1988 Adelaide by-election

none December 2025 December 2025 1988 Adelaide by-election South Australia parliamentary Primary no 1987 Australian federal election 1987 6 February 1988 1990 Australian federal election 1990 Division of Adelaide (SA) in the House of Representatives Liberal Party of Australia placeholder portrait.svg 120 120 160 0 0 Mike Pratt South Australian Liberal Party 26,777 44.4% 8.9 Senator Don Farrell crop.jpg 150 120 160 5 14 Don Farrell South Australian Labor Party 22,897 38.0% 10.9 Australian Democrats Ian McLeish Australian Democrats 7,097 11.8% 2.7 TPP TPP swing 51.9% 8.4 48.2% 8.4 MP Chris Hurford South Australian Labor Party Mike Pratt South Australian Liberal Party A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Adelaide on 6 February 1988. This was triggered by the resignation of Labor Party MP Chris Hurford to become Australia's Consul-General in New York City. The election was won by Liberal candidate Mike Pratt with an 8.4 percent two-party-preferred swing on a 1.9 percent margin, defeating Labor candidate Don Farrell. The 1988 Port Adelaide by-election occurred seven weeks later. Candidates Independent – Bronwyn Mewett Independent – Peter Consandine, republican campaigner who later founded the Republican Party of Australia Independent – Michael Brander Independent – John Litten Australian Democrats – Ian McLeish Unite Australia Party – Dorothy McGregor-Dey, who contested Mayo for the party in 1987 National Party of Australia – Bryan Stokes, the party's 1987 candidate Australian Labor Party – Don Farrell, assistant secretary of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA). Farrell was later influential in the South Australian Labor Party, and serves in the Senate (2016–present), having served previously from 2008 to 2014 Liberal Party of Australia – Mike Pratt, a local farmer Campaign The proposed introduction of time-based billing for local telephone calls was reportedly a major issue in the campaign. The intended change by government-owned telecommunications monopoly Telecom Australia was announced early in the campaign and was subsequently endorsed by Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who then faced "a backlash from its own left wing, unions and the public".https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/101973635 Time-charge issue could swing SA by-election Canberra Times 1 February 1988 The Liberal Party campaigned heavily on the issue and Liberal candidate Mike Pratt "had a largel model of a telephone receiver placed on the roof of his campaign van to help push home the party message".https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/101975079 9.05pc by-election swing leaves Labor reeling Canberra Times 8 February 1988 Results Adelaide by-election, 1988 By-Elections 1987-1990 Psephos http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1987/1987repsby.txt Mike Pratt Liberal 26,777 44.4 +8.9 Don Farrell Labor 22,897 38.0 -10.9 Ian McLeish Democrats 7,097 11.8 +2.7 Bronwyn Mewett Independent 1,408 2.3 +2.3 Bryan Stokes Nationals 1,000 1.7 -3.4 Michael Brander Independent 409 0.9 +0.9 John Litten Independent 367 0.6 +0.6 Dorothy McGregor-Dey Unite Australia 218 0.4 +0.4 |- | Republican width:1px |   | style="text-align:left;"| Republican | style="text-align:left;"| Peter Consandine | style="text-align:right;"| 104 | style="text-align:right;"| 0.2 | style="text-align:right;"| +0.2 |- 60,277 96.1 2,432 3.9 62,709 88.0 Liberal Mike Pratt 31,195 51.9 +8.4 Labor Don Farrell 28,967 48.2 -8.4 Liberal Labor +8.4 See also List of Australian federal by-elections References Adelaide by-election Category:South Australian federal by-elections Adelaide by-election, 1988 Adelaide by-election