2018 Wagga Wagga state by-election
{{Short description|Election result for Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox election
| country = New South Wales
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| election_date = 8 September 2018
| image1 = Joe McGirr 2018 (cropped).jpg
| candidate1 = Joe McGirr
| party1 = Independent politician
| popular_vote1 = 12,003
| percentage1 = 25.4%
| swing1 = {{increase}}25.4pp
| image2 = 150x150px
| candidate2 = Julia Ham
| party2 = Liberal Party of Australia
| popular_vote2 = 12,031
| percentage2 = 25.5%
| swing2 = {{decrease}}28.3pp
| image4 = 150x150px
| candidate4 = Dan Hayes
| party4 = Australian Labor Party
| popular_vote4 = 11,197
| percentage4 = 23.7%
| swing4 = {{decrease}}4.4pp
| image5 = {{Election image filler|Independent politician|IND|150x150px}}
| candidate5 = Paul Funnell
| party5 = Independent politician
| popular_vote5 = 5,028
| percentage5 = 10.6%
| swing5 = {{increase}}0.9pp
| 1blank = TCP
| 2blank = TCP swing
| 1data1 = 59.6%
| 1data2 = 40.4%
| 2data1 = {{increase}}59.6pp
| 2data2 = {{decrease}}22.5pp
| map_image = NSW Electoral District 2019 - Wagga Wagga.png
| map_caption = Location of the electoral district of Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.
| title = MP
| before_election = Daryl Maguire
| before_party = Liberal Party of Australia
| after_election = Joe McGirr
| after_party = Independent politician
}}
A by-election was held in the New South Wales state electoral district of Wagga Wagga on 8 September 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/wagga-wagga-byelection-set-for-sept-8/news-story/c05d3e703b4684251eb9bc0ed4d52013|title=Wagga Wagga by-election set for Sept 8|date=6 August 2018|work=News.com.au}} The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Daryl Maguire, a Liberal-turned-independent. Maguire resigned from Parliament the previous month after admitting to a corruption inquiry that he sought payment over a property deal.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/nsw-mp-daryl-maguire-officially-resigns-after-corruption-scandal|title=NSW MP Daryl Maguire officially resigns after corruption scandal|date=3 August 2018|work=SBS News}}
The day after the vote ABC election expert Antony Green predicted the by-election would be won by independent candidate Joe McGirr.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-09/anthony-green-calls-by-election-for-joe-mcgirr/10219584|title=Wagga Wagga by-election: Antony Green calls it for Dr Joe McGirr|work=ABC News|date=9 September 2018}} McGirr was later confirmed as the victorious candidate by the New South Wales Electoral Commission, winning 59.6% of the two-candidate preferred vote over Liberal candidate Julia Ham.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/mcgirr-officially-declared-wagga-winner|title=McGirr officially declared Wagga winner|work=SBS News|date=14 September 2018}} The Liberal primary vote plunged by more than 28% – a loss of more than half of its primary vote from 2015–resulting in the seat falling out of Liberal hands for the first time since 1957.{{cite news |title=Bye Bye Liberal Stronghold: Wagga Wagga Lost After 61 Years |url=https://tendaily.com.au/news/politics/a180909rhf/bye-bye-liberal-stronghold-wagga-wagga-lost-after-61-years-20180909 |accessdate=9 September 2018 |work=Ten Daily |agency=AAP |publisher=Network Ten |date=9 September 2018 |language=en-AU}} McGirr only trailed the Liberals by 28 votes on the first count, and was elected on Labor preferences.
The by-election came two weeks after two federal Liberal leadership spills on 21 and 24 August, which resulted in the removal of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The massive primary vote swing against the Liberals was put down to fallout from the spills.{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/5633928/nsw-govt-bracing-for-wagga-wagga-loss/|title=NSW Govt bracing for Wagga Wagga loss|date=7 September 2018|work=The Advocate}} The swing against the Liberals was actually large enough to make this long-standing conservative bastion a notional Labor seat in a "traditional" two-party-preferred contest between the Liberals and Labor for the first time in over 60 years.
Candidates
The Nationals elected not to field a candidate, following considerable debate between the two Coalition partners.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/we-will-not-allow-a-political-fight-to-get-in-the-way-20180727-p4zu3s.html|title=NSW Nationals elect to skip Wagga Wagga byelection|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=27 July 2018}} Although Wagga Wagga had been held by the Liberals without interruption since 1957, a number of Nationals believed Wagga Wagga was naturally a National seat.{{cite news |last1=Visentin |first1=Lisa |title='I won't resign': Disgraced MP Daryl Maguire refuses to quit after ICAC appearance |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/i-won-t-resign-disgraced-mp-daryl-maguire-refuses-to-quit-after-icac-appearance-20180716-p4zrqf.html |accessdate=2018-07-18 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=2018-07-16}} It is located within an area that has long been considered National heartland, and is mostly served by the safe federal National seat of Riverina. At the time, every state electorate held by the Coalition in regional and rural New South Wales (other than on the South Coast) was held by a National MP, the only exception being Albury (currently both Albury and Port Macquarie are held by the Liberal Party).
| class="wikitable"
! colspan=4 | Candidates (in order they appear on ballot){{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/wagga-wagga-by-election-2018/|title=2018 Wagga Wagga state by-election|work=ABC Elections}} |
| colspan=2 | Party
! Candidate |
|---|
| {{Australian party style|Shooters, Fishers and Farmers}} |
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | Seb McDonagh | Former president of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service Oura brigade and an IT service desk administrator. |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}} |
| Liberal | Julia Ham | An early childhood teacher and consultant who runs a specialist sheep farm and was elected to the Snowy Valleys Council at the 2017 local government elections. |
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |
| A doctor and associate dean with the University of Notre Dame; previously contested the seat in 2011 and recorded 30.6% of the vote. |
| {{Australian party style|Greens}} |
| Greens | Ray Goodlass | Former councillor on the Wagga Wagga City Council from 2008-2012; previously contested this seat, the seat of Murray and the federal Division of Riverina. |
| {{Australian party style|Christian Democrats}} |
| Tom Arentz | Has worked as a carpenter, builder, foreman, senior estimator and project manager. |
| {{Australian party style|Independent}} |
| Paul Funnell | Former manager of an IGA supermarket, re-elected member of the Wagga Wagga City Council in 2016. |
| {{Australian party style|country labor nsw}} |
| {{Australian politics/name|country labor nsw}} | Dan Hayes | A practising psychologist who was the Labor candidate for the seat at the 2015 state election and was elected to the Wagga Wagga City Council in 2016. |
Results
{{Election box begin
|title=
Saturday 8 September{{hsp}}[https://results.elections.nsw.gov.au/SB1801/Wagga_Wagga/Parliamentary/FirstPreferencesReport.html First Preference Votes Report Parliamentary Election: Wagga Wagga], NSWEC.[http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/results/by-elections/state/wagga_wagga_state_by-election_8_september_2018/2018_wagga_wagga_state_by-election_results_-_distribution_of_preferences Distribution of Preferences Report Parliamentary Election: Wagga Wagga], NSWEC.
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Julia Ham
|party = Liberal NSW
|votes = 12,031
|percentage = 25.5
|change = −28.3
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Joe McGirr
|party = Independent
|votes = 12,003
|percentage = 25.4
|change = +25.4
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Dan Hayes
|party = country labor nsw
|votes = 11,197
|percentage = 23.7
|change = −4.4
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Paul Funnell
|party = Independent
|votes = 5,028
|percentage = 10.6
|change = +0.9
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Seb McDonagh
|party = Shooters, Fishers and Farmers
|votes = 4,682
|percentage = 9.9
|change = +9.9
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Ray Goodlass
|party = Greens NSW
|votes = 1,377
|percentage = 2.9
|change = −2.1
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Tom Arentz
|party = Christian Democrats
|votes = 900
|percentage = 1.9
|change = −0.4
}}
{{Election box formal|
|votes = 47,218
|percentage = 96.8
|change = +0.0
}}
{{Election box informal|
|votes = 1,561
|percentage = 3.2
|change = −0.0
}}
{{Election box turnout
|votes = 48,779
|percentage = 88.3
|change = −1.9
}}
{{Election box 2pp}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Dan Hayes
|party = Country Labor NSW
|votes = 18,495
|percentage = 50.1
|change = +13.0
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Julia Ham
|party = Liberal NSW
|votes = 18,389
|percentage = 49.9
|change = −13.0
}}
{{Election box 2cp}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Joe McGirr
|party = Independent
|votes = 23,001
|percentage = 59.6
|change = +59.6
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Julia Ham
|party = Liberal NSW
|votes = 15,570
|percentage = 40.4
|change = −22.5
}}
{{Election box gain AU party
|winner = Independent
|loser = Liberal
|swing = N/A
}}
{{Election box end}}
Daryl Maguire, ({{Australian politics/name|Liberal NSW}}/{{Australian politics/name|Independent}}) resigned.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/nsw-mp-daryl-maguire-officially-resigns-after-corruption-scandal|title=NSW MP Daryl Maguire officially resigns after corruption scandal|date=3 August 2018|work=SBS News}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/wagga-wagga-by-election-2018/ ABC Elections: Wagga Wagga by-election]
- [http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/elections/wagga_wagga_state_by-election_8_september_2018 NSW Electoral Commission: Wagga Wagga by-election]
{{NSW by-elections 56th parl|state=expanded}}
{{Results of New South Wales state elections}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wagga Wagga 2018}}