Party is a right-wing political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.-Formation:...
- Bob Waldron - Independent - Lisa Intemann (former Port Macquarie-Hastings councillor)
- Australian GreensAustralian GreensThe Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
- Susie Russell - National Party of AustraliaNational Party of AustraliaThe 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...
- Leslie Williams, Lake Cathie resident, contested Port Macquarie for the Nationals in 2007. Ms Williams is a nurse at Port MacquariePort Macquarie, New South WalesPort Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313....
Base Hospital and current chairman of the party's Port Macquarie Electorate Council. - Independent - Tony Galati
- Independent - Grant Rogers
- Independent - Bob Sharpham
- Independent - Peter BesselingPeter BesselingPeter Edward Besseling is an Australian politician. He was also a former professional rugby union player. - Political Career:...
- Independent - Jamie Harrison (former Port Macquarie-Hastings councillor)
- Independent - Cameron Price
Campaign
Federal HumeDivision of Hume
The Division of Hume is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. The Division is located in the central part of the state, just north of the Australian Capital Territory. The Division covers a predominantly rural area, with agriculture and coal mining the main industries...
MP Alby Schultz
Alby Schultz
Albert John "Alby" Schultz , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing Hume, New South Wales. He was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and was a meat processing worker before entering politics...
was seen campaigning a few times for Besseling, referring to him as "the pick of the candidates", with similar support from Senator Bill Heffernan
Bill Heffernan
William Daniel Heffernan, more commonly known as Bill Heffernan, , Australian politician, has been a Liberal Party member of the Senate, representing the state of New South Wales, since September 1996.-Early life:...
, sparking anger and resentment within 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...
.
Results
Despite independent Rob OakeshottRob Oakeshott
Robert James Murray "Rob" Oakeshott is an Australian politician. He is the independent Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Lyne in New South Wales, which he won in the 2008 by-election following the resignation of former Nationals leader and Howard minister Mark Vaile...
moving in to federal politics, another independent, Peter Besseling
Peter Besseling
Peter Edward Besseling is an Australian politician. He was also a former professional rugby union player. - Political Career:...
, retained the seat, winning on the primary and two party vote.