1986 Queensland state election

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1986 Queensland state election

| country = Queensland

| type = parliamentary

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1983 Queensland state election

| previous_year = 1983

| next_election = 1989 Queensland state election

| next_year = 1989

| elected_members = Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1983–1986

| outgoing_members = Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1986–1989

| registered = 1,563,294 {{increase}}{{small|7.2%}}

| seats_for_election = All 89 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland
45 Assembly seats were needed for a majority

| election_date = 1 November 1986

| turnout = 1,426,478 (91.25%)
({{decrease}}0.48 pp)

| party1 = National

| colour1 = 006946

| image1 = 150x150px

| leader1 = Joh Bjelke-Petersen

| leader_since1 = 8 August 1968

| leaders_seat1 = Barambah

| last_election1 = 41 seats, 38.93%

| seats_before1 = 42 seats

| seats1 = 49

| seats_after1 =

| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 7

| popular_vote1 = 553,197

| percentage1 = 39.64%

| swing1 = {{increase}} 1.82 pp

| party2 = Labor

| colour2 = E13940

| image2 = 150x150px

| leader2 = Nev Warburton

| leader_since2 = 29 August 1984

| leaders_seat2 = Sandgate

| last_election2 = 32 seats, 43.98%

| seats_before2 = 31 seats{{efn|Includes Independent–Labor MP for Murrumba Joe Kruger, whom was elected as a Labor candidate in the previous election, however ran as an Independent candidate.}}

| seats_needed2 =

| seats2 = 30

| seats_after2 =

| seat_change2 = {{decrease}} 1

| popular_vote2 = 577,062

| percentage2 = 41.35%

| swing2 = {{decrease}} 5.98 pp

| party3 = Liberal

| colour3 = 1C4F9C

| image3 = 150x150px

| leader3 = William Knox

| leader_since3 = 3 November 1983

| leaders_seat3 = Nundah

| last_election3 = 8 seats, 14.88%

| seats_before3 = 7 seats{{efn|Includes Independent–Liberal MP Colin Miller for Ithaca. The seat was abolished at the election.}}

| seats_needed3 =

| seats3 = 10

| seats_after3 =

| seat_change3 = {{increase}} 3

| popular_vote3 = 230,310

| percentage3 = 16.50%

| swing3 = {{increase}} 10.88 pp

| 1blank = TPP

| 2blank = TPP swing

| 1data1 = 54.0%

| 2data1 = {{increase}} 0.60pp

| 1data2 = 46.0%

| 2data2 = {{decrease}} 0.60pp

| map_image = 1986 Queensland state election.svg

| map_size = 400px

| map_caption = Winning margin by electorate.

| map2_image = File:Svgfiles 2023-06-01-21-49-01-943427-648573619750620491.svg

| map2_caption = Legislative Assembly following election.

| title = Premier

| before_election = Joh Bjelke-Petersen

| before_party = National Party of Australia – Queensland

| after_election = Joh Bjelke-Petersen

| after_party = National Party of Australia – Queensland

}}

Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 1 November 1986 to elect the 89 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.{{Cite journal |last=Rallings |first=Colin |date=1987-08-01 |title=The Queensland state election 1986 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0261379487900278 |journal=Electoral Studies |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=173–178 |doi=10.1016/0261-3794(87)90027-8 |issn=0261-3794}} It followed a redistribution which increased the number of seats in the Assembly from 82 to 89.

The election resulted in a seventh consecutive term for the National Party under Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. It was the 11th consecutive term for the National Party in Queensland since it first came to office in 1957. The Nationals secured a majority in their own right, with 49 seats. It is the only time that the Nationals have ever won enough seats to govern alone in an election at any level. They had come up one seat short of an outright majority in 1983, but picked up a majority after persuading two Liberals to cross the floor.

This was the last time that a non-Labor Government was elected at a Queensland state election until 2012, although the Coalition briefly held government from 1996 to 1998 following the Mundingburra by-election.

Background

All three parties had high hopes for the election. The Nationals knew that they needed to increase their number of seats to hang onto Government (they had held a majority of one in the last Parliament, which had been increased from 82 seats to 89 for the 1986 election). The Liberals desperately needed to win back some of their losses from their disastrous performance in 1983, and Labor hoped to exploit disunity between the conservative parties to make gains.

The already malapportioned boundaries (the "Bjelkemander") had been redrawn earlier in the year in a manner which further advantaged the National Party.{{cite journal |date=December 1986 |title= Australian Political Chronicle: January–June 1986 |journal= Australian Journal of Politics and History |volume= 32 |issue= 3 |pages= 468–469 |issn=0004-9522}}

Clive Palmer served as the media spokesman of National Party during its 1986 election campaign.{{cite news |author=Syvret, Paul |url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/calamity-clive-has-queenslands-richest-man-clive-palmer-lost-the-plot/story-fn7kjcme-1226287933790 |title=Calamity Clive: Has Queensland's richest man Clive Palmer lost the plot? |work=The Courier-Mail |date=3 March 2012 |access-date=26 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404135644/http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/calamity-clive-has-queenslands-richest-man-clive-palmer-lost-the-plot/story-fn7kjcme-1226287933790 |archive-date=4 April 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }} Former Brisbane town clerk Tony Philbrick was the Nationals candidate for Sherwood, but failed to lodge his nomination by the midday deadline on 9 October 1986 and was unable to contest.{{cite web |last1=Coaldrake |first1=Peter |title=WORKING THE SYSTEM |url=https://eprints.qut.edu.au/215898/1/9059.pdf |publisher=Queensland University of Technology |access-date=21 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220520044426/https://eprints.qut.edu.au/215898/1/9059.pdf |archive-date=20 May 2022}}

The Bjelke-Petersen Government won a commanding victory, winning an extra eight seats and thus increasing its majority. The Liberals gained two seats, but were still nowhere near making up for their 1983 losses. Labor lost two seats.

The 1986 election is significant for a number of reasons. It saw the National Party retain a majority of seats in the Parliament, and it was only the second election in Australian history (the other being the 1983 Queensland election) in which the National Party won enough seats to form Government in its own right.

More importantly, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen's victory gave him the confidence to launch the 'Joh for Canberra' campaign, which would play a major part in the 1987 federal election, and would later be a major factor in his undoing.

Key dates

class="wikitable"
Date ! Event
30 September 1986 \| Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.{{cite book\|title=Details of polling at general election held on 1 November 1986\|author=Queensland Legislative Assembly\|date=17 March 1987\|page=8}}
9 October 1986 \| Close of nominations.
1 November 1986 \| Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
1 December 1986 \| The Bjelke-Petersen Ministry was reconstituted.
8 January 1987 \| The writ was returned and the results formally declared.

class="wikitable"

Date

! Event

30 September 1986

| Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.{{cite book|title=Details of polling at general election held on 1 November 1986|author=Queensland Legislative Assembly|date=17 March 1987|page=8}}

9 October 1986

| Close of nominations.

1 November 1986

| Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.

1 December 1986

| The Bjelke-Petersen Ministry was reconstituted.

8 January 1987

| The writ was returned and the results formally declared.

Electoral redistribution

A redistribution of electoral boundaries occurred in 1985.

The electorates of Ithaca, Kurilpa, Townsville North, Townsville South, Wavell, and Wynnum were abolished

The electorates of Bowen, Broadsound, Currumbin, Glass House, Logan, Manly, Moggill, Nerang, Nicklin, Springwood, Tablelands, Thuringowa, and Townsville East were created.

The redistribution increased the Legislative Assembly from 82 to 89 seats, adding 4 more in the South-East zone, 2 more in the Country zone, and 1 more in the Western and Far-Northern zone.

class="wikitable"

!Zone

!Electorates

Country (17)

|Auburn, Barambah, Bowen, Broadsound, Burdekin, Burnett, Callide, Carnarvon, Condamine, Cunningham, Gympie, Hinchinbrook, Mirani, Mourilyan, Mulgrave, Tablelands, Warwick

Provincial Cities (13)

|Barron River, Bundaberg, Cairns, Isis, Mackay, Maryborough, Port Curtis, Rockhampton, Rockhampton North, Thuringowa, Townsville, Townsville East, Whitsunday

South-East (51)

|Albert, Archerfield, Ashgrove, Aspley, Brisbane Central, Bulimba, Caboolture, Chatsworth, Cooroora, Currumbin, Everton, Fassifern, Glass House, Greenslopes, Ipswich, Ipswich West, Landsborough, Lockyer, Logan, Lytton, Manly, Mansfield, Merthyr, Moggill, Mount Coot-tha, Mount Gravatt, Murrumba, Nerang, Nicklin, Nudgee, Nundah, Pine Rivers, Redcliffe, Redlands, Salisbury, Sandgate, Sherwood, Somerset, South Brisbane, South Coast, Southport, Springwood, Stafford, Surfers Paradise, Toowong, Toowoomba North, Toowoomba South, Windsor, Wolston, Woodridge, Yeronga

Western and Far-Northern (8)

|Balonne, Cook, Flinders, Gregory, Mount Isa, Peak Downs, Roma, Warrego

Caboolture notionally became Labor-held, while Townsville notionally became National-held.

The changes resulted in 33 notionally Labor seats, 7 notionally Liberal seats, 48 notionally National seats, and 1 notionally Independent seat.

Retiring members

= Labor =

Jim Fouras (South Brisbane) - Lost preselection

= National =

Brian Cahill (Aspley) - Lost preselection
Bill Kaus (Mansfield)
Neil Turner (Warrego)
John Warner (Toowoomba South)
Claude Wharton (Burnett)

= Independent =

Lindsay Hartwig (Callide)
Col Miller (Ithaca) - Elected for the Liberal Party

Result

{{Australian elections/Title row

| title = Queensland state election, 1 November 1986{{cite web|url=http://elections.uwa.edu.au/elecdetail.lasso?keyvalue=801|title=Parliament of Queensland, Assembly election, 1 November 1986|author=Australian Government and Politics Database|access-date=22 February 2009}}{{cite book|title=A handbook of Australian government and politics, 1985-1999|last=Hughes|first=Colin A.|year=2002|publisher=Federation Press|isbn=978-1-86287-434-3|page=324}}

| house = Legislative Assembly

| series = Queensland state election

| back = 1983

| forward = 1989

| enrolled = 1,563,294

| total_votes = 1,426,478

| turnout % = 91.25%

| turnout chg = –0.44%

| informal = 30,903

| informal % = 2.17%

| informal chg = +0.70%

}}

{{Australian elections/Party summary|

|party_id = Labor QLD

|party=Labor

|votes = 577,062

|votes % = 41.35%

|votes chg = –2.63%

|seats = 30

|seats chg = – 2

}}

{{Australian elections/Party summary|

|government = yes

|party_id = Nationals QLD

|party=Nationals

|votes = 553,197

|votes % = 39.64%

|votes chg = +0.71%

|seats = 49

|seats chg = + 8

}}

{{Australian elections/Party summary|

|party_id = Liberal QLD

|party=Liberals

|votes = 230,310

|votes % = 16.50%

|votes chg = +1.62%

|seats = 10

|seats chg = + 2

}}

{{Australian elections/Party summary|

|party_id = Democrats

|votes = 8,747

|votes % = 0.63%

|votes chg = –0.20%

|seats = 0

|seats chg = ± 0

}}

{{Australian elections/Party summary|

|party_id = Independent

|votes = 26,259

|votes % = 1.88%

|votes chg = +0.59%

|seats = 0

|seats chg = – 1

}}

{{Australian elections/Total row |

|total_votes = 1,395,575

|total_seats = 89

}}

{{Australian elections/2PP summary |

|party id 2 = Labor QLD

|2pp votes 2 =

|2pp % 2 = 46.0%

|2pp chg 2 = -0.6%

|party id 1 = Nationals QLD

|party 1 = National/Liberal

|2pp votes 1 =

|2pp % 1 = 54.0%

|2pp chg 1 = +0.6%

}}

{{bar box|title=Popular vote|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars=

{{bar percent|Labor|{{party color|Australian Labor Party}}|41.35}}

{{bar percent|Nationals|{{party color|National Party of Australia}}|39.64}}

{{bar percent|Liberal|{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}|16.50}}

{{bar percent|Democrats|{{party color|Australian Democrats}}|0.63}}

{{bar percent|Independents|{{party color|Independent}}|1.88}}

}}

{{bar box|title=Seats|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars=

{{bar percent|Nationals|{{party color|National Party of Australia}}|55.06}}

{{bar percent|Labor|{{party color|Australian Labor Party}}|33.71}}

{{bar percent|Liberal|{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}|11.24}}

}}

Seats changing hands

class="wikitable"

rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"| Seat

| colspan="4" style="text-align:center"| 1985 Redistribution

| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"| Swing

| colspan="4" style="text-align:center"| 1986 Election

colspan="2" style="text-align:center"| Party

| style="text-align:center"| Member

| style="text-align:center"| Margin

| style="text-align:center"| Member

| colspan="2" style="text-align:center"| Party

Ashgrove

|{{Australian party style|Labor}}|

| Labor

|Tom Veivers

| style="text-align:right;"| 2.60

| style="text-align:right;"| -4.64

| style="text-align:right;"| 2.04

|Alan Sherlock

| Liberal

|{{Australian party style|Liberal}}|

Callide

| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |

| Independent

|Lindsay Hartwig

| style="text-align:right;" | 9.30

| style="text-align:right;" | -2.50

| style="text-align:right;" | 13.20

|Di McCauley

| National

| {{Australian party style|National}} |

Merthyr

| {{Australian party style|Liberal}} |

| Liberal

|Don Lane¹

| style="text-align:right;" | 9.80

| style="text-align:right;" | -15.84

| style="text-align:right;" | 6.04

|Don Lane

| National

| {{Australian party style|National}} |

Mount Isa

| {{Australian party style|Labor}} |

| Labor

|Bill Price

| style="text-align:right;" | 1.70

| style="text-align:right;" | -4.44

| style="text-align:right;" | 2.74

|Peter Beard

| Liberal

| {{Australian party style|Liberal}} |

Stafford

| {{Australian party style|Labor}} |

|Labor

|notional²

| style="text-align:right;" | 3.20

| style="text-align:right;" | -7.66

| style="text-align:right;" | 4.46

|Terry Gygar

|Liberal

| {{Australian party style|Liberal}} |

Toowong

| {{Australian party style|National}} |

| National

|Earle Bailey

| style="text-align:right;" | 2.80

| style="text-align:right;" | -21.17

| style="text-align:right;" | 18.37

|Denver Beanland

| Liberal

| {{Australian party style|Liberal}} |

Members listed in italics did not recontest their seats.
¹ Don Lane was elected for the Liberal Party in 1983, but immediately resigned and joined the National Party to enter the ministry.
² Terry Gygar gained Stafford for the Liberal Party at the 1984 by-election. The Labor Party won the seat at the 1983 election.

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"|National seats (49)

COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="Green" |Marginal

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Maryborough

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Gilbert Alison

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |0.74%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Broadsound

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Denis Hinton

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |1.96%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Pine Rivers

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Yvonne Chapman

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |3.55%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Mulgrave

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Max Menzel

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |3.71%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Warrego

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Howard Hobbs

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |3.74%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Redlands

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Paul Clauson

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |3.83%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Barron River

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Martin Tenni

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |4.04%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Aspley

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Beryce Nelson

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |4.11%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Greenslopes

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Leisha Harvey

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |4.23%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Townsville

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Tony Burreket

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |4.43%

align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Mansfield

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Craig Sherrin

| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |5.49%

COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="green" |Fairly Safe

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Merthyr

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Don Lane

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |6.04%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Springwood

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Huan Fraser

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |6.18%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Mount Gravatt

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Ian Henderson

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |6.69%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Glass House

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Bill Newton

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |6.93%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Hinchinbrook

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Ted Row

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |6.95%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Isis

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Lin Powell

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |7.40%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Toowoomba North

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Sandy McPhie

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |7.62%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Mirani

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Jim Randell

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |8.29%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Tablelands

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Tom Gilmore

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |8.70%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Currumbin

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Leo Gately

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |8.88%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Whitsunday

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Geoff Muntz

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |9.00%

align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Nerang

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Tom Hynd

| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |NAT

| align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |9.98%

COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="green" |Safe

align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |Cooroora

| align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |Gordon Simpson