1986 Western Australian state election
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All 57 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly and 17 (of the 34) seats to the Western Australian Legislative Council 29 Assembly seats were needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 8 February 1986 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and 17 members to the 34-seat Legislative Council. The Labor government, led by Premier Brian Burke, won a second term in office against the Liberal Party, led by Opposition Leader Bill Hassell since 16 February 1984.
The election resulted in one of Labor's best state election results after World War II, and featured a united National Party for the first time since the 1977 election.
Results
Legislative Assembly
Western Australian state election, 8 February 1986 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enrolled voters | 883,239 | |||||
Votes cast | 807,634 | Turnout | 91.44% | +3.51% | ||
Informal votes | 21,240 | Informal | 2.63% | –0.20% | ||
Summary of votes by party | ||||||
Party | Primary votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |
Labor | 416,805 | 53.00% | –0.16% | 32 | ± 0 | |
Liberal | 324,961 | 41.32% | +1.46% | 19 | – 1 | |
National[1] | 29,156 | 3.71% | –1.40% | 6 | + 1 | |
Democrats | 5,192 | 0.66% | –0.14% | 0 | ± 0 | |
Other parties | 2,630 | 0.33% | –0.73% | 0 | ± 0 | |
Independent | 7,650 | 0.98% | +0.48% | 0 | ± 0 | |
Total | 786,394 | 57 | ||||
Two-party-preferred | ||||||
Labor | 427,704 | 54.12% | +0.37% | |||
Liberal | 362,642 | 45.88% | –0.37% |
Notes:
- 1 The National Country Party (NCP) and the National Party (NP), which had been two separate parties from 1978 onwards, united in 1985 to form the National Party. Three sitting members who had previously identified as National Country Party stood for the Liberal Party in 1986, with two losing their seats to the Nationals, and the other (Bert Crane in Moore) retaining his seat. The Nationals also gained Avon from the Labor Party, and Mount Marshall from the Liberals, who had held it for a single term.
Legislative Council
Western Australian state election, 8 February 1986 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enrolled voters | 883,239 | |||||
Votes cast | 807,496 | Turnout | 91.42% | +2.44% | ||
Informal votes | 26,530 | Informal | 3.29% | –0.43% | ||
Summary of votes by party | ||||||
Party | Primary votes | % | Swing | Seats won | Seats held | |
Labor | 352,437 | 45.13% | –5.50% | 9 | 15 | |
Liberal | 327,786 | 41.97% | +0.40% | 6 | 15 | |
National | 37,194 | 4.76% | –1.59% | 2 | 4 | |
Democrats | 63,483 | 8.13% | +6.68% | 0 | 0 | |
Independent | 66 | 0.01% | +0.01% | 0 | 0 | |
Total | 780,966 | 17 | 34 | |||
Two-party-preferred | ||||||
Labor | 418,124 | 53.54% | +0.57% | |||
Liberal | 361,160 | 46.25% | –0.57% |
Seats changing parties
Seat | Pre-1986 | Swing | Post-1986 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Member | Margin | Margin | Member | Party | ||||
Avon | Labor | Ken McIver | 8.4* | N/A | 1.8** | Max Trenorden | National | ||
Mount Marshall | Liberal | Bill McNee | 5.7*** | N/A | 3.3 | Mort Schell | National | ||
Subiaco | Independent | Tom Dadour | 1.6** | 3.3 | 1.7* | Carmen Lawrence | Labor |
- Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
- * figure is vs. Liberal
- ** figure is vs. Labor
- *** figure is vs. National (pre-merger)
Post-election pendulum
Labor seats (32) | |||
Marginal | |||
Geraldton | Jeff Carr | ALP | 0.4% |
Subiaco | Carmen Lawrence | ALP | 1.7% |
Warren | David Evans | ALP | 2.9% |
Collie | Tom Jones | ALP | 4.2% |
Mundaring | Gavan Troy | ALP | 5.3% |
Bunbury | Phil Smith | ALP | 5.4% |
Fairly safe | |||
Esperance-Dundas | Judyth Watson | ALP | 7.1% |
Mandurah | John Read | ALP | 9.4% |
Joondalup | Jackie Watkins | ALP | 9.5% |
Whitford | Pam Beggs | ALP | 9.8% |
Nollamara | Keith Wilson | ALP | 9.9% |
Safe | |||
Mitchell | David Smith | ALP | 10.0% |
Scarborough | Graham Burkett | ALP | 10.3% |
Welshpool | Bill Thomas | ALP | 13.2% |
Balcatta | Ron Bertram | ALP | 13.4% |
Helena | Gordon Hill | ALP | 14.5% |
Rockingham | Mike Barnett | ALP | 14.6% |
Pilbara | Pam Buchanan | ALP | 14.7% |
Gosnells | Yvonne Henderson | ALP | 14.8% |
Perth | Terry Burke | ALP | 14.9% |
Victoria Park | Ron Davies | ALP | 14.9% |
Armadale | Bob Pearce | ALP | 15.7% |
Canning | Tom Bateman | ALP | 15.8% |
Kimberley | Ernie Bridge | ALP | 16.5% |
Morley-Swan | Arthur Tonkin | ALP | 16.9% |
Maylands | Peter Dowding | ALP | 17.1% |
Ascot | Mal Bryce | ALP | 18.2% |
Melville | Barry Hodge | ALP | 19.5% |
Fremantle | David Parker | ALP | 21.8% |
Cockburn | Clive Hughes | ALP | 24.7% |
Balga | Brian Burke | ALP | 29.6% |
Kalgoorlie | Ian Taylor | ALP | 30.1% v IND |
Liberal/National seats (25) | |||
Marginal | |||
Dale | Cyril Rushton | LIB | 1.6% |
Murchison-Eyre | Ross Lightfoot | LIB | 1.6% |
Avon | Max Trenorden | NAT | 1.8% |
Mount Lawley | George Cash | LIB | 2.1% |
Murdoch | Barry MacKinnon | LIB | 2.3% |
Albany | Leon Watt | LIB | 3.3% |
Mount Marshall | Mort Schell | NAT | 3.3% v LIB |
Fairly safe | |||
Darling Range | George Spriggs | LIB | 6.2% |
Karrinyup | Jim Clarko | LIB | 6.3% |
South Perth | Bill Grayden | LIB | 6.5% |
Clontarf | Tony Williams | LIB | 8.1% |
Cottesloe | Bill Hassell | LIB | 8.2% |
Kalamunda | Ian Thompson | LIB | 8.9% |
Narrogin | Cambell Nalder | NAT | 9.1% v LIB |
Murray-Wellington | John Bradshaw | LIB | 9.8% |
Safe | |||
East Melville | Richard Lewis | LIB | 10.0% |
Gascoyne | Ian Laurance | LIB | 10.5% |
Katanning-Roe | Monty House | NAT | 11.2% v LIB |
Stirling | Matt Stephens | NAT | 12.2% v LIB |
Vasse | Barry Blaikie | LIB | 13.5% |
Floreat | Andrew Mensaros | LIB | 14.6% |
Nedlands | Richard Court | LIB | 14.9% |
Greenough | Reg Tubby | LIB | 23.6% |
Moore | Bert Crane | LIB | 24.5% |
Merredin | Hendy Cowan | NAT | 29.0% |
Opinion polling
Date | Primary vote | Leader's approval rating | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Labor | Liberal-National | Labor | Liberal | |
19 February 1983 election | 53.8 | 44.2 | — | — |
March–April 1983 | 58 | 37 | 70 | 44 |
May–June 1983 | 55 | 41 | 72 | 48 |
July–August 1983 | 51 | 43 | 68 | 47 |
September–October 1983 | 48 | 47 | 63 | 43 |
November–December 1983 | 56 | 40 | 63 | 45 |
January–February 1984 | 53 | 42 | 71 | 37 |
15 February 1984 | Bill Hassell replaces Ray O'Connor as leader of the Liberal Party | |||
March–April 1984 | 49 | 46 | 68 | 38 |
May–June 1984 | 54 | 41 | 66 | 38 |
July–August 1984 | 50 | 46 | 65 | 40 |
September–October 1984 | 57 | 38 | 69 | 39 |
November–December 1984 | 53 | 42 | 63 | 41 |
January–February 1985 | 45 | 49 | 58 | 39 |
March–April 1985 | 45 | 47 | 53 | 36 |
May–June 1985 | 45 | 48 | 61 | 37 |
July–August 1985 | 48 | 47 | 64 | 34 |
September–October 1985 | 49 | 45 | 61 | 32 |
November–December 1985 | 53 | 40 | 65 | 32 |
8 February 1986 election | 53.2 | 44.9 | — | — |
See also
- Candidates of the 1986 Western Australian state election
- Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1983–1986
- Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1986–1989
References
- ^ Hamilton, John (1988). Burkie: A biography of Brian Burke. St. George Books. pp. 217–218. ISBN 0867780363.
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