2008 Mayo by-election

March 2020 August 2011 2008 Mayo by-election Australia Parliamentary Primary no 2007 Australian federal election 2007 2008 9 6 y 2010 Australian federal election 2010 80.10% 15.78 Division of Mayo (SA) in the House of Representatives Jamie Briggs Jamie_Briggs.jpg 140 120 160 10 10 Liberal Party of Australia 30,651 41.28% 9.80 Lynton Vonow Greens placeholder-01.png 120 120 160 0 0 Australian Greens 15,851 21.35% 10.39 Di Bell Independent (Australia) Independent (Australia) 12,081 16.87% 16.87 Bob Day 120 120 160 0 0 Family First Party 11,468 11.40% 7.38 TPP 53.03% 46.97% TPP swing 4.03 46.97 File:Division_of_Mayo_2007.png MP Alexander Downer Liberal Jamie Briggs Liberal The 2008 Mayo by-election was held on 6 September 2008 to elect the member for Mayo in the Australian House of Representatives, following the retirement of Liberal Party MP and former Liberal leader Alexander Downer.Downer quits politics 3 July 2008 AAP http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23961827-29277,00.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20080926230354/http://www.news.com.au/story/0%2C23599%2C23961827-29277%2C00.html 26 September 2008 The by-election was held on the same day as the Lyne by-election, and the Western Australian state election.Mayo by-election date announced 31 July 2008 ABC http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/31/2320721.htm https://archive.today/20121231053810/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/31/2320721.htm dead 31 December 2012 The writ for the by-election was issued 4 August, with the rolls closing on 8 August. Candidate nominations closed on 14 August.http://news.theage.com.au/national/byelections-to-be-held-on-september-6-20080731-3nwz.html By-elections to be held on 6 September The Age 31 July 2008 1 July 2010 The by-election was contested on the same boundaries drawn for Mayo at the 2007 federal election. The seat was won by Jamie Briggs of the Liberal Party on a two-candidate preferred vote of 53 per cent against the Greens. Background Downer first won the seat of Mayo at its creation at the 1984 federal election. He retained the seat at each subsequent election. The 2007 Liberal two-party-preferred vote of 57.1 percent was at the time the narrowest in the seat's history. Except for 1998, the seat was won at each election by the Liberals on primary votes alone. Despite this, the Australian Democrats and independents have traditionally polled well, including two elections where the Democrats and independent Brian Deegan came second.https://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2008/mayo/ 2008 Mayo By-election – ABC Elections (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Abc.net.au 2010-07-01 At the 1998 election the Democrats reduced the Mayo Liberal margin to just 1.7 percent. At the 2007 federal election, Downer retained his seat against his main Labor Party competitor by a two-party preferred vote of 57.06 percent to 42.94 percent.SA DIVISION – MAYO AEC https://results.aec.gov.au/13745/Website/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-13745-188.htm However, the opposition Labor Party defeated the incumbent Liberal-National coalition government, the first change of government in over 11 years. Downer had served as Foreign Minister throughout the duration of the previous government. He was also Liberal leader and leader of the opposition for several months in 1994. On 3 July 2008, Downer announced his intention to resign his seat. He officially resigned from parliament on 14 July.Downer officially steps down Adam Gartrell 14 July 2008 AAP http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24017921-29277,00.htmlOctober 2026 medicmedic He, with Mark Vaile in Lyne, became the next former Howard government ministers returned at the 2007 election to resign their seats. Peter McGauran had done likewise earlier in 2008. Candidates Eleven candidates contested the by-election. They are listed below in ballot order.https://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/supplementary_by_elections/2008_mayo/candidates.htm Mayo by-election candidates AEC 8 June 2007 2010-07-01 Australian Greens – Lynton Vonow, Adelaide Hills resident, school services officer.Lynton Vonow – Candidate for Mayo: Greens.org.au https://web.archive.org/web/20080719211348/http://sa.greens.org.au/Mayo/ 19 July 2008 Conservatives for Climate and Environment – Rachael Barons. Independent – Bill Spragg, Adelaide Hills councillor and lecturer in information technology at TAFE SA, who had also contested Mayo in 2001.https://thecouriernews.blogspot.com/2008/07/councillors-in-bid-for-mayo-seat.html Councillors in bid for Mayo seat The Courier 17 July 2008 1 July 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20160124104035/http://thecouriernews.blogspot.com/2008/07/councillors-in-bid-for-mayo-seat.html 24 January 2016 dead http://www.billspragg.id.au Independent for Mayo Bill Spragg 1 July 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20100823033758/http://www.billspragg.id.au/ 23 August 2010 dead http://www.ahc.sa.gov.au//site/page.cfm?u=166&c=207 Cr William (Bill) Spragg: Adelaide Hills Council Ahc.sa.gov.au 26 February 2008 2010-07-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20080721063134/http://www.ahc.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=166&c=207 21 July 2008 dead One Nation – Mathew Keizer, Adelaide Hills resident and domestic community support worker.http://sa.onenation.com.au/ One Nation SA Division Sa.onenation.com.au 2010-07-01 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110218003029/http://sa.onenation.com.au/ 18 February 2011 Independent – Mary Brewerton, retired nurse, contested Mayo for Labor in 2007.John Wiseman http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24197127-5006787,00.html Ex-Labor woman in Mayo poll The Australian 18 August 2008 1 July 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20080917184425/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24197127-5006787,00.html 17 September 2008 dead Australian Democrats – Andrew Castrique, Adelaide Hills resident, school laboratory technician.http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/07/20/Democrats_to_contest_in_abandoned_Mayo LIVENEWS.com.au > National > Democrats to contest in 'abandoned' Mayo 21 July 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20081007161743/http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/07/20/Democrats_to_contest_in_abandoned_Mayo 7 October 2008 dead Liberal Party of Australia – Jamie Briggs, former Howard government advisorhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/20/2308880.htm https://archive.today/20120801214458/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/20/2308880.htm dead 1 August 2012 Former Howard govt staffer to contest Mayo by-election ABC News (Australia) 20 July 2008 1 July 2010 Independent – Malcolm Ronald King, retired. Family First Party – Bob Day, businessman and former Liberal Party member.Renato Castello http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24119440-2682,00.html Disgruntled Lib in Mayo power play The Advertiser 3 August 2008 2010-07-01October 2026 medicmedic Democratic Labor Party – David McCabe, clerk. Independent – Di Bell, anthropologist and author.http://www.vote4di.com/ G'day, Di here at Di Bell – vote4di.com campaign site 28 August 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20140914190551/http://vote4di.com/ 14 September 2014 dead John Wiseman http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24165734-5013871,00.html https://archive.today/20120917192420/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24165734-5013871,00.html dead 17 September 2012 Anthropologist and author Diane Bell throws hat into Mayo ring The Australian 12 August 2008 1 July 2010 South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon gave support to Bell's campaign.John Wiseman http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24215631-5006787,00.html Xenophon backs Bell for Mayo by-election The Australian 21 August 2008 1 July 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20080822205613/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24215631-5006787,00.html 22 August 2008 dead Jamie Walker http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24235117-5013871,00.html Mayo candidates jockey for votes as saviours of the Murray The Australian 25 August 2008 1 July 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20090408093004/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24235117-5013871,00.html 8 April 2009 dead Labor opted not to stand a candidate.http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/18/2308173.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20080718171617/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/18/2308173.htm dead 18 July 2008 ALP won't contest Mayo by-election ABC News (Australia) 18 July 2008 1 July 2010 Liberal preselection The candidature of Liberal Jamie Briggs was criticised because of his role in controversial industrial-relations policies and reports that some Liberal Party colleagues were unhappy with his preselection.Glenn Milne, writing in The Sunday Times http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24082103-5005371,00.html https://web.archive.org/web/20110813105028/http://www.perthnow.com.au/opinion/lib-fears-the-enemy-within/story-e6frg423-1111117023944 dead 13 August 2011 Lib fears the enemy within news.com.au 25 July 2008 1 July 2010 Bob Day, who had held membership of the Liberal Party for 20 years and was the endorsed Liberal candidate for Makin in 2007, quit the party after failing to win Mayo preselection with 10 out of 271 votes,https://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/family-with-the-odd-black-sheep/2008/08/14/1218307111871.html Family with the odd black sheep The Sydney Morning Herald 15 August 2008 1 July 2010 claiming a "manipulated" preselection process.Jamie Walker http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24087075-2702,00.html Loyal Lib quits over Mayo The Australian 28 July 2008 1 July 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20080922211045/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24087075-2702,00.html 22 September 2008 dead Iain Evans, who came second to Briggs, agreed to some extent.http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24093560-5013871,00.html Liberal chief Iain Evans admits to Mayo concerns The Australian 29 July 2008 1 July 2010 https://archive.today/20121215182124/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24093560-5013871,00.html 15 December 2012 dead Results [[2008 Mayo by-election]] Jamie Briggs Liberal 30,651 41.28 –9.80 Lynton Vonow Greens 15,851 21.35 +10.39 Di Bell Independent 12,081 16.27 +16.27 Bob Day Family First 8,468 11.40 +7.38 Mary Brewerton Independent 1,868 2.52 +2.52 Bill Spragg Independent 1,545 2.08 +2.08 David McCabe Democratic Labor 1,426 1.92 +1.92 Andrew Castrique Democrats 923 1.24 –0.28 Rachael Barons Conservatives for Climate and Environment 725 0.98 –0.32 Mathew Keizer One Nation 503 0.68 +0.68 Malcolm Ronald King Independent 219 0.29 +0.29 74,260 95.01 –2.23 3,900 4.99 +2.23 78,160 80.10 –15.78 Liberal Jamie Briggs 39,381 53.03 –4.03 Greens Lynton Vonow 34,879 46.97 +46.97 Liberal No The Liberals retained the seat despite a reduced 41.3 percent primary vote after suffering a 9.8 percent primary swing. Some commentators drew comparisons between this and the 2002 Cunningham by-election.Glenn Milne http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24308833-7583,00.html A tale of two leaders, and bad news ballots The Australian 8 September 2008 1 July 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20080912133905/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24308833-7583,00.html 12 September 2008 dead The Liberal two-candidate vote of 53 percent against Greens candidate Lynton Vonow compared to the previous election vote of 57.1 percent against Labor,https://www.abc.net.au/elections/sa/2012/ramsayportadelaide/port.htm 2012 Port Adelaide by-election guide Green Antony ABC Elections 28 January 2012 which turned Mayo from a fairly safe seat in to a marginal two-candidate seat.John Wiseman, Comment http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24309746-5013871,00.html Bitter victory for the Libs in what is now a marginal seat The Australian 8 September 2008 1 July 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20090715114742/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24309746-5013871,00.html 15 July 2009 dead The reduction of 4 percent cannot be considered a "two-party/candidate preferred swing" − when a major party is absent, preference flows to both major parties does not take place, resulting in asymmetric preference flows.https://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2012/02/a-comment-on-the-size-of-the-port-adelaide-swing.html A Comment on the Size of the Port Adelaide Swing Antony Green Antony Green Blogs.abc.net.au 2012-02-13 2012-07-26An Example of Non-Monotonicity and Opportunities for Tactical Voting at an Australian Election: Antony Green ABC 4 May 2011 2016 outcome Eight years later, Rebekha Sharkie of the Nick Xenophon Team was successful in defeating Liberal incumbent Jamie Briggs in Mayo at the 2016 federal election with a 55 percent two-candidate vote to the Liberals' 45 percent two-candidate vote, a reduction of 17.2 percent. Additionally, Mayo became a marginal two-party seat for the first time with the Liberal two-party vote reduced to 55.4 percent, a two-party swing of 7.2 percent. See also List of Australian federal by-elections References External links 2008 Mayo By-election 2 August 2024 ABC https://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2008/mayo/ Category:2008 elections in Australia Category:South Australian federal by-elections