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Revision as of 05:08, 28 February 2018

Batman by-election, 2018
← 2016 17 March 2018 Next →
The Batman seat in the House of Representatives
Registered111,857[1]
 
Candidate Ged Kearney Alex Bhathal
Party Labor Greens
Last election 35.27% 36.23%
2016 TPP 51.03% 48.97%
The Division of Batman covers an area of 66 km² in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. The main suburbs in the seat include Fairfield, Northcote, Preston and Reservoir.
Incumbent MP

David Feeney
Labor



A by-election for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Batman will be held on 17 March 2018.

Previous incumbent David Feeney, a backbench MP in the lower house for the Australian Labor Party, announced his resignation from the seat on 1 February 2018.

Background

On 6 December 2017, amidst the ongoing citizenship crisis engulfing several MP's, Labor MP David Feeney revealed that he was unable to produce documentation confirming he had renounced citizenship of either the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland.[2][3] Consequently, Feeney voluntarily referred himself to the High Court of Australia, considering his likely breach of Section 44 of the Australian Constitution.[3] By 19 January 2018, Feeney remained unable to produce any documentary evidence from British or Irish authorities that he took steps to renounce his citizenship and entitlements, and consequently the High Court granted him an extension to 1 February to allow his legal team to continue their search for the relevant documents.[4] At a press conference on 1 February 2018, Feeney announced he would resign from the seat and from politics effective immediately, choosing not to stand for pre-selection as a candidate at the by-election.[5] The date for the by-election was set at 17 March 2018, the same day as the South Australian state election.[6]

The seat is likely to be fought by the incumbent Labor Party and the Greens, who received a 9.6% swing toward them in the previous election. Despite finishing first in the primary vote, Greens candidate Alex Bhathal was defeated by Feeney on the two-party preferred vote 51%-49% at the previous election. Feeney had held the seat for the Labor Party since 2013.

Key dates

Key dates in relation to the by-election are:[7]

  • Wednesday, 7 February 2018 – Issue of writ
  • Wednesday, 14 February 2018 – Close of electoral rolls (8pm)
  • Thursday, 22 February 2018 – Close of nominations (12 noon)
  • Friday, 23 February 2018 – Declaration of nominations (12 noon)
  • Tuesday, 27 February 2018 – Start of early voting
  • Saturday, 17 March 2018 – Polling day (8am to 6pm)
  • Friday 30 March 2018 – Last day for receipt of postal votes
  • Friday, 18 May 2018 – Last day for return of writs

Candidates

Candidates in ballot paper order[9]
Party Candidate Background
  Rise Up Australia Yvonne Gentle
  Labor Ged Kearney On 2 February 2018, Labor leader Bill Shorten formally announced that Ged Kearney, president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), was Labor's candidate at the by-election.[10] Kearney had previously been pre-selected for the state seat of Brunswick at the 2018 state election, but resigned from the candidacy to contest Batman.[11]
  Greens Alex Bhathal Greens leader Richard Di Natale confirmed to Guardian Australia that Alex Bhathal would run for the seat as the Greens candidate.[12] Bhathal has been the Greens' candidate for the seat in several previous elections, and is a social worker who has sat on the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council.[13]
  Conservatives Kevin Bailey Victorian director of the Australian Conservatives, businessman and former SAS soldier Kevin Bailey was announced as the party's candidate for Batman by Lyle Shelton. [14]
  Australian People's Party Tegan Burns
  Australian Liberty Alliance Debbie Robinson ALA president Debbie Robinson was announced as the party's candidate for this by-election.
  Independent Teresa van Lieshout Perennial candidate for eight state and federal elections, most recently the Canning by-election in 2015.[15]
  Adrian Whitehead Whitehead is an environmentalist and the founder of the unregistered Save the Planet Party. He previously contested Corangamite at the 2013 federal election.[16]
  Sustainable Australia Mark McDonald
  Animal Justice Party Miranda Smith Smith previously contested the seat of Melbourne at the 2016 federal election.

Polling

Batman by-election polling
Date Firm Sample Primary vote TPP vote
ALP GRN OTH ALP GRN
18–20 Feb 2018 Lonergan Research [17] 693 40% 39% 16% 53% 47%
2016 election 35.3% 36.2% 28.5% 51.0% 49.0%

See also

References

  1. ^ "A total of 111 857 people are enrolled to vote in the #Batman by-election to be held on Saturday, 17 March 2018". Australian Electoral Commission. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  2. ^ Murphy, Katharine; Karp, Paul; Hutchens, Gareth (5 December 2017). "David Feeney says he may hold dual citizenship as more MPs' futures in balance". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b "David Feeney first Labor MP referred to High Court over dual citizenship". ABC News Radio. 6 December 2017.
  4. ^ "Labor MP David Feeney tells high court he cannot find citizenship papers". The Guardian. 19 January 2018.
  5. ^ Yaxley, Louise (1 February 2018). "David Feeney resigns from Parliament over dual citizenship, prompting Batman by-election". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 1 February 2018. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  6. ^ "St Patrick's Day byelection for Batman". The Age. 7 February 2018.
  7. ^ "2018 Batman by-election". Australian Electoral Commission.
  8. ^ "Fresh blow to Labor as Liberals stay out of Batman". The Age. 16 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Ten candidates to contest the 2018 Batman by-election". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  10. ^ "Shorten shifts on Adani as Labor announces Ged Kearney to run for Batman". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 2 February 2018.
  11. ^ "Ged Kearney last-minute replacement as Brunswick MP Jane Garrett seeks safe seat". The Age. Fairfax Media. 27 September 2017.
  12. ^ "Ged Kearney to run for Labor in Batman as Shorten threatens Adani's licence". Guardian Australia. 2 February 2018. Alex Bhathal, who Greens leader Richard Di Natale confirmed on Friday would recontest the seat, was 1.03%, or just 1,853 votes, shy of Labor in 2016.
  13. ^ "Alex Bhathal". Australian Greens. 1 February 2018.
  14. ^ "Former SAS soldier Kevin Bailey to contest Batman by-election for Cory Bernardi's Australian Conservatives". Herald Sun. 20 February 2018.
  15. ^ Green, Antony. "2015 Canning by-election". ABC Elections. ABC. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  16. ^ Green, Antony. "Corangamite Results". ABC Elections. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  17. ^ "Wilted Greens? Labor edges ahead in Batman voter poll". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
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