2022 North West Central state by-election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2022 North West Central state by-election
| country = Western Australia
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2021 Western Australian state election
| previous_year = 2021
| election_date = 17 September 2022
| next_election = 2025 Western Australian state election
| next_year = 2025
| registered = 11,189
| turnout = 42.2%
| candidate1 = Merome Beard
| image1 = 150x150px
| party1 = National
| popular_vote1 = 2,042
| percentage1 = 40.2%
| swing1 = {{increase}} 0.4
| candidate2 = Will Baston
| image2 = 150x150px
| party2 = Liberal
| popular_vote2 = 1,353
| percentage2 = 26.6%
| swing2 = {{increase}} 18.7
| image3 = 150x150px
| party3 = Australian Greens
| candidate3 = Niels Glahn-Bertelsen
| popular_vote3 = 635
| percentage3 = 12.5%
| swing3 = {{increase}} 8.4
| 1blank = 2CP
| 1data1 = 60.5%
| 1data2 = 39.5%
| 2blank = 2CP change
| 2data1 = {{increase}} 8.8
| 2data2 = {{increase}} 39.5
| map_image = WA Election 2021 - North West Central.png
| map_caption = Map showing the electoral district of North West Central within Western Australia
| title = MP
| before_election = Vince Catania
| before_party = National
| after_election = Merome Beard
| after_party = National
}}
A by-election for the electoral district of North West Central in Western Australia took place on 17 September 2022 following the resignation of the sitting member, Nationals MP Vince Catania, on 8 August 2022. The election was won by National Party candidate Merome Beard.
Background
Vince Catania was initially elected to the electoral district of North West Central in 2008 as a Labor Party candidate, but he defected to the National Party in 2009. He had since won the 2013, 2017 and 2021 state elections as a National Party candidate. His margin at the 2021 election was only 259 votes, making it one of the closest seats in the state. In June 2022, Catania announced his intention to resign from Parliament in August 2022.{{cite web |last1=Hastie |first1=Hamish |title=Nationals MP Vince Catania announces retirement from WA parliament |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/nationals-mp-vince-catania-announces-retirement-from-wa-parliament-20220610-p5assn.html |website=WAtoday |access-date=13 July 2022 |date=10 June 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Spagnolo |first1=Joe |title=Vince Catania announces shock resignation from politics creating a by-election bombshell |url=https://thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/vince-catania-announces-shock-resignation-from-politics-plunging-alliance-into-further-disarray-c-7093608 |website=The West Australian |access-date=13 July 2022 |date=9 June 2022 |url-access=subscription}}{{cite web |last1=Bourke |first1=Keane |title=Nationals MP Vince Catania quits state politics, sparking West Australian by-election |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-10/nationals-mp-vince-catania-shock-resignation-from-politics/101141172 |website=ABC News |access-date=13 July 2022 |date=10 June 2022}} At the time, he was one of four National Party members in the Legislative Assembly. As the Liberal Party only had two members in the Legislative Assembly, the National Party was the senior party in the opposition alliance.
Catania tendered his resignation to the speaker on 8 August 2022. The election was scheduled to occur on 17 September 2022.{{cite web |last1=Bourke |first1=Keane |title=Nationals MP Vince Catania hands in resignation for WA seat of North West Central |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-09/vince-catania-resigns-triggering-byelection-north-west-central/101312940 |website=ABC News |access-date=9 August 2022 |date=9 August 2022}}
Candidates
The National Party chose Carnarvon hotel and pub owner Merome Beard as their candidate in late June. She was the only person nominated for preselection.{{cite web |last1=Hastie |first1=Hamish |title=Carnarvon pub owner picked to defend Nationals’ most marginal WA seat |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/carnarvon-pub-owner-picked-to-defend-nationals-most-marginal-wa-seat-20220629-p5axqr.html |website=WAtoday |access-date=13 July 2022 |date=29 June 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Pin |first1=Phoebe |title=Carnarvon businesswomen Merome ‘Mem’ Beard endorsed as Nationals WA candidate for North West Central |url=https://www.geraldtonguardian.com.au/news/geraldton-guardian/carnarvon-businesswomen-merome-mem-beard-endorsed-as-nationals-wa-candidate-for-north-west-central-c-7338589 |website=The Geraldton Guardian |publisher=West Australian Newspapers |access-date=13 July 2022 |date=29 June 2022}}
The Liberal Party chose Will Baston as their candidate on 13 July. He is the nephew of Barnett government minister Ken Baston and manager of the family's Jimba Jimba Station, a cattle station {{convert|150|km}} east of Carnarvon. He was the only person nominated for preselection. If he were to win the by-election, the National and Liberal parties would have three seats each, making it unclear which party would be the opposition party. The opposition leader and deputy opposition leader are determined by who is the leader and deputy leader of the opposition party. The opposition party also gets additional staff and resources. There is no known precedent or tiebreaker for when multiple parties have the same number of seats.{{cite web |last1=Ramsey |first1=Michael |title=Libs pick candidate to challenge Nats in regional WA by-election |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/libs-pick-candidate-to-challenge-nats-in-regional-wa-by-election-20220713-p5b1c6.html |website=WAtoday |agency=Australian Associated Press |access-date=13 July 2022 |date=13 July 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Zimmerman |first1=Josh |last2=Campbell |first2=Kate |title=Will Baston, nephew of ex-Barnett Minister Ken Baston, to contest North West Central by-election |url=https://thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/will-baston-nephew-of-ex-barnett-minister-ken-baston-to-contest-north-west-central-by-election--c-7438414 |website=The West Australian |access-date=13 July 2022 |date=8 July 2022}}
Labor was yet to decide if it will put forward a candidate as of mid-July, with there being little upside to winning considering the party already had 53 out of 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly. Premier Mark McGowan was opposed to fielding a candidate, whereas cabinet minister Alannah MacTiernan was strongly in favour. By 8 August, Labor had decided not to field a candidate, with McGowan saying that by-elections historically have been difficult for governments to win.{{cite web |last1=Law |first1=Peter |title=WA Labor to skip North West Central by-election amid tension between Mark McGowan and Alannah MacTiernan |url=https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/wa-labor-to-skip-north-west-central-by-election-amid-tension-between-mark-mcgowan-and-alannah-mactiernan-c-7798255 |website=The West Australian |access-date=9 August 2022 |date=9 August 2022 |url-access=subscription}}{{cite web |last1=Ramsey |first1=Michael |title=WA premier defends by-election no show |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7854249/wa-premier-defends-by-election-no-show/ |website=The Canberra Times |agency=Australian Associated Press |access-date=9 August 2022 |date=9 August 2022}} Out of the 11 by-elections from 2008 to 2022, incumbent governments have not contested five.{{cite web |last1=Ferguson |first1=Kate |title=Voters in North West Central still want to know why WA government isn't fielding a candidate |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-10/north-west-central-by-election-one-week-out/101412376 |website=ABC News |access-date=17 September 2022 |date=10 September 2022}} The opposition used Labor's lack of candidacy to suggest that the government doesn't care about regional areas.{{cite web |last1=Carmody |first1=James |title=How the North West Central by-election could shake up politics in Western Australia |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-17/north-west-central-byelection-shake-up-wa-politics/101446866 |website=ABC News |access-date=17 September 2022 |date=17 September 2022}}
The Greens preselected Exmouth local Niels Glahn-Bertelsen, an educator and environmentalist.{{cite web |title=North West Central |url=https://greens.org.au/wa/person/niels-glahn-bertelsen |website=WA Greens |date=10 August 2022 |access-date=11 August 2022}}
In total, there are 12 candidates, a record number for North West Central. Out of those candidates, three live in the electorate: Beard, Baston and Glahn-Bertelsen. The full list of candidates, in ballot order, is as follows:
| class="wikitable"
|+ !colspan=2|Party{{cite web |title=2022 North West Central By-election |url=https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/elections/state/byelection#/2022-North-West-Central-By-election |website=Western Australian Electoral Commission |access-date=29 August 2022}} |
| {{Australian party style|Greens}}|
|Niels Glahn-Bertelsen |
| {{Australian party style|Western Australia Party}}|
|Andrea Randle |
| {{Australian party style|Small Business Party}}|
|Peter Baker |
| {{Australian party style|Nationals}}|
|Merome Beard |
| {{Australian party style|One Nation}}|
|Gerald Laurent |
| {{Australian party style|Legalise Cannabis}}|
|Legalise Cannabis Western Australia Party |Leanne Lockyer |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal Democrats}}|
|Jake Adkins McCoull |
| {{Australian party style|Western Australia Party}}| |
| {{Australian party style|No Mandatory Vaccination}}|
|Aaron Horsman |
| {{Australian party style|Independent}}|
|Independent |Peter D Dunne |
| {{Australian party style|Independent}}|
|Independent |Tony Stokes |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal Party of Australia}}|
|Will Baston |
Election results
{{main|Electoral results for the district of North West Central}}
{{Election box begin
|title = 2022 North West Central state by-election[https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/elections/state/byelection#/2022-North-West-Central-By-election 2022 North West Central By-election], WAEC
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Merome Beard
|party = WA Nationals
|votes = 2,042
|percentage = 40.2
|change = +0.4
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Will Baston
|party = Liberal WA
|votes = 1,353
|percentage = 26.6
|change = +18.7
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Niels Glahn-Bertelsen
|party = Greens WA
|votes = 635
|percentage = 12.5
|change = +8.4
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Leanne Lockyer
|party = Legalise Cannabis WA
|votes = 269
|percentage = 5.3
|change = +5.3
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Andrea Randle
|party = Western Australia Party
|votes = 202
|percentage = 4.0
|change = +4.0
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Gerald Laurent
|party = One Nation
|votes = 197
|percentage = 3.9
|change = +0.9
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Anthony Fels
|party = Western Australia Party
|votes = 108
|percentage = 2.1
|change = +2.1
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Aaron Horsman
|party = No Mandatory Vaccination
|votes = 82
|percentage = 1.6
|change = +0.6
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Peter Dunne
|party = Independent
|votes = 55
|percentage = 1.1
|change = +1.1
}}
|-
| {{Australian party style|WAXIt|width:1px}} |
| style="text-align:left;"| Small Business
| style="text-align:left;"| Peter Baker
| style="text-align:right;"| 55
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.1
| style="text-align:right;"| +1.1
|-
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Tony Stokes
|party = Independent
|votes = 44
|percentage = 0.9
|change = +0.9
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Jake McCoull
|party = Liberal Democrats
|votes = 42
|percentage = 0.8
|change = +0.8
}}
{{Election box formal
|votes = 5,084
|percentage = 95.3
|change = −0.2
}}
{{Election box informal
|votes = 251
|percentage = 4.7
|change = +0.2
}}
{{Election box turnout
|votes = 5,335
|percentage = 47.7
|change =
}}
{{Election box 2cp}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Merome Beard
|party = WA Nationals
|votes = 3,071
|percentage = 60.5
|change = +8.8
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party
|candidate = Will Baston
|party = Liberal WA
|votes = 2,008
|percentage = 39.5
|change = +39.5
}}
{{Election box hold AU party
|winner = WA Nationals
|swing = No
}}
{{Election box end}}
=Previous=
{{excerpt|Results of the 2021 Western Australian state election (Legislative Assembly)|North West Central}}