2018 Fremantle by-election

A by-election for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Fremantle took place on Saturday 28 July 2018, following the resignation of incumbent Labor MP Josh Wilson.^[1]

2018 Fremantle by-election

← 2016 28 July 2018 (2018-07-28) 2019 →
Division of Fremantle (WA) in the House of Representatives
Registered	103,149
Turnout	66.09% 22.72
First party Second party Third party   LDP Candidate Josh Wilson Dorinda Cox John Gray Party Labor Greens Liberal Democrats Popular vote 33,277 10,456 8,916 Percentage 52.62% 16.53% 14.10% Swing 11.63 1.21 14.10 TCP 73.33% 26.67% TCP change 15.81 26.67
MP before election Josh Wilson Labor Elected MP Josh Wilson Labor

In early counting, within 90 minutes of the close of polls, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's psephologist Antony Green's electoral computer had predicted Labor to retain the electorate with an increased margin.^[2] This election is notable for being the first time that a Liberal Democrats candidate was included in the two-candidate-preferred counting in an Australian federal election.

The by-election occurred on the same day as four other by-elections for the House of Representatives, colloquially known as Super Saturday.

Background

Due to the High Court ruling against Senator Katy Gallagher on 9 May 2018 as part of the ongoing parliamentary eligibility crisis, Wilson and three other MPs in the same situation announced their parliamentary resignations later that day,^[1] while the Perth incumbent resigned for family reasons.^[3] The Speaker announced on 24 May 2018 that he had scheduled the by-elections to occur on 28 July 2018. Popularly labelled "Super Saturday", the occurrence of five simultaneous federal by-elections is unprecedented in Australian political history.^[4] The others are:

• 2018 Braddon by-election
• 2018 Longman by-election
• 2018 Mayo by-election
• 2018 Perth by-election

Key dates

Key dates in relation to the by-election are:^[5]

• Thursday, 10 May 2018 – Speaker acceptance of resignation
• Friday, 15 June 2018 – Issue of writ
• Friday, 22 June 2018 – Close of electoral rolls (8pm)
• Thursday, 5 July 2018 – Close of nominations (12 noon)
• Friday, 6 July 2018 – Declaration of nominations (12 noon)
• Tuesday, 10 July 2018 – Start of early voting
• Saturday, 28 July 2018 – Polling day (8am to 6pm)
• Friday, 10 August 2018 – Last day for receipt of postal votes
• Sunday, 23 September 2018 – Last day for return of writs

Candidates

Candidates (7) in ballot paper order[6]
Party		Candidate	Background
	Christians	Mark Staer	Contested Cannington at the 2008 state election and Gosnells at the 2013 state election.[7]
	Greens	Dorinda Cox	Small business owner, former police officer, anti-domestic violence campaigner.[8]
	Animal Justice	Katrina Love	Party's national vice president and state convenor.[6]
	Labor	Josh Wilson	Previous MP for Fremantle elected at the 2016 federal election.[9]
	Liberal Democrats	John Gray	Former Navy officer, Notre Dame University law student, Starlight Children's Foundation entertainer.[10]
	People	James Harfouche	Curtin University commerce student.[6]
	Independent	Jason Spanbroek	Running on an anti-Labor platform.[11]

The Liberals declined to contest the Fremantle and Perth federal by-elections, but concentrated their resources on the Darling Range state by-election.^[12]

Polling

Fremantle by-election polling

Date	Firm	Commissioned by	Sample	Primary vote						TCP vote
				ALP	GRN	LDP	OTH	UND		ALP	GRN
23 July 2018	ReachTEL	Legalise Vaping Australia[13]	692	49.3%	16.0%	17.4%	11.2%	6.1%		69%	31%
2016 election				41.0%	17.7%	−	41.3%	−		57.5%	−

Results

Fremantle by-election: 28 July 2018^[14][15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Josh Wilson	33,277	52.62	+11.63
	Greens	Dorinda Cox	10,456	16.53	−1.21
	Liberal Democrats	John Gray	8,916	14.10	+14.10
	Christians	Mark Staer	3,350	5.30	+5.30
	Animal Justice	Katrina Love	3,297	5.21	+5.21
	Independent	Jason Spanbroek	3,239	5.12	+5.12
	People's Party	James Harfouche	708	1.12	+1.12
Total formal votes			63,243	92.76	−3.24
Informal votes			4,933	7.24	+3.24
Turnout			68,176	66.09	−22.72
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Labor	Josh Wilson	46,375	73.33	+15.81
	Liberal Democrats	John Gray	16,868	26.67	+26.67
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

See also

• July 2018 Australian federal by-elections
• List of Australian federal by-elections
• 2017–18 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis