1991 New South Wales state election

State election for New South Wales, Australia in March 1991 September 2026 August 2019 August 2019 the local government elections held in September 1991 New South Wales local elections 1991 New South Wales state election New South Wales parliamentary no 1988 New South Wales state election 1988 1995 New South Wales state election 1995 All 99 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and 15 (of the 44) seats in the New South Wales Legislative Council50 Assembly seats were needed for a majority 25 May 1991 Nick Greiner, official portrait as Australian Consul-General in New York (2021) b.jpg 130 130 170 0 0 center Nick Greiner 15 March 1983 Liberal/National coalition Liberal/National coalition Ku-ring-gai 1,377,314 44.68% 4.87 59 seats 49 10 Bob Carr.jpg 130 130 170 0 0 center Bob Carr 6 April 1988 Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) Maroubra 1,204,066 39.05% 0.56 43 seats 46 3 TPP TPP swing 52.69% 47.31% 3.27 3.27 1991 New South Wales state election.svg 330px Two-candidate-preferred margin by electorate Premier Resulting Premier Nick Greiner Liberal/National coalition Nick Greiner Liberal/National coalition Elections to the 50th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 25 May 1991. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election. The Liberal–National Coalition government of Premier Nick Greiner, which enjoyed a considerable majority following their landslide win at the 1988 election, was seeking a second term in office against new Labor Opposition Leader Bob Carr. The government had reduced the number of lower house seats from 109 to 99 for the 1991 election, reversing an increase approved by the Unsworth Labor government. Background Greiner Government The 1988 election generated a two-party preferred swing to the Coalition of 8.4% and saw the Labor Party record its lowest primary vote in half a century. This was a clear rejection of the Unsworth Government, although it was less clear whether the electorate was endorsing the full range of Coalition policies. Qualms about the meaning of its mandate were clearly of little concern to the new government, under Nick Greiner which immediately began introducing wide-ranging reforms to the New South Wales public sector. The finance and administration of all government trading enterprises was put on a more commercial basis, with standard rates of return on capital set and separate community service obligations for specific public funding identified. There were major expenditure cuts and dramatic price increases in education, public transport and electricity. The new government spoke of New South Wales living beyond its means; introducing new user-pay charges, proposed the sale of underused public assets to help pay off state debt, and flagged the use of private capital to build public infrastructure. It was a radical agenda at the time, but it was package of reforms that would become the standard across Australia over the next decade. The government implemented “truth in sentencing” laws which required judges to set minimum terms for convicted criminals and abolished time off for good behaviour in jail. Responding to the corruption allegations that had regularly swirled around New South Wales politics, the government also created a standing royal commission, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), as an independent body to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration. The government attracted most controversy over changes on the educational sector, adding the confrontational style of Education Minister Terry Metherell. There were major cutbacks in teaching and ancillary staff, closures of schools and an increase in class sizes and the number of composite classes. The government unzoned state schools, and have allowed parents to enroll their children outside of the local district. This situation allowed the creation of new selective and specialist high schools. Labor Opposition The Labor Opposition initially struggled in the face of the government's rapidly moving agenda. Ten ministers had either retired or been defeated at the 1988 election. The former Environment and Planning Minister, Bob Carr had reluctantly accepted the party leadership. The Opposition had some encouraging results at by-elections as the government's new taxes and charges began to bite. Labor made important gains at the March 1990 federal election, but the electoral position had been reversed by the end of the year. Economic conditions The economic recession of the early-1990s hit the State's finances, but New South Wales was substantially better off than interstate Labor administrations that had accumulated debt and gambled on failed commercial ventures. The hard medicine introduced by the Greiner Government was unpopular, but it was becoming apparent that New South Wales was in a better position as a result of the financial changes. The surprise resignation of Metherell over tax charges in July 1990 provided a boost for the government by removing its most controversial Minister. Opinion polls showed the government trailing by seven points in March 1990, but 15 points ahead in December. The government was now well placed for an early election and keen to avoid the opprobrium of another tough budget. Redistribution The opportunity came with the finalisation of a redistribution in March 1991. The Coalition had promised to cut the size of the Legislative Assembly from 109 to 99 seats, reversing the previous government's increase and automatically triggering a redistribution. Campaign The government campaigned on its record, arguing good financial management had prevented New South Wales suffering the sort of financial collapse caused by interstate Labor Governments. The Labor Party campaigned on those same government reforms, but concentrated on how the government's new taxes and charges had hurt lower to middle income families, combined with the government's sale of state assets and institutions, reduction in services for health, public housing maintenance, transport (particularly rail), tolls on the M4 motorway, and RTA road $2 million funding for Western Sydney Council's being wiped out and used in the Deputy Premier Wal Murray's Western NSW seat of Barwon following the Nyngan floods of 1990. The Nyngan floods additionally damaged the passenger rail line, with the flood damaged rail line never repaired or services reopened. The tendering out to a South African listed company transport and delivery of documents in contravention of the international boycott of business dealings with South African private, listed and government organisations was also an issue. Disparity in government responses to natural disasters was highlighted by the lack of natural disaster declarations in March 1990. On 18 March 1990, a savage hailstorm devastated regions of areas from southwest Sydney to near Dee Why. Hailstones the size of cricket balls and in some case larger pummeled vehicles and punctured holes in house roofs across many suburbs particularly Liverpool, Bankstown, Bass Hill, Auburn and Lidcombe. Hail sizes reported from this storm were up to 8 cm in diameter. One reliable report from Liverpool used two hands to indicate the sizes of the hail that fell at his residence. The Government failed to make a disaster declaration, however. Adding insult to injury, the electorates with government members were assisted as a priority with many employees of those whose homes had been damaged in the South West of Sydney being directed to the government members' areas first. The 1990 disaster was until recently one of Australia's most costly natural disasters with a cost in 1990 of AUD$319 million (2011 normalised cost of AUD$1.3 billion). Some homes for over 10 years in the Southwest of Sydney damaged by this weather event had temporary "Tarps" on roofs. Local government infrastructure in the areas damaged by the hailstorm event also had to repair local facilities with existing funds to repair them with the absence of a natural disaster declaration. Local halls, swimming facilities, sporting and recreational areas were repaired without disaster relief funding from the state government, leaving the cost of repairs to local governments. Key dates Date Event 3 May 1991 The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.Antony Green Antony Green 1991 election totals https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/electionresults18562007/1991/Totals.htm New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007 Parliament of New South Wales 14 August 2019 8 May 1991 Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon. 25 May 1991 Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. 6 June 1991 The Greiner-Murray Ministry was reconstituted. 28 June 1991 The writ was returned and the results formally declared. 2 July 1991 Parliament resumed for business. Results The result was a stalemate. Total formal voting for the state was 3,083,260 voters with 3,205,524 formal votes in 1988. Legislative Assembly Results of the 1991 New South Wales state election (Legislative Assembly) NSW Parliament File:1991 NSW Legislative Assembly.svg 3631618 316832 0.04 6.04 Labor 1204066 0.57 46 3 Liberal 1053100 1.64 32 7 #008000 National 324214 3.22 17 3 Independents 256223 0.14 4 3 Democrats 165229 3.55 0 Call to Australia 36807 0.75 0 Country Residents 16557 0.54 0 Greens 16556 New 0 New #666600 Citizens Electoral Council 5198 New 0 New Others 5310 1.39 0 y Two-party-preferred #06667c Liberal/National Coalition 1539949 3.27 Labor 1379267 3.27 {{bar box|float=right|title=Popular vote|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars= Labor Australian Labor Party 39.05 Liberal Liberal Party of Australia 34.16 National National Party of Australia 10.52 Democrats Australian Democrats 5.36 Call to Australia #800080 1.19 Independents Independent 8.31 Others #777777 1.42 #ddd Two-party-preferred vote Coalition Coalition (Australia) 52.69 Labor Australian Labor Party 47.31 #ddd Parliamentary seats Labor Australian Labor Party 46.46 49 Liberal Liberal Party of Australia 32.32 32 National National Party of Australia 17.17 17 Independents Independent 4.04 4 }} Legislative Council Results of the 1991 New South Wales state election (Legislative Council) File:1991 NSW Legislative Council.svg NSW Parliament 3631618 192718 1.66 2.64 Seats Won Not Up Total Seats Seat Change #06667c Liberal/National Coalition 1453441 0.81 7 13 20 1 Labor 1195324 0.22 6 12 18 3 Democrats 167245 3.97 1 1 2 Call to Australia 114648 2.16 1 1 2 1 Greens 106325 New 0 0 0 New #656600 EFF/Grey Power/CEC 49077 0.87 0 0 0 Country Residents Party 21628 New 0 0 0 New No Toxic Incinerator Group 18706 New 0 0 0 New Marie Bignold Team 14403 New 0 0 0 New Others 17598 0 0 0 The 9.32% informal vote at the 1991 election was the highest on record. Labor-held seats in particular had high informal votes, with 23.48% in Bankstown, 17.80% in Cabramatta, 15.29% in Canterbury, 19.13% in Fairfield, 16.03% in Heffron, 15.82% in Lakemba, 22.24% in Londonderry, 16.07% in Smithfield and 8.26% in The Entrance. Informal votes was higher than all candidates except the winner of the seat. ABC election analyst Antony Green's election analysis stated it "may well be the highest ever recorded at a democratic election in the world". The Liberal Party won The Entrance by only 116 votes. The Labor Party launched a challenge to the result in the Court of Disputed Returns, based on the significant number of voters in the electorate who had incorrectly been issued absent votes for the neighbouring electorate of Gosford. The Court upheld the appeal and ordered a by-election, which Labor won. At the by-election, the informal vote was only 1.57%. The referendum for changes to the upper house was approved by 58% of voters. The Coalition recorded 52.7% of the two-party preferred vote, but most of its vote was wasted on landslide margins in its heartland. Labor rebounded strongly under Carr, recovering much of the ground it had lost in its severe defeat three years earlier. As a result, the Coalition suffered a 10-seat swing, winning only 49 of the 99 seats, one seat short of a majority. The Coalition also lost control of the Legislative Council at the election. Labor defeated the four Independents elected in formerly safe Labor seats in 1988 and, in addition, re-gained Broken Hill, Drummoyne and Port Stephens, seats that on the new boundaries were notionally Coalition held. Former Labor MPs were returned to Parliament in both Cessnock and Bathurst, while the issue of user-pay charges played an important part in Labor gaining both Parramatta and Penrith. Coming so close to victory was a shock for the Labor Party, having entered the 1991 election merely hoping to hold what it had, and regain traditional Labor seats lost to Independents in 1988. The Coalition was overconfident that perceptions of good economic management would see it re-elected. It ran a presidential campaign that won the overall vote but resulted in the loss of key seats. The Coalition's best results were in safe Liberal Party seats on Sydney's North Shore, while Labor won the battle in marginal seats. Seats changing hands Seat Pre-1991 Swing Post-1991 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Bathurst  Liberal David Berry 5.2 -10.3 5.1 Mick Clough Labor  Cessnock  Liberal Bob Roberts 0.4 -4.8 4.4 Stan Neilly Labor  Manly  Liberal David Hay 14.9 -15.6 0.7 Peter Macdonald Independent  Newcastle  Independent George Keegan 3.1 -15.5 12.4 Bryce Gaudry Labor  Penrith  Liberal Guy Matheson 1.2 -5.8 4.6 Faye Lo Po' Labor  Swansea  Independent Ivan Welsh 8.1 -14.0 6.4 Don Bowman Labor  Tamworth  National Noel Park 25.1 -34.9 9.8 Tony Windsor Independent  Wollongong  Independent Frank Arkell 4.7 -13.3 8.6 Gerry Sullivan Labor  Redistribution affected seats Seat 1988 election 1990 redistribution Swing 1991 election Party Member Margin Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Bligh  Independent Clover Moore 0.6  Liberal Notional 4.1 -10.2 6.1 Clover Moore Independent  Broken Hill  Labor Bill Beckroge 2.0  National Notional 2.0 -12.1 10.1 Bill Beckroge Labor  Drummoyne  Labor John Murray 2.1  Liberal Notional 0.9 -4.5 3.6 John Murray Labor  North Shore  Independent Robyn Read 2.1§  Liberal Notional 1.6 +0.9 2.5 Phillip Smiles Liberal  Parramatta  Liberal John Books 0.5  Labor Notional 0.3 +2.3 2.6 Andrew Ziolkowski Labor  Port Stephens  Labor Bob Martin 0.2  Liberal Notional 2.9 -13.0 10.1 Bob Martin Labor  § Margin estimated on Independent member Ted Mack's results against Liberal at the 1988 election. Post-election pendulum Government seats (53)MarginalThe EntranceBob GrahamLIB0.2%MaitlandPeter BlackmoreLIB0.6%ManlyPeter MacdonaldIND0.7% v LIBCamdenLiz KernohanLIB1.5%North ShorePhillip SmilesLIB2.5% v INDBadgerys CreekAnne CohenLIB2.5%Blue MountainsBarry MorrisLIB2.6%GladesvilleIvan PetchLIB2.9%SutherlandChris DownyLIB3.0%MurwillumbahDon BeckNAT3.1%OrangeGarry WestNAT5.3% v INDFairly safeBlighClover MooreIND6.1% v LIBSouthern HighlandsJohn FaheyLIB6.4%GosfordChris HartcherLIB6.7%Coffs HarbourAndrew FraserNAT7.0%BurrinjuckAlby SchultzLIB8.8%StrathfieldPaul ZammitLIB9.3%ErmingtonMichael PhotiosLIB9.7%TamworthTony WindsorIND9.8% v NATSafeMirandaRon PhillipsLIB10.3%ClarenceIan CausleyNAT10.6%CronullaMalcolm KerrLIB11.3%Georges RiverTerry GriffithsLIB11.4%OxleyBruce JefferyNAT11.5%Northern TablelandsRay ChappellNAT11.5%MurrumbidgeeAdrian CruickshankNAT11.8%WilloughbyPeter CollinsLIB11.9% v INDLismoreBill RixonNAT12.2%WakehurstBrad HazzardLIB12.7%MonaroPeter CochranNAT12.7%BegaRussell SmithLIB12.8%VaucluseMichael YabsleyLIB13.0%BallinaDon PageNAT13.3%Upper HunterGeorge SourisNAT14.7%BarwonWal MurrayNAT15.1%AlburyIan GlachanLIB15.3%Wagga WaggaJoe SchippLIB15.8%LachlanIan ArmstrongNAT16.2%DubboGerry PeacockeNAT16.9%The HillsTony PackardLIB17.4% v INDPort MacquarieWendy MachinNAT17.7%South CoastJohn HattonIND18.3% v LIBMyall LakesJohn TurnerNAT18.6%EastwoodAndrew TinkLIB18.7%Baulkham HillsWayne MertonLIB19.7%Ku-ring-gaiNick GreinerLIB22.7%DavidsonTerry MetherellLIB22.7%HawkesburyKevin RozzoliLIB22.8%PittwaterJim LongleyLIB23.4%Lane CoveKerry ChikarovskiLIB23.7%NorthcottBruce BairdLIB26.4%MurrayJim SmallNAT31.4%GordonTim MooreLIB33.5% Opposition seats (46)Marginal CoogeeErnie PageALP1.6% ParramattaAndrew ZiolkowskiALP2.6% KogarahBrian LangtonALP3.3% DrummoyneJohn MurrayALP3.6% CessnockStan NeillyALP4.4% MoorebankCraig KnowlesALP4.4% HurstvilleMorris IemmaALP4.6% PenrithFaye Lo Po'ALP4.6% BathurstMick CloughALP5.1%Fairly safe SwanseaDon BowmanALP6.4% v IND CanterburyKevin MossALP6.8% RockdaleGeorge ThompsonALP6.8% SmithfieldCarl ScullyALP7.0% RiverstoneJohn AquilinaALP7.5% BlacktownPam AllanALP8.3% WollongongGerry SullivanALP8.6% v IND East HillsPat RoganALP8.7% WyongPaul CrittendenALP9.0% LakembaWes DavorenALP9.4% AshfieldPaul WhelanALP9.9% CampbelltownMichael KnightALP9.9%Safe BankstownDoug SheddenALP10.1% Broken HillBill BeckrogeALP10.1% Port StephensBob MartinALP10.1% KeiraCol MarkhamALP10.5% MaroubraBob CarrALP10.8% PeatsTony DoyleALP11.0% FairfieldGeoff IrwinALP11.3% KiamaBob HarrisonALP11.4% GranvilleKim YeadonALP11.9% NewcastleBryce GaudryALP12.4% v IND Lake MacquarieJeff HunterALP12.7% Mount DruittRichard AmeryALP13.0% CharlestownRichard FaceALP13.1% BulliIan McManusALP13.2% WallsendJohn MillsALP13.2% Port JacksonSandra NoriALP13.7% v IND LondonderryPaul GibsonALP14.0% HeffronDeirdre GrusovinALP15.7% CabramattaJohn NewmanALP16.0% St MarysTony AquilinaALP16.4% LiverpoolPeter AndersonALP16.5% AuburnPeter NagleALP18.1% IllawarraTerry RumbleALP19.7% MarrickvilleAndrew RefshaugeALP19.8% WaratahJohn PriceALP21.0% Aftermath The balance of power rested with four independents who held seats that would have normally been held by the Coalition. Both John Hatton in South Coast and Clover Moore in Bligh were re-elected. They were joined by former National Party member Tony Windsor in Tamworth and local councillor Dr Peter Macdonald in Manly. Windsor quickly came to an accommodation with the Government, assuring it of another term. However, the three non-aligned Independents, knowing that Greiner was still in a shaky position, used their numbers to negotiate a comprehensive memorandum of understanding. Signed in October 1991, it was a document that concentrated more on issues of accountability and process rather than specific policies. Most importantly, the agreement introduced fixed four-year parliamentary terms, a provision entrenched in the Constitution with 76% support at a referendum called in conjunction with the 1995 election. See also Candidates of the 1991 New South Wales state election References Category:Elections in New South Wales New South Wales state election Category:1991 in New South Wales New South Wales state election