2022 Strathfield state by-election
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 2022 Strathfield state by-election
| country = Australia
| type = Parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 2019 New South Wales state election
| previous_year = 2019
| election_date = 12 February 2022
| next_election = 2023 New South Wales state election
| next_year = 2023
| registered = 55,220
| turnout = 80.2%
| seats_for_election = Electoral district of Strathfield in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
| candidate1 = Jason Yat-Sen Li
| image1 = 150x150px
| party1 = Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch)
| popular_vote1 = 18,034
| candidate2 = Bridget Sakr
| image2 = 150x150px
| party2 = Liberal Party of Australia
| popular_vote2 = 15,921
| 1blank = Percentage
| 1data1 = 41.05%
| 1data2 = 36.24%
| 2blank = Swing
| 2data1 = {{decrease}}3.25pp
| 2data2 = {{decrease}}2.64pp
| 3blank = 2CP
| 3data1 = 55.81%
| 3data2 = 44.19%
| 4blank = 2CP change
| 4data1 = {{increase}}0.81pp
| 4data2 = {{decrease}}0.81pp
| map_image = NSW Electoral District 2019 - Strathfield.png
| map_size =
| map_caption = The Electoral district of Strathfield in New South Wales
| title = MP
| before_election = Jodi McKay
| before_party = Labor
| after_election = Jason Yat-Sen Li
| after_party = Labor
| flag_image = Flag_of_New_South_Wales.svg
}}
A by-election was held in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Strathfield on 12 February 2022, following the resignation of former leader of the Labor Party Jodi McKay.{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Antony |title=Strathfield By-election |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/nsw/2022/guide/strathfield|access-date=16 January 2022 |work=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |language=en}}
The Strathfield by-election was held on the same day as by-elections for the districts of Bega, Monaro and Willoughby. The writs for election were issued on 21 January 2022. Nominations for candidates closed seven days later at noon on 27 January, with the ballot paper draw commencing in the morning of 28 January.{{cite web |title=Strathfield State by-election |url=https://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/Elections/State-government-elections/Strathfield-By-election |publisher=NSW Electoral Commission |access-date=11 February 2022}}
The NSW Electoral Commission pre-emptively sent postal ballots to all voters registered on the state electoral roll, under a regulation in a COVID amendment to the Electoral Act. Postal votes were checked against in-person voting rolls to prevent double voting. The iVote online voting system was not used at these elections after the system failed during the NSW local government elections in December 2021.{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Antony |title=Antony Green explains how living with COVID could affect elections, starting tomorrow |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-11/antony-green-explains-how-covid-could-affect-how-we-vote/100819200 |access-date=11 February 2022 |work=ABC News |date=10 February 2022 |language=en-AU}}
Candidates
| class="wikitable" |
| colspan="5" | Candidates (in ballot paper order){{cite web |title=Nominated candidates for the 2022 Strathfield State by-election |url=https://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/Elections/State-government-elections/Strathfield-By-election/nominated-candidates |publisher=NSW Electoral Commission |access-date=28 January 2022}} |
|---|
| colspan="2" | Party
! Candidate ! Background ! Notes |
| {{Australian party style|Sustainable Australia}}|
| Ellie Robertson | Currently serving on three Local Council Advisory Committees, an Executive Board Member for the Australian Local Government Women’s Association, a Board Member of South West Sydney Christian Special Religious Education, and a Committee Member of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Australia{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} | |
| {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| Labor | Executive Chairman of Vantage Asia Holdings, corporate advisor, investor and businessman, Pro-Chancellor of the University of Sydney. Unity Party candidate for the NSW Senate in 1998, Labor candidate for Bennelong at the 2013 federal election, a Labor candidate for the NSW Senate in 2019 |
| {{Australian party style|Independent}}|
| Director of The National Trust (NSW), former Associate Professor at UNSW, architect, author, activist, columnist, and former City of Sydney Councillor |
| {{Australian party style|Animal Justice}}|
| Rohan Laxmanalal | Professional background in finance, specialising in emerging renewable energy and environmental markets{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} | |
| {{Australian party style|Greens}}|
| Greens | Courtney Buckley | Photographer | |
| {{Australian party style|Liberal NSW}}|
| Liberal | Bridget Sakr | Co-founder of Granite Home Loans, former executive at Genworth Financial, former ambassador for The Risk Board, former executive consultant to the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia, and founder of heartFELT | [https://nswliberal.org.au/Bridget-Sakr-will-fight-for-the-Strathfield-community "Bridget Sakr will fight for the Strathfield community"], Liberal Party NSW, 20 December 2021 |
Campaign
One of the major issues of the campaign is the impacts of COVID-19 on business and the lives of the constituents and the perceptions of Dominic Perrottet handling of the virus.{{Cite web|last=Cormack|first=Lucy|date=2022-02-05|title='People are afraid to leave their homes': Strathfield byelection candidates gear up for a fight|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/people-are-afraid-to-leave-their-homes-strathfield-byelection-candidates-gear-up-for-a-fight-20220204-p59tt0.html|access-date=2022-02-08|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}} Other issues include challenges of overdevelopment and the number of high rise towers in the area. Li has said that in theory he is not opposed to considering Chinese investment if the right opportunity came about.{{Cite web|last=Bagshaw|first=Eryk|date=2019-04-28|title=Key Labor candidate says Parliament needs ethnic diversity targets|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/key-labor-candidate-says-parliament-needs-ethnic-diversity-targets-20190423-p51geh.html|access-date=2022-02-08|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}
There was criticism from the chair of the Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW Peter Doukas that the voting packs that were sent out to voters was not sent out in multiple languages. Strathfield has one of the highest proportions of non-English speakers, and the fear is that this could increase the rate of informal voting.{{Cite news|date=2022-02-05|title=Lack of multilingual information in Strathfield by-election postal votes not serving democracy, peak ethnic body says|language=en-AU|work=ABC News|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-06/strathfield-by-election-postal-votes-lack-multilingual-info/100807802|access-date=2022-02-08}}
Most of the votes were postal, counted a week later on 19 February 2022.
Results
{{Election box begin
|title=2022 Strathfield state by-election{{hsp}}{{Cite web|url=https://results.elections.nsw.gov.au/SB2201/Strathfield/Parliamentary/CheckCountPreferencesReport.html |title=LA - Check Count First Preference District Summary - Strathfield|work=Strathfield State By-Election 22-MAY-2021|publisher=NSW Electoral Commission |access-date=28 February 2022}}{{cite web |title=LA - Check Count TCP District Summary - Strathfield|url=https://results.elections.nsw.gov.au/SB2201/Strathfield/Parliamentary/CheckCountTCPReport.html |website=Strathfield State By-Election 12-FEB-2022 |publisher=New South Wales Electoral Commission |access-date=28 February 2022}}
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Jason Yat-Sen Li
|party = Labor NSW
|votes = 18,034
|percentage = 41.05
|change = −3.25
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Bridget Sakr
|party = Liberal NSW
|votes = 15,921
|percentage = 36.24
|change = −2.64
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Elizabeth Farrelly
|party = Independent
|votes = 4,328
|percentage = 9.85
|change = +9.85
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Courtney Buckley
|party = Greens NSW
|votes = 2,930
|percentage = 6.67
|change = −2.12
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Ellie Robertson
|party = Sustainable Australia
|votes = 1,795
|percentage = 4.09
|change = +4.09
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Rohan Laxmanalal
|party = Animal Justice
|votes = 920
|percentage = 2.09
|change = −0.13
}}
{{Election box formal|
|votes = 43,928
|percentage = 98.42
|change = +1.44
}}
{{Election box informal|
|votes = 703
|percentage = 1.58
|change = −1.44
}}
{{Election box turnout|
|votes = 44,631
|percentage = 80.82
|change = −8.22
}}
{{Election box 2pp}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Jason Yat-Sen Li
|party = Labor NSW
|votes = 21,670
|percentage = 55.81
|change = +0.81
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Bridget Sakr
|party = Liberal NSW
|votes = 17,160
|percentage = 44.19
|change = −0.81
}}
{{Election box hold AU party|
|winner = Labor
|swing = +0.81
}}
{{Election box end}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/Elections/State-government-elections/Strathfield-By-election New South Wales Electoral Commission: Strathfield State by-election]
{{NSW by-elections 57th parl|state=expanded}}
{{Results of New South Wales state elections}}