1980 Western Australian state election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1980 Western Australian state election
| country = Western Australia
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1977 Western Australian state election
| previous_year = 1977
| next_election = 1983 Western Australian state election
| next_year = 1983
| seats_for_election = All 55 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
and 16 (of the 32) seats to the Western Australian Legislative Council
28 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
| election_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1980|02|23}}
| image1 = 115px
| leader1 = Charles Court
| leader_since1 = 5 June 1972
| party1 = Liberal/NCP coalition
| leaders_seat1 = Nedlands
| popular_vote1 = 282,478
| percentage1 = 48.05%
| swing1 = {{decrease}}3.71
| last_election1 = 30 seats
| seats1 = 29
| seat_change1 = {{decrease}}1
| image2 =
| leader2 = Ron Davies
| leader_since2 = 21 February 1978
| party2 = Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
| leaders_seat2 = Victoria Park
| popular_vote2 = 270,165
| percentage2 = 45.95%
| swing2 = {{increase}}1.73
| last_election2 = 22 seats
| seats2 = 23
| seat_change2 = {{increase}}1
| image3 =
| leader3 = Hendy Cowan
| leader_since3 = 1979
| party3 = National Party of Australia (WA)
| leaders_seat3 = Merredin
| popular_vote3 = 17,411
| percentage3 = 2.96%
| swing3 = {{increase}}0.09
| last_election3 = 3 seats
| seats3 = 3
| seat_change3 = {{steady}}
| 1blank = TPP
| 2blank = TPP swing
| 1data1 = 50.97%
| 1data2 = 49.03%
| 2data1 = {{decrease}}3.73
| 2data2 = {{increase}}3.73
| title = Premier
| before_election = Charles Court
| before_party = Liberal/NCP coalition
| after_election = Charles Court
| after_party = Liberal/NCP coalition
}}
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 23 February 1980 to elect all 55 members to the Legislative Assembly and 16 members to the 32-seat Legislative Council. The Liberal-National Country coalition government, led by Premier Sir Charles Court, won a third term in office against the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Ron Davies.
The election produced very little in terms of the balance of the parties in Parliament—Labor won Kimberley from the Liberals in the Assembly, and a North Province seat in the Council, but lost two Council seats to the Liberals—one each in North Metropolitan and South-East Metropolitan. However, Labor received a substantial swing overall, increasing majorities in seats it already held, and reducing Liberal majorities in western suburban seats and pushing the key seats of Bunbury and Pilbara into marginal status.{{cite journal |last= Watt |first= Edward David |date=December 1980 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January–June 1980 (Western Australia) |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 26 |issue= 3 |pages= 443–446 |issn=0004-9522}} Despite a vigorous campaign against each other, the National Country and National parties, which had split in August 1978, failed to gain any seats off each other, each retaining three seats in the Assembly, and the former retaining one in the Council.
Results
=Legislative Assembly=
{{see also|Results of the Western Australian state election, 1980 (Legislative Assembly)}}
{{Australian elections/Title row
| title = Western Australian state election, 23 February 1980
| house = Legislative Assembly
| series = Western Australian state election
| back = 1977
| forward = 1983
| enrolled = 689,066{{ref label|cont|1|1}}
| total_votes = 609,418
| turnout % = 85.27%
| turnout chg = –5.51%
| informal = 21,449
| informal % = 3.52%
| informal chg = +0.34%
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|government = yes
|party_id = Liberal WA
|votes = 257,218
|votes % = 43.75%
|votes chg = –5.60%
|seats = 26
|seats chg = – 1
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Labor WA
|votes = 270,165
|votes % = 45.95%
|votes chg = +1.73%
|seats = 23
|seats chg = + 1
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|government = yes
|party_id = Nationals WA
|party = National Country{{ref label|Nat|2|2}}
|votes = 25,260
|votes % = 4.30%
|votes chg = +1.89%
|seats = 3
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Nationals WA
|party = National{{ref label|Nat|2|2}}
|votes = 17,411
|votes % = 2.96%
|votes chg = +0.09%
|seats = 3
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Democrats
|votes = 11,513
|votes % = 1.96%
|votes chg = +1.96%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Socialist Alliance
|party = Socialist
|votes = 1,527
|votes % = 0.26%
|votes chg = +0.26%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Progress
|votes = 1,041
|votes % = 0.18%
|votes chg = –0.27%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Independent
|votes = 3,834
|votes % = 0.65%
|votes chg = +0.05%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Total row |
|total_votes = 587,969
|total_seats = 55
|winner_id = Liberal WA
|winner = Liberal/NCP
}}
{{Australian elections/2PP summary |
|party id 1 = Liberal WA
|2pp votes 1 = 311,239
|2pp % 1 = 50.97%
|2pp chg 1 = –3.73%
|party id 2 = Labor WA
|2pp votes 2 = 299,347
|2pp % 2 = 49.03%
|2pp chg 2 = +3.73%
}}
|}
Notes:
:{{note label|cont|1|1}} 714,724 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but two seats were uncontested: the seat of Collie, held by Labor's Tom Jones and representing 8,854 electors, and East Melville, won by the Liberals' Anthony Trethowan representing 16,804 electors, which was uncontested due to the Labor candidate's failure to submit their nomination on time.
:{{note label|Nat|2|2}} The National Country Party contested seven seats in the 1977 election, winning six of them and attaining 5.28% of the vote. The National Party split from the National Country Party on 10 August 1978, with the former contesting 8 seats and the latter 11.
=Legislative Council=
{{see also|Results of the Western Australian state election, 1980 (Legislative Council)}}
{{Australian elections/Title row
| title = Western Australian state election, 23 February 1980
| house = Legislative Council
| staggered = yes
| enrolled = 714,724
| total_votes = 631,915
| turnout % = 88.41%
| turnout chg = –2.29%
| informal = 27,692
| informal % = 4.38%
| informal chg = –0.03%
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Liberal WA
|votes = 287,058
|votes % = 47.51%
|votes chg = –2.80%
|seats = 10
|seats held = 19
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Labor WA
|votes = 270,538
|votes % = 44.77%
|votes chg = +2.82%
|seats = 5
|seats held = 9
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Nationals WA
|party = National Country{{ref label|NatC|1|1}}
|votes = 23,101
|votes % = 3.82%
|votes chg = +0.65%
|seats = 1
|seats held = 3
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Nationals WA
|party = National{{ref label|NatC|1|1}}
|votes = 20,704
|votes % = 3.43%
|votes chg = +1.04%
|seats = 0
|seats held = 1
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Progress
|votes = 2,822
|votes % = 0.47%
|votes chg = +0.47%
|seats = 0
|seats held = 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Independent
|votes = 0
|votes % = 0.00%
|votes chg = –2.18%
|seats = 0
|seats held = 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Total row |
|total_votes = 604,223
|total_seats = 16
|total_held = 32
}}
{{Australian elections/2PP summary |
|party id 1 = Liberal WA
|2pp votes 1 = 316,398
|2pp % 1 = 52.36%
|2pp chg 1 = –3.26%
|party id 2 = Labor WA
|2pp votes 2 = 287,825
|2pp % 2 = 47.64%
|2pp chg 2 = +3.26%
}}
|}
Notes:
:{{note label|NatC|1|1}} The National Country Party contested four seats in the 1977 election, winning three of them and attaining 5.56% of the vote. The National Party split from the National Country Party on 10 August 1978, with the former contesting 5 seats and the latter 4.
Seats changing hands
| class="wikitable" |
| rowspan="2" | Seat
! colspan="4" | Pre-1980 ! rowspan="2" | Swing ! colspan="4" | Post-1980 |
|---|
| colspan="2" | Party
! Member ! Margin ! Margin ! Member ! colspan="2" | Party |
| Kimberley
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}| | Liberal | style="text-align:right;"| 1.3 | style="text-align:right;"| -9.3 | style="text-align:right;"| 8.0 | Labor | {{Australian party style|Labor}}| |
| Merredin
| {{Australian party style|National}}| | National Country | style="text-align:right;"| N/A | style="text-align:right;"| N/A | style="text-align:right;"| 23.5 | National | {{Australian party style|Executive Country}}| |
| Mount Marshall
| {{Australian party style|National}}| | National Country | style="text-align:right;"| N/A | style="text-align:right;"| N/A | style="text-align:right;"| 10.8 | National | {{Australian party style|Executive Country}}| |
| Stirling
| {{Australian party style|National}}| | National Country | style="text-align:right;"| N/A | style="text-align:right;"| N/A | style="text-align:right;"| 11.4 | National | {{Australian party style|Executive Country}}| |
Post-election pendulum
| class="toccolours" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="float:left; margin-right:.5em; margin-top:.4em; font-size:90%;" |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center"|Liberal/NCP seats (29) |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="Blue" |Marginal |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Bunbury
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |John Sibson | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |1.3% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Pilbara
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Brian Sodeman | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |1.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Roe
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Geoff Grewar | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |3.3% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Mundaring
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Tom Herzfeld | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |3.5% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Murdoch
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Barry MacKinnon | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |3.8% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Clontarf
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Tony Williams | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |3.9% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Cottesloe
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Bill Hassell | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |5.2% |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="blue" |Fairly safe |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Scarborough
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Ray Young | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |6.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Whitford
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Mick Nanovich | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |8.3% |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Karrinyup
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Jim Clarko | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |8.5% |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Murchison-Eyre
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Peter Coyne | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |9.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Mount Lawley
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Ray O'Connor | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |9.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Murray
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Richard Shalders | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |9.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Wellington
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |June Craig | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |9.2% |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="blue" |Safe |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Darling Range
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |George Spriggs | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |11.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Roe
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Geoff Grewar | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |11.1% v NCP |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Albany
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Leon Watt | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |12.5% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Gascoyne
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Ian Laurance | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |12.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |South Perth
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Bill Grayden | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |13.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Subiaco
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Tom Dadour | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |13.9% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Kalamunda
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Ian Thompson | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |14.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Floreat
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Andrew Mensaros | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |19.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |Nedlands
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |Charles Court | align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="44A6F1" |20.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |Vasse
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |Barry Blaikie | align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="44A6F1" |21.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Moore
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Bert Crane | align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |NCP | align="center" bgcolor="40C351" |23.1% |
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Narrogin
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Peter Jones | align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |NCP | align="center" bgcolor="40C351" |27.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Katanning
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Dick Old | align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |NCP | align="center" bgcolor="40C351" |29.3% v NAT |
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |Greenough
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |Reg Tubby | align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="44A6F1" |29.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |East Melville
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |Anthony Trethowan | align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="44A6F1" |unopp. |
| class="toccolours" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="float:left; margin-right:.5em; margin-top:.4em; font-size:90%;" |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" |Labor seats (23) |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" |Fairly safe |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Avon
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Ken McIver | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |6.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Gosnells
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Bob Pearce | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |7.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Kimberley
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Ernie Bridge | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |8.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Canning
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Tom Bateman | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |8.5% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Welshpool
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Colin Jamieson | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |9.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Swan
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Jack Skidmore | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |9.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Mount Hawthorn
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Ron Bertram | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |9.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Geraldton
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Jeff Carr | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |9.8% |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" |Safe |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Maylands
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |John Harman | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |10.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Ascot
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Mal Bryce | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |12.1% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Dianella
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Keith Wilson | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |12.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Warren
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |David Evans | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |12.5% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Rockingham
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Mike Barnett | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |13.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Kalgoorlie
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Ian Taylor | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |14.5% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Morley
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Arthur Tonkin | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |14.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Victoria Park
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Ron Davies | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |14.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Melville
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Barry Hodge | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |15.1% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Perth
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Terry Burke | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |16.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Fremantle
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |David Parker | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |17.5% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Balcatta
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Brian Burke | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |18.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Yilgarn-Dundas
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Julian Grill | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |22.8% |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Cockburn
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Alexander Taylor | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |23.1% |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Collie
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Tom Jones | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |unopp. |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" |National seats (3) |
| align="left" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |Mount Marshall
| align="left" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |Ray McPharlin | align="left" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |NAT | align="center" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |10.8% v LIB |
| align="left" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |Stirling
| align="left" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |Matt Stephens | align="left" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |NAT | align="center" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |11.4% v LIB |
| align="left" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |Merredin
| align="left" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |Hendy Cowan | align="left" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |NAT | align="center" bgcolor="ADFF2F" |23.5% v LIB |
{{Clear}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Western Australian elections}}
Category:Elections in Western Australia