2001 Aston by-election

the 2001 by-election 2023 by-election in the same electorate 2023 Aston by-election April 2024 April 2023 Victoria parliamentary no 14 July 2001 150x150px Chris Pearce Liberal Party of Australia 31,640 40.73% 7.76pp 150x150px Kieran Boland Australian Labor Party 28,716 36.96% 1.55pp TPP TPP swing 50.58% 3.36pp 49.42% 3.36pp MP Peter Nugent Liberal Party of Australia Chris Pearce Liberal Party of Australia The 2001 Aston by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Aston in Victoria on 14 July 2001. The by-election was triggered by the death of the sitting member, the Liberal Party of Australia's Peter Nugent, on 24 April 2001. The writ for the by-election was issued on 1 June 2001. Background The by-election was an important test for the Liberal Party. The federal Liberal government had introduced a controversial Goods and Services Tax just over a year before, and unpopular sentiment surrounding the government and its GST were believed to have led to the defeat of the Coalition in Western Australia and Queensland state elections in landslides.Coorey, Phillip: No glorious July for PM this year, The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 July 2007. The Liberals had also lost the seat of Ryan in a recent by-election, and the ALP led by Kim Beazley was ahead in opinion polls. Results Aston by-election, 2001 Chris Pearce Liberal 31,640 40.73 −7.76 Kieran Boland Labor 28,716 36.96 −1.55 Pierre Harcourt Democrats 6,271 8.07 +0.54 Garry Scates Independent 3,401 4.38 +4.38 Mick Kir Greens 1,877 2.42 +2.42 June Scott One Nation 1,369 1.76 −1.13 Peter O'Loughlin Independent 1,160 1.49 +1.49 Graeme Dunstan HEMP 711 0.92 +0.92 Luke James Chamberlain liberals for forests 680 0.88 +0.88 Mark Sloan No GST 618 0.80 +0.80 Doug Mitchell CEC 334 0.43 +0.43 Josephine Cox 328 0.42 +0.42 Steve Raskovy Independent 227 0.29 +0.29 Tim Petherbridge Hope 232 0.30 +0.30 Mark Ward 126 0.16 +0.16 77,690 94.16 −3.01 4,819 5.84 +3.01 82,509 92.54 −4.10 Liberal Chris Pearce 39,299 50.58 −3.66 Labor Kieran Boland 38,391 49.42 +3.66 Liberal Labor −3.66 Aftermath Chris Pearce won the by-election, retaining Aston for the Liberal Party, but suffering a swing of 3.66%. Prime Minister John Howard appeared on the first episode of the ABC program Insiders the next day, where he suggested that Labor's electoral momentum had been held in check, and the government was back in the game: I believe that the Government is well and truly back in the game. If there were an unstoppable momentum for Labor to win the federal election, they'd have rolled us over in Aston. John Howard Insiders ABC TV, 15 July 2001 The Howard government reportedly spent $700,000 on political advertising in the lead-up to the by-election.https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/coalition-spent-700-000-on-aston-ads-20020103-k1b6u Coalition spent $700,000 on Aston ads Australian Financial Review 3 January 2002 Paul Cleary 12 March 2023 See also List of Australian federal by-elections 2023 Aston by-election References External links Aston (VIC) By-Election (14 July 2001) Results, Australian Electoral Commission Category:2001 elections in Australia Category:Victorian federal by-elections Category:July 2001 in Australia Category:2001 in Victoria (state)