2012 Australian Capital Territory election

none October 2015 May 2020 2012 Australian Capital Territory election Australian Capital Territory parliamentary no Primary 2008 Australian Capital Territory election 2008 2016 Australian Capital Territory election 2016 Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, 2008–2012 Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, 2012–2016 All 17 seats of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly 9 20 October 2012 89.3 ( 1.1 pp) 2012 Australian Capital Territory election#Opinion polling Zed Seselja.jpg 130 130 170 5 0 center Zed Seselja 13 December 2007 Liberal Party of Australia (Australian Capital Territory Division) Brindabella 6 seats, 31.59% 8 2 86,032 38.90% 7.31 Katy Gallagher portrait.jpg 140 130 170 10 0 center Katy Gallagher 16 May 2011 Australian Labor Party (Australian Capital Territory Branch) Molonglo 7 seats, 37.39% 8 1 85,991 38.88% 1.49 ACT Greens Parliamentary Convenor Meredith Hunter.JPG 130 130 170 5 0 center Meredith Hunter October 2008 ACT Greens Ginninderra(lost seat) 4 seats, 15.62% 1 3 23,773 10.75% 4.87 2012 Australian Capital Territory Election Map.svg 300px Results by electorate Chief Minister Katy Gallagher Australian Labor Party (Australian Capital Territory Branch) Katy Gallagher Labor-Greens Coalition Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly occurred on Saturday, 20 October 2012. The 11-year incumbent Labor Party, led by Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, won a fourth term over the main opposition Liberal Party, led by opposition leader Zed Seselja.2012 ACT election: Antony Green ABChttp://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections_and_voting/past_act_legislative_assembly_elections/2012_act_legislative_assembly_election/2012_election_results2 2012 Election results Elections ACT 9 February 2014Labor returned to power in ACT: ABC 2 November 2012 Candidates are elected to fill all 17 Legislative Assembly seats in the unicameral parliament which consists of three multi-member electorates, Brindabella (five seats), Ginninderra (five seats) and Molonglo (seven seats), using a proportional representation single transferable vote method known as the Hare-Clark system. The election was conducted by the ACT Electoral Commission. Key dates Last day to lodge applications for party register: 30 June 2012 Party registration closed: 13 September 2012 Pre-election period commenced and nominations opened: 14 September 2012 Rolls closed: 21 September 2012 Nominations closed: 26 September 2012 Nominations declared and ballot paper order determined: 27 September 2012 Pre-poll voting commenced: 2 October 2012 Polling day, between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm: 20 October 2012http://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections_and_voting/2012_act_legislative_assembly_election/election_timetable Election timetable ACT Electoral Commission dead https://web.archive.org/web/20121018043918/http://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections_and_voting/2012_act_legislative_assembly_election/election_timetable 18 October 2012 Background The incumbent Labor Party led by Chief Minister Katy Gallagher attempted to win re-election for a historic fourth term after 11 years in government in the 17-member unicameral ACT Legislative Assembly. Labor, led by Jon Stanhope, formed a minority government after the 2008 election, with Greens holding the balance of power – Labor 7 seats (37.4%), Liberal 6 seats (31.6%), Greens 4 seats (15.6%).http://www.abc.net.au/elections/act/2008/ ACT 2008 - ABC elections Australian Broadcasting Corporation 18 October 2008 16 July 2010Williams, Georgehttp://news.theage.com.au/national/labor-to-form-minority-government-in-act-20081031-5fea.html Labor to form minority government in ACT The Age Fairfax Media 31 October 2008 16 July 2010 Stanhope resigned as Chief Minister and Labor leader on 12 May 2011, and was replaced by his deputy, Katy Gallagher. All members of the unicameral Assembly faced re-election, with members being elected by the Hare-Clark system of proportional representation. The Assembly is divided into three electorates: five-member Brindabella (including Tuggeranong and parts of the Woden Valley) and Ginninderra (including Belconnen and suburbs) and seven-member Molonglo (including North Canberra, South Canberra, Gungahlin, Weston Creek, and the remainder of the Woden Valley). Election dates are set in statute with four-year fixed terms. Candidates Nine political parties were registered with the ACT Electoral Office as eligible for the October 2012 election.Nine parties registered for the 2012 ACT election 7 August 2012 ACT Electoral Commission http://www.elections.act.gov.au/news/nine_parties_registered_for_the_2012_act_election 24 August 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20130429013939/http://www.elections.act.gov.au/news/nine_parties_registered_for_the_2012_act_election 29 April 2013http://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections_and_voting/2012_act_legislative_assembly_election/2012_candidates 2012 Election Candidate list ACT Electoral Commission 27 September 2012 29 September 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20121021225427/http://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections_and_voting/2012_act_legislative_assembly_election/2012_candidates 21 October 2012 Australian Labor Party (ACT Branch) Australian Motorist Party Bullet Train for Canberra Liberal Democratic Party Marion Lê Social Justice Party Liberal Party of Australia (A.C.T. Division) (Canberra Liberals) Pangallo Independents Party The ACT Greens The Community Alliance Party (ACT) Three further organisations—Pirate Party Australia, Australian Democrats and No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics—were not registered as political parties in the ACT, however had stated they intended to nominate candidates to be listed on ballot papers as independents. Pirate Party to run Independent Candidates in Upcoming ACT Election 17 July 2012 Pirate Party Australia http://pirateparty.org.au/2012/07/17/pirate-party-to-run-independent-candidates-in-upcoming-act-election/ 24 August 2012 David McLennan, John Thistleton Bullet Train party vies for votes The Canberra Times 8 August 2012 Fairfax Media http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/bullet-train-party-vies-for-votes-20120807-23shi.html 24 August 2012 Retiring members Labor John Hargreaves (Brindabella) Noel Towell Hargreaves farewells Assembly after colourful career The Canberra Times 24 August 2012 Fairfax Media http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/hargreaves-farewells-assembly-after-colourful-career-20120824-24qiv.html 24 August 2012 Brindabella Five seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending two seats. The Liberal Party was defending two seats. The Greens were defending one seat. Labor candidatesLiberal candidatesGreens candidatesBullet Train candidatesMotorist candidatesUngrouped candidates   Joy Burch* Bec Cody Mick Gentleman* Mike Kinniburgh Karl MaftoumVal Jeffery Nicole Lawder Zed Seselja* Brendan Smyth* Andrew Wall*Amanda Bresnan Johnathan Davis Ben MurphyMark Erwood Adam HenschkeBurl Doble Kieran Jones-EllisMark Gibbons (-) Michael Lindfield (Ind) Calvin Pearce (Ind) Ginninderra Five seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending two seats. The Liberal Party was defending two seats. The Greens were defending one seat. Labor candidatesLiberal candidatesGreens candidatesMotorist candidatesLDP candidatesMLSJ candidatesBullet Train candidatesUngrouped candidates   Yvette Berry* Chris Bourke* Jayson Hinder Glen McCrea Mary Porter*Alistair Coe* Vicki Dunne* Merinda Nash Jacob Vadakkedathu Matt WattsJames Higgins Meredith Hunter Hannah ParrisChic Henry Darryl WalfordMustafa Jawadi Matt ThompsonMajlinda Bitani Nehmat Nana Jbeili Karamia Lê Marion Lê Kate ReynoldsChris Bucknell Tony HaltonDarren Churchill (-) Emmanuel Ezekiel-Hart (Ind) Norm Gingell (Ind) Glen Takkenberg (-) Molonglo Seven seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending three seats. The Liberal Party was defending two seats. The Greens were defending two seats. Elected in this election were 3 Labour (Barr, Corbell, Gallagher), 2 Liberals (Doszpot, Hanson), and two Greens (Le Coutour, Rattenbury) Labor candidatesLiberal candidatesGreens candidatesLDP candidatesMotorist candidatesBullet Train candidatesUngrouped candidates   Andrew Barr* Simon Corbell* Angie Drake Meegan Fitzharris Katy Gallagher* Mark Kulasingham David MathewsSteve Doszpot* Murray Gordon Jeremy Hanson* Giulia Jones* Elizabeth Lee James Milligan Tom SeftonAlan Kerlin Caroline Le Couteur Shane Rattenbury* Adriana SiddleIan Gardner Trisha JhaDavid Cumbers Mark CurranTim Bohm Shelley DickersonStuart Biggs (-) Philip Pocock (Ind) Unregistered parties and groups Pirate Party Australia endorsed Mark Gibbons in Brindabella, Glen Takkenberg in Ginninderra, and Stuart Biggs in Molonglo. Opinion polling On 18 October 2012, 1,200 voters (400 voters per seat, 5% MoE) were polled by Patterson Research Group and published in The Canberra Times. Labor was on 44.5 percent (+7.1 points), the Liberals were on 35.5 percent (+3.9 points), the Greens were on 14.5 (−1.0 point) while others were on 5.5 percent (−9.9 points). This would have produced a result somewhere from minority government to majority government for the incumbent Labor government. It was the only poll conducted during the election campaign.Canberra Times Poll has ACT Labor on Track for Victory - Antony Green ABC 18 October 2012Patterson: Labor 44.5, Liberal 35.5, Greens 14.5 in ACT - Poll Bludger 18 October 2012 Results Results of the Australian Capital Territory election, 2012 Territory-wide vote File:2012 ACT Legislative Assembly.svg 256702 7953 Liberal 86032 7.31 8 2 Labor 85991 1.49 8 1 Greens 23773 4.87 1 3 #cd5c5c Motorists 9179 0.84 0 0 #0089d0 Bullet Train 8864 New 0 New Independents 4053 1.46 0 0 Liberal Democratic Party 2340 0.69 0 0 Other Marion Lê Social Justice 940 New 0 New Primary vote by electorate Results by electorate Brindabella Ginninderra Molonglo Party Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Liberal 29,496 46.4 3 22,275 33.7 2 34,261 37.4 3 Labor 22,665 35.7 2 26,354 39.9 3 36,972 40.4 3 Greens 5,032 7.9 0 6,676 10.1 0 12,065 13.2 1 Motorist Party 2,488 3.9 0 4,794 7.3 0 1,897 2.1 0 Bullet Train 2,395 3.8 0 2,358 3.6 0 4,111 4.5 0 Independent 1,486 2.3 0 1,466 2.2 0 1,101 1.2 0 Liberal Democrats — — — 1,213 1.8 0 1,127 1.2 0 Marion Lê Social Justice — — — 940 1.4 0 — — — Final distribution of seats Electorate Seats held Brindabella           Ginninderra           Molonglo                 Labor   Liberal   Green Formation of Government Labor–Greens coalition After the distribution of preferences neither of the two major parties had won sufficient number of seats to form government in their own right and would need the support of the sole Greens representative Shane Rattenbury. While Labor leader Katy Gallagher wanted to renew the cooperation with the Greens from the previous election period, Liberal leader Zed Seselja argued that in the light of the overall losses of the previous Labor-Green alliance, the strong Liberal gain of 7.3%, and a historic tie in both seats and percentage (38.9% for each major party), with his party having received 41 more preference votes than Labor, the Liberals as the formally strongest party should lead the new Government. After a week of negotiations with both major parties, Shane Rattenburry came to a formal agreement with the Labor Party to form a Coalition Government, which meant that he would be appointed to the cabinet, and implement nearly 100 policies and reforms mainly regarding the rail network in Canberra, the clean up of Canberra's lakes, the ACT's climate change targets, the Gonski education reforms and the reduction of homelessness. Despite "constructive conversations" with the Liberals Rattenbury justified the decision with the greater closeness between the two parties' policies, which would allow a "stable government", Gallagher's "more substantial agenda" and the Liberals' perceived irresponsibility towards progressive tax reforms. Another reason discussed by the press was that Seselja did not want to give a minister post to Rattenbury. As a result of Rattenbury's promotion to the cabinet, Gallagher planned to enlarge the cabinet to six ministers.Labor returned to power in ACT http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-02/rattenbury-decides-act-government/4349928 Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2 November 2012 16 November 2012 On 6 November 2012, Gallagher was re-elected as chief minister with the votes of her Labor-Green coalition. Labor's candidate for the office of Speaker Mary Porter, as expected, was not successful, as Rattenbury had announced at the same time as the government agreement that he would vote for the Liberal Party's candidate, which in the end was Vicki Dunne. Porter was elected Deputy Speaker instead.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-06/dunne-set-to-be-speaker/4355230 MLAs sworn in, Dunne elected speaker Australian Broadcasting Corporation 6 November 2012 1 December 2018 While both Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and Opposition Leader Zed Seselja retained their positions following the outcome of this election, neither lasted in their positions to lead their respective parties at the next election in 2016 as both remarkably resigned from their positions of their own volitions and from the territory Parliament to move to the Federal Parliament as the two senators representing the ACT. Newspaper endorsements Newspaper Endorsement The Canberra Times Australian Labor Partyhttp://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/editorial/tarnished-labor-still-more-reliable-20121018-27u6b.html Tarnished Labor still more reliable Fairfax Media The Canberra Times 19 October 2012 19 October 2012 See also 2008 Australian Capital Territory election 2016 Australian Capital Territory election Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, 2008–2012 Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, 2012–2016 References External links 2012 ACT election morning after results review: Antony Green ABC ACT 2012 election homepage: Antony Green ABC Category:2012 elections in Australia 2012 Category:October 2012 in Australia Category:2010s in the Australian Capital Territory