1976 New South Wales state election

State election for New South Wales, Australia in May 1976 August 2019 August 2019 1976 New South Wales state election New South Wales parliamentary no 1973 New South Wales state election 1973 1978 New South Wales state election 1978 All 99 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly50 seats were needed for a majority yes 1976 05 01 175x175px Neville Wran 3 December 1973 Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) Bass Hill 49.75% 6.82 44 seats 50 6 Willis Eric.jpg 175 140 175 0 20 center Eric Willis 23 January 1976 Liberal/Country coalition Liberal/National coalition Earlwood 46.32% 1.99 52 seats 48 4 1976 New South Wales state election.svg 350px Two-candidate-preferred margin by electorate Premier Eric Willis Liberal/Country coalition Neville Wran Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) A general election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly was held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 1 May 1976. The result was a narrow win for the Labor Party under Neville Wran—the party's first in the state in more than a decade. Issues The incumbent Liberal-Country Party coalition had lost its long-time leader, Sir Robert Askin, who retired in January 1975. Eric Willis was seen as the favourite to replace him. Despite Askin's initial support, Willis refused his help, preferring to gain the leadership on his own merits. Askin then threw his support behind the Minister for Lands, Tom Lewis. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FfpjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WuYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7064,1463765&dq=eric+willis&hl=en Willis Premier if he let me help The Sydney Morning Herald 28 August 1975 2 Google News Archive 7 January 2011 Willis, sure he had sufficient support, refused to campaign, but the parliamentary party backed Lewis, leading to the latter's election as Liberal leader and, consequently, premier. However, there was a leadership spill in January 1976, resulting in the installation of Willis as party leader and premier. Former Minister Steve Mauger resigned on 27 January 1976, sparking a by-election in his seat of Monaro in May, and early polls indicated a large swing to Labor. Willis announced an early election on 1 May, thereby avoiding the by-election, in the hope of preventing a larger move of voters against the government.Bramston Troy The Wran era Federation Press 2006 Sydney 20 y 978-1-86287-600-2 Wran successfully emerged from the shadow of the defeated Whitlam Labor government at a federal level. Labor's campaign focussed largely on Wran himself, with what Australians call a "presidential-style" campaign. The state Labor Party had undergone a long process of renewal, and emerged with strong moderate credentials. Labor also offered an alternative to a long-serving government widely perceived as corrupt.October 2025 Wran's campaign slogan, "Let's put the state in better shape", delivered by the leader, along with key spokesmen Peter Cox and Syd Einfeld, resonated with voters. Key dates Date Event 2 April 1976 The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. 8 April 1976 Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon. 1 May 1976 Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. 14 May 1976 The Willis–Punch ministry resigned and the First Wran ministry was sworn in. 21 May 1976 The writ was returned and the results formally declared. 25 May 1976 Parliament resumed for business. Results Results of the 1976 New South Wales state election (Legislative Assembly) The election was in doubt for several days. Ultimately, the seats of Gosford and Hurstville fell to Labor by only 74 and 44 votes respectively. Had the Coalition retained those seats, it would have stayed in power with a one-seat majority, but the loss of Gosford and Hurstville gave Labor a one-seat majority. {{Australian elections/Title row | table style = float:right;clear:right;margin-left:1em; | title = New South Wales state election, 1 May 1976Antony Green Antony Green 1976 election totals https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/electionresults18562007/1976/Totals.htm New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007 Parliament of New South Wales 14 August 2019http://elections.uwa.edu.au/elecdetail.lasso?keyvalue=758 Parliament of New South Wales, Assembly election, 1 May 1976 Australian Government and Politics Database 6 February 2010A handbook of Australian government and politics, 1975-1984 Hughes Colin A. 1986 ANU Press 0-08-033038-X 190 | house = Legislative Assembly | series = New South Wales state election | back = 1973 | forward = 1978 | enrolled = 2,943,248There were 2,989,786 enrolled voters but 46,538 were enrolled in electorates (one Labor and one Country) which were uncontested at the election. | total_votes = 2,745,749 | turnout % = 93.29 | turnout chg = +0.78 | informal = 48,220 | informal % = 1.76 | informal chg = –0.94 }} yes Labor NSW 1,342,038 49.75 +6.82 50 + 6 Liberal NSW 978,886 36.29 +2.44 30 – 4 Country NSW 270,603 10.03 –0.45 18 ± 0 Workers 15,598 0.58 +0.58 0 ± 0 Australia 7,407 0.27 –3.93 0 ± 0 Socialist Workers 2,495 0.09 +0.09 0 ± 0 Communist 2,220 0.08 +0.05 0 ± 0 dlp 2,201 0.08 –5.88 0 – 1 Independent 76,089 2.82 +0.28 1 – 1 2,697,529 99 |} {{ bar box |float=right | title=Popular vote | titlebar=#ddd | width=600px | barwidth=410px | bars= Labor Australian Labor Party 49.75 Liberal Liberal Party of Australia 36.29 Country National Party of Australia – NSW 10.03 Independents Independent 2.82 Others #777777 1.11 #ddd Parliamentary seats Labor Australian Labor Party 50.51 50 Liberal Liberal Party of Australia 30.30 30 Country National Party of Australia – NSW 18.18 18 Independents Independent 1.01 1 }} Seats changing hands Seat Pre-1976 Swing Post-1976 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Ashfield  Liberal David Hunter 3.6 -8.7 5.1 Paul Whelan Labor  Blue Mountains  Independent Harold Coates 6.5 -7.0 0.5 Mick Clough Labor  Gordon  Democratic Labor Kevin Harrold N/A N/A 31.5 Tim Moore Liberal  Gosford  Liberal Malcolm Brooks 5.7 -5.8 0.1 Brian McGowan Labor  Hurstville  Liberal Tom Mead 3.1 -3.2 0.1 Kevin Ryan Labor  Monaro  Liberal Steve Mauger 7.3 -8.8 1.5 John Akister Labor  Members listed in italics did not recontest their seats. In addition, Labor retained the seat of Coogee, which it had won from the Liberals at a 1974 by-election. Post-election pendulum Labor seats (50)Marginal GosfordBrian McGowanALP0.1% HurstvilleKevin RyanALP0.1% Blue MountainsMick CloughALP0.5% v IND MonaroJohn AkisterALP1.5% CasinoDon DayALP1.6% CastlereaghJack RenshawALP2.3% Georges RiverFrank WalkerALP2.8% CoogeeMichael ClearyALP3.7% MurrumbidgeeLin GordonALP3.7% AshfieldPaul WhelanALP5.1%Fairly safe KogarahBill CrabtreeALP6.1% WaverleySyd EinfeldALP7.0% ParramattaBarry WildeALP7.2% DrummoyneMichael MaherALP7.3% WoronoraMaurie KeaneALP8.1% PeatsKeith O'ConnellALP8.7% BurrinjuckTerry SheahanALP8.8% CampbelltownCliff MallamALP8.9%Safe WentworthvilleErnie QuinnALP10.7% CharlestownRichard FaceALP11.7% CorrimalLaurie KellyALP13.1% HeathcoteRex JacksonALP13.2% PenrithRon MulockALP13.9% MaroubraBill HaighALP14.0% CanterburyKevin StewartALP14.3% Lake MacquarieMerv HunterALP14.4% Bass HillNeville WranALP14.6% BlacktownGordon BarnierALP14.7% LakembaVince DurickALP14.7% East HillsPat RoganALP14.8% MerrylandsJack FergusonALP15.1% AuburnPeter CoxALP15.3% BankstownNick KearnsALP15.5% WollongongEric RamsayALP16.0% RockdaleBrian BannonALP16.5% Mount DruittTony JohnsonALP17.4% WaratahSam JonesALP17.4% NewcastleArthur WadeALP17.7% MunmorahHarry JensenALP18.5% IllawarraGeorge PetersenALP18.6% v IND GranvillePat FlahertyALP18.8% FairfieldEric BedfordALP19.2% WallsendKen BoothALP19.3% LiverpoolGeorge PaciulloALP19.6% HeffronLaurie BreretonALP19.8% BalmainRoger DegenALP24.2%MarrickvilleTom CahillALP24.3%PhillipPat HillsALP26.0%CessnockGeorge NeillyALP27.0%Broken HillLew JohnstoneALPunopp. Liberal/Country seats (48)MarginalNepeanRon RofeLIB2.3%BathurstClive OsborneCP3.0%FullerPeter ColemanLIB3.4%CronullaIan GriffithLIB3.8%MirandaTim WalkerLIB4.0%YarallaLerryn MuttonLIB4.4%EarlwoodEric WillisLIB4.5%GoulburnRon BrewerCP4.6%Fairly safeArmidaleDavid LeitchCP6.6%WollondillyTom LewisLIB7.6%ManlyDouglas DarbyLIB7.7%WakehurstAllan VineyLIB7.8%BurrendongRoger WottonCP7.9%AlburyGordon MackieLIB8.2%BurwoodJohn JackettLIB8.4%YoungGeorge FreudensteinCP8.4%BarwonWal MurrayCP8.5%Wagga WaggaJoe SchippLIB8.8%MaitlandMilton MorrisLIB9.8%OrangeGarry WestCP9.8%ByronJack BoydCP9.9%SafeHawkesburyKevin RozzoliLIB10.8%KirribilliBruce McDonaldLIB11.1%HornsbyNeil PickardLIB11.6%MurrayMary MeillonLIB12.6% v INDUpper HunterCol FisherCP12.7%TamworthNoel ParkCP12.8%WilloughbyLaurie McGintyLIB13.1%RaleighJim BrownCP13.3%DubboJohn MasonLIB13.4%VaucluseKeith DoyleLIB13.6%ClarenceMatt SingletonCP13.7%BlighJohn BarracloughLIB13.8%EastwoodJim CloughLIB14.7%The HillsMax RuddockLIB15.1%PittwaterBruce WebsterLIB15.2%TenterfieldMatt SingletonCP16.0%DavidsonDick HealeyLIB16.4%Lane CoveJohn DowdLIB16.4%NorthcottJim CameronLIB18.2%SturtTim FischerCP18.8%GloucesterLeon PunchCP19.2%OxleyBruce CowanCP19.2%TemoraJim TaylorCP19.2%MosmanLindsay ThompsonLIB20.1%Ku-ring-gaiJohn MaddisonLIB27.7%GordonTim MooreLIB31.5%LismoreBruce DuncanCPunopp.Crossbench seats (1)South CoastJohn HattonIND16.2 v LIB See also Candidates of the 1976 New South Wales state election Notes References Category:Elections in New South Wales New South Wales state election State election, 1976 New South Wales state election