2000 Isaacs by-election

Australian federal by-election April 2022 June 2023 Victoria parliamentary no 12 August 2000 1998 2001 Labor Placeholder.png 125 120 160 0 0 Ann Corcoran Australian Labor Party 34,483 56.54% 8.11 Australian Democrats Haydn Fletcher Australian Democrats 10,540 17.28% 11.36 TPP TPP swing 66.04% 9.64 33.96% 33.96 MP Greg Wilton Australian Labor Party Ann Corcoran Australian Labor Party The 2000 Isaacs by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Isaacs in Victoria on 12 August 2000. The by-election was triggered by the death of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party's Greg Wilton on 14 June 2000. The writ for the by-election was issued on 30 June 2000. Background The Labor Party's member for Isaacs, Greg Wilton, committed suicide on 14 June 2000. Wilton's marriage had broken down earlier in the year, and shortly afterwards Victoria Police arrested Wilton after finding him, clearly distressed, with his children in a car in the You Yangs national park. While Wilton's intentions on the day were unclear, unrestrained media coverage of the incident was considered by his colleagues to have contributed to his eventual suicide six weeks later.Questions over MP's suicide https://web.archive.org/web/20060106184708/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s140872.htm 6 January 2006 , The 7.30 Report (ABC), 15 June 2000. The Isaacs by-election was the first election in Australia to be held after the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax on 1 July 2000, and the Liberal Party declined to run a candidate. Labor's preselection was a messy battle with the party's left faction proposing to pre-select Jill Hennessy, the former state president of the Labor Party and an advisor to Premier Steve Bracks. They were overridden by the party's federal executive, who put forward Ann Corcoran, although the change resulted in a convoluted factional deal in which pre-selection ballots were altered after their submission.Johnston, Nick: Labor tries to keep hold of seat after Wilton's suicide https://web.archive.org/web/20040825175011/http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/vic/content/2000/s154444.htm 25 August 2004 , Stateline (ABC), 21 July 2000. Results 2000 Isaacs by-election Labor Ann Corcoran 34,483 56.54 +8.11 Democrats Haydn Fletcher 10,540 17.28 +11.36 Greens Mary Hutchison 5,539 9.08 +6.94 Independent Carl Wesley 5,329 8.74 +8.74 Australia First Patricia Brook 3,270 5.36 +4.92 Democratic Labor Gail King 1,832 3.00 +3.00 60,993 91.84 −4.55 5,420 8.16 +4.55 66,413 81.65 −14.56 Labor Ann Corcoran 40,280 66.04 +9.64 Democrats Haydn Fletcher 20,713 33.96 +33.96 Labor N/A Aftermath The Labor Party held the seat of Isaacs, with a primary vote swing of 8.11 towards them. The lack of a Liberal candidate saw positive primary vote swings towards all the minor parties, in particular the Australian Democrats, the main rival on a two-candidate preferred basis. Ann Corcoran went on to hold the seat in the 2001 and 2004 federal elections, but lost pre-selection prior to the 2007 election.Green, Antony: Federal Election Guide 2007 - Isaacs https://web.archive.org/web/20071128110601/http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/isaa.htm 28 November 2007 , Australian Broadcasting Corporation. See also List of Australian federal by-elections References External links Isaacs (VIC) By-Election (12 August 2000) Results, Australian Electoral Commission Category:2000 elections in Australia Category:Victorian federal by-elections Category:2000 in Victoria (state)