2001 Western Australian state election

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 10 February 2001 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and all 34 members to the Legislative Council. The two-term LiberalNational coalition government, led by Premier Richard Court, was defeated by the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Dr Geoff Gallop, in a landslide.

2001 Western Australian state election

← 199610 February 2001 (2001-02-10)2005 →

All 57 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
and all 36 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Council
29 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
LFF
LeaderGeoff GallopRichard CourtJanet Woollard
PartyLaborLiberal/National coalitionLiberals for Forests
Leader since8 October 1996 (1996-10-08)12 May 1992 (1992-05-12)3 July 1999
Leader's seatVictoria ParkNedlandsAlfred Cove
(won seat)
Last election19 seats35 seats
Seats won32211
Seat changeIncrease 13Decrease 14New
Popular vote382,308353,37716,790
Percentage37.24%34.42%1.64%
SwingIncrease 1.42Decrease 11.14New
TPP52.92%47.08%
TPP swingIncrease 8.09Decrease 8.09

Premier before election

Richard Court
Liberal/National coalition

Elected Premier

Geoff Gallop
Labor

The election produced the biggest change of seats at any election since 1911, with Labor winning 14 seats from the Coalition as well as an Independent-held seat, while losing the seat of Kalgoorlie for the first time since 1923 to Liberal candidate Matt Birney. Meanwhile, a minister in the outgoing Government, Doug Shave, lost his seat of Alfred Cove to Independent candidate Dr Janet Woollard, who was also a member of the Liberals for Forests party.

This was the first election in Western Australian history where the Australian Greens Party overtook the National Party in its share of the state vote.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Western Australian state election, 10 February 2001[1][2]
Legislative Assembly
<< 19962005 >>

Enrolled voters1,187,629
Votes cast1,075,556Turnout90.56%+0.57%
Informal votes48,836Informal4.54%+0.15%
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes%SwingSeatsChange
 Labor382,30837.24%+1.42%32+13
 Liberal319,92731.16%–8.61%16–13
 One Nation98,3219.58%+9.58%0± 0
 Greens74,6417.27%+2.54%0± 0
 National33,4503.26%–2.53%5– 1
 Democrats27,1022.64%–2.44%0± 0
 Liberals for Forests16,7901.64%+1.64%1+1
 Christian Democrats9,8930.96%+0.78%0± 0
 Curtin Labor Alliance4,1200.40%+0.40%0± 0
 Seniors Party3,0220.29%+0.29%0± 0
 Independent[1]55,5895.41%–2.42%3± 0
 Non-affiliated1,5570.15%-0.75%0± 0
Total1,026,720  57 
Two-party-preferred
 Labor538,75952.92%+8.09%
 Liberal/National479,20947.08%–8.09%

Notes:

1 At the 1996 election, Labor Party member Larry Graham won the Pilbara seat. He resigned from the party during the term of parliament, and won his seat as an independent in 2001. The retirement of Labor independent Ernie Bridge, whose seat of Kimberley was subsequently won at the election by Labor candidate Carol Martin.

Legislative Council

Western Australian state election, 10 February 2001
Legislative Council

Enrolled voters1,187,629
Votes cast1,077,186Turnout90.70%+0.56%
Informal votes28,434Informal2.64%–0.37%
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes%SwingSeatsChange
 Labor397,84637.94%+6.88%13+ 1
 Liberal356,12633.96%N/A[1]12– 2
 National25,2042.40%N/A[1]1– 2
 One Nation103,5719.88%+9.88%3+ 3
 Greens83,8838.00%+2.45%5+ 2
 Democrats38,9683.72%–2.86%0– 2
 Christian Democrats16,1051.54%+0.86%0± 0
 Curtin Labor Alliance8,9850.86%+0.86%0± 0
 Seniors Party9540.09%+0.09%0± 0
 Other parties1800.02%–3.83%0± 0
 Independent16,9301.61%–2.91%0± 0
Total1,048,752  34 

Notes:

1 At the 1996 election, the Liberals and Nationals ran a combined ticket in two regions, ran separately in a third, and the Liberals ran alone in the remaining three. The two parties received a combined vote of 46.45%. As such, the swing against the Coalition in the Legislative Council was 10.09%.

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-2001SwingPost-2001
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Albany LiberalKevin Prince11.915.63.7Peter WatsonLabor 
Alfred Cove LiberalDoug Shave2.49.87.4Janet WoollardLiberals for Forests 
Ballajura LiberalRhonda Parker0.15.15.0John D'OrazioLabor 
Bunbury LiberalIan Osborne5.36.81.5Tony DeanLabor 
Collie NationalHilda Turnbull9.39.40.1Mick MurrayLabor 
Geraldton LiberalBob Bloffwitch7.011.34.3Shane HillLabor 
Innaloo LiberalGeorge Strickland4.08.54.5John QuigleyLabor 
Joondalup LiberalChris Baker5.56.30.8Tony O'GormanLabor 
Kalgoorlie LaborMegan Anwyl4.45.51.1Matt BirneyLiberal 
Kimberley IndependentErnie Bridge11.522.010.5Carol MartinLabor 
Mandurah LiberalRoger Nicholls3.07.94.9David TemplemanLabor 
Pilbara LaborLarry Graham15.734.919.2Larry GrahamIndependent 
Riverton LiberalGraham Kierath6.79.73.0Tony McRaeLabor 
Roleystone LiberalFred Tubby7.212.14.9Martin WhitelyLabor 
Southern River LiberalMonica Holmes1.54.93.4Paul AndrewsLabor 
Swan Hills LiberalJune van de Klashorst9.711.72.0Jaye RadisichLabor 
Wanneroo LiberalIain MacLean1.67.55.9Dianne GuiseLabor 
Yokine LiberalKim Hames3.26.63.4Bob KuceraLabor 
  • Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

Post-election pendulum

Labor seats (32)
Marginal
CollieMick MurrayALP0.1%
JoondalupTony O'GormanALP0.8%
BunburyTony DeanALP1.5%
Swan HillsJaye RadisichALP2.0%
RivertonTony McRaeALP3.0%
Southern RiverPaul AndrewsALP3.4%
YokineBob KuceraALP3.4%
AlbanyPeter WatsonALP3.7%
GeraldtonShane HillALP4.3%
InnalooJohn QuigleyALP4.5%
MandurahDavid TemplemanALP4.9%
RoleystoneMartin WhitelyALP4.9%
BallajuraJohn D'OrazioALP5.0%
WannerooDianne GuiseALP5.9%
Fairly safe
ArmadaleAlannah MacTiernanALP7.1% v IND
EyreJohn BowlerALP7.9%
Safe
ThornlieSheila McHaleALP10.4%
KimberleyCarol MartinALP10.5%
PerthJohn HydeALP11.3%
MidlandMichelle RobertsALP13.5%
Victoria ParkGeoff GallopALP13.8%
MaylandsJudy EdwardsALP14.5%
BelmontEric RipperALP14.7%
BurrupFred RiebelingALP15.0%
RockinghamMark McGowanALP15.6%
WillageeAlan CarpenterALP15.7%
PeelNorm MarlboroughALP16.5%
FremantleJim McGintyALP17.2%
NollamaraJohn KobelkeALP17.3%
CockburnFran LoganALP18.3%
GirrawheenMargaret QuirkALP18.4%
BassendeanClive BrownALP19.1%
Liberal/National seats (21)
Marginal
Darling RangeJohn DayLIB0.3%
HillarysRob JohnsonLIB1.0%
KalgoorlieMatt BirneyLIB1.1%
NingalooRod SweetmanLIB2.4%
KingsleyCheryl EdwardesLIB2.9%
DawesvilleArthur MarshallLIB2.9%
Murray-WellingtonJohn BradshawLIB3.0%
AvonMax TrenordenNAT4.8%
NedlandsRichard CourtLIB4.9% v IND
VasseBernie MastersLIB5.5%
WaginTerry WaldronNAT5.9% v LIB
Fairly safe
MurdochMike BoardLIB6.6%
MitchellDan SullivanLIB8.2%
GreenoughJamie EdwardsLIB9.4%
Safe
CarineKatie Hodson-ThomasLIB10.0%
CottesloeColin BarnettLIB11.3%
StirlingMonty HouseNAT12.4%
Warren-BlackwoodPaul OmodeiLIB14.4%
MooreBill McNeeLIB15.1%
RoeRoss AinsworthNAT21.7%
MerredinHendy CowanNAT22.9%
Crossbench seats (4)
Alfred CoveJanet WoollardLFF7.4% v LIB
South PerthPhillip PendalIND12.8% v LIB
ChurchlandsLiz ConstableIND19.2% v LIB
PilbaraLarry GrahamIND19.2% v ALP

See also

References