1980 Western Australian state election

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 23 February 1980 to elect all 55 members to the Legislative Assembly and 16 members to the 32-seat Legislative Council. The Liberal-National Country coalition government, led by Premier Sir Charles Court, won a third term in office against the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Ron Davies.

1980 Western Australian state election

← 1977 23 February 1980 (1980-02-23) 1983 →

All 55 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
and 16 (of the 32) seats to the Western Australian Legislative Council
28 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Charles Court Ron Davies Hendy Cowan
Party Liberal/NCP coalition Labor National
Leader since 5 June 1972 21 February 1978 1979
Leader's seat Nedlands Victoria Park Merredin
Last election 30 seats 22 seats 3 seats
Seats won 29 23 3
Seat change Decrease1 Increase1 Steady
Popular vote 282,478 270,165 17,411
Percentage 48.05% 45.95% 2.96%
Swing Decrease3.71 Increase1.73 Increase0.09
TPP 50.97% 49.03%
TPP swing Decrease3.73 Increase3.73

Premier before election

Charles Court
Liberal/NCP coalition

Elected Premier

Charles Court
Liberal/NCP coalition

The election produced very little in terms of the balance of the parties in Parliament—Labor won Kimberley from the Liberals in the Assembly, and a North Province seat in the Council, but lost two Council seats to the Liberals—one each in North Metropolitan and South-East Metropolitan. However, Labor received a substantial swing overall, increasing majorities in seats it already held, and reducing Liberal majorities in western suburban seats and pushing the key seats of Bunbury and Pilbara into marginal status.[1] Despite a vigorous campaign against each other, the National Country and National parties, which had split in August 1978, failed to gain any seats off each other, each retaining three seats in the Assembly, and the former retaining one in the Council.

Results

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Legislative Assembly

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Western Australian state election, 23 February 1980
Legislative Assembly
<< 19771983 >>

Enrolled voters 689,066[1]
Votes cast 609,418 Turnout 85.27% –5.51%
Informal votes 21,449 Informal 3.52% +0.34%
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes % Swing Seats Change
  Liberal 257,218 43.75% –5.60% 26 – 1
  Labor 270,165 45.95% +1.73% 23 + 1
  National Country[2] 25,260 4.30% +1.89% 3 ± 0
  National[2] 17,411 2.96% +0.09% 3 ± 0
  Democrats 11,513 1.96% +1.96% 0 ± 0
  Socialist 1,527 0.26% +0.26% 0 ± 0
  Progress 1,041 0.18% –0.27% 0 ± 0
  Independent 3,834 0.65% +0.05% 0 ± 0
Total 587,969     55  
Two-party-preferred
  Liberal/NCP 311,239 50.97% –3.73%
  Labor 299,347 49.03% +3.73%

Notes:

1 714,724 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but two seats were uncontested: the seat of Collie, held by Labor's Tom Jones and representing 8,854 electors, and East Melville, won by the Liberals' Anthony Trethowan representing 16,804 electors, which was uncontested due to the Labor candidate's failure to submit their nomination on time.
2 The National Country Party contested seven seats in the 1977 election, winning six of them and attaining 5.28% of the vote. The National Party split from the National Country Party on 10 August 1978, with the former contesting 8 seats and the latter 11.

Legislative Council

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Western Australian state election, 23 February 1980
Legislative Council

Enrolled voters 714,724
Votes cast 631,915 Turnout 88.41% –2.29%
Informal votes 27,692 Informal 4.38% –0.03%
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes % Swing Seats
won
Seats
held
  Liberal 287,058 47.51% –2.80% 10 19
  Labor 270,538 44.77% +2.82% 5 9
  National Country[1] 23,101 3.82% +0.65% 1 3
  National[1] 20,704 3.43% +1.04% 0 1
  Progress 2,822 0.47% +0.47% 0 0
  Independent 0 0.00% –2.18% 0 0
Total 604,223     16 32
Two-party-preferred
  Liberal/NCP 316,398 52.36% –3.26%
  Labor 287,825 47.64% +3.26%

Notes:

1 The National Country Party contested four seats in the 1977 election, winning three of them and attaining 5.56% of the vote. The National Party split from the National Country Party on 10 August 1978, with the former contesting 5 seats and the latter 4.

Seats changing hands

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Seat Pre-1980 Swing Post-1980
Party Member Margin Margin Member Party
Kimberley   Liberal Alan Ridge 1.3 -9.3 8.0 Ernie Bridge Labor  
Merredin   National Country Hendy Cowan N/A N/A 23.5 Hendy Cowan National  
Mount Marshall   National Country Ray McPharlin N/A N/A 10.8 Ray McPharlin National  
Stirling   National Country Matt Stephens N/A N/A 11.4 Matt Stephens National  

Post-election pendulum

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Liberal/NCP seats (29)
Marginal
Bunbury John Sibson LIB 1.3%
Pilbara Brian Sodeman LIB 1.6%
Roe Geoff Grewar LIB 3.3%
Mundaring Tom Herzfeld LIB 3.5%
Murdoch Barry MacKinnon LIB 3.8%
Clontarf Tony Williams LIB 3.9%
Cottesloe Bill Hassell LIB 5.2%
Fairly safe
Scarborough Ray Young LIB 6.2%
Whitford Mick Nanovich LIB 8.3%
Karrinyup Jim Clarko LIB 8.5%
Murchison-Eyre Peter Coyne LIB 9.0%
Mount Lawley Ray O'Connor LIB 9.2%
Murray Richard Shalders LIB 9.2%
Wellington June Craig LIB 9.2%
Safe
Darling Range George Spriggs LIB 11.0%
Roe Geoff Grewar LIB 11.1% v NCP
Albany Leon Watt LIB 12.5%
Gascoyne Ian Laurance LIB 12.7%
South Perth Bill Grayden LIB 13.0%
Subiaco Tom Dadour LIB 13.9%
Kalamunda Ian Thompson LIB 14.4%
Floreat Andrew Mensaros LIB 19.4%
Nedlands Charles Court LIB 20.6%
Vasse Barry Blaikie LIB 21.7%
Moore Bert Crane NCP 23.1%
Narrogin Peter Jones NCP 27.0%
Katanning Dick Old NCP 29.3% v NAT
Greenough Reg Tubby LIB 29.4%
East Melville Anthony Trethowan LIB unopp.
Labor seats (23)
Fairly safe
Avon Ken McIver ALP 6.7%
Gosnells Bob Pearce ALP 7.4%
Kimberley Ernie Bridge ALP 8.0%
Canning Tom Bateman ALP 8.5%
Welshpool Colin Jamieson ALP 9.4%
Swan Jack Skidmore ALP 9.6%
Mount Hawthorn Ron Bertram ALP 9.7%
Geraldton Jeff Carr ALP 9.8%
Safe
Maylands John Harman ALP 10.2%
Ascot Mal Bryce ALP 12.1%
Dianella Keith Wilson ALP 12.2%
Warren David Evans ALP 12.5%
Rockingham Mike Barnett ALP 13.4%
Kalgoorlie Ian Taylor ALP 14.5%
Morley Arthur Tonkin ALP 14.7%
Victoria Park Ron Davies ALP 14.7%
Melville Barry Hodge ALP 15.1%
Perth Terry Burke ALP 16.2%
Fremantle David Parker ALP 17.5%
Balcatta Brian Burke ALP 18.7%
Yilgarn-Dundas Julian Grill ALP 22.8%
Cockburn Alexander Taylor ALP 23.1%
Collie Tom Jones ALP unopp.
National seats (3)
Mount Marshall Ray McPharlin NAT 10.8% v LIB
Stirling Matt Stephens NAT 11.4% v LIB
Merredin Hendy Cowan NAT 23.5% v LIB

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Watt, Edward David (December 1980). "Australian Political Chronicle: January–June 1980 (Western Australia)". Australian Journal of Politics and History. 26 (3): 443–446. ISSN 0004-9522.