1989 Gwydir by-election
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Gwydir on 15 April 1989. This was triggered by the resignation of National Party MP Ralph Hunt.
The Australian Labor Party did not field a candidate. The by-election was won by the National Party's John Anderson.
Candidates
- National Party of Australia – John Anderson, farmer and grazier.
- Independent – Bevan O'Regan. O'Regan had contested New England at the 1987 election as an independent National candidate, supporting the Joh for Canberra campaign. He later contested the Senate in 1996 for Australians Against Further Immigration and in 1998 for One Nation.
- Independent – John Uebergang. Uebergang later contested the Senate in the 1993 election for the Confederate Action Party.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | John Anderson | 31,209 | 56.0 | −1.2 | |
| Independent | John Uebergang | 14,660 | 26.3 | +26.3 | |
| Independent | Bevan O'Regan | 9,881 | 17.7 | +17.7 | |
| Total formal votes | 55,750 | 95.3 | |||
| Informal votes | 2,768 | 4.7 | |||
| Turnout | 58,518 | 84.0 | |||
| National hold | Swing | N/A | |||
The Australian Electoral Commission has no record of the distribution of preferences for this by-election, despite the fact that a full distribution was required by the Electoral Act.[1] Adam Carr estimates a majority of 60.4% for Anderson, assuming 75% of O'Regan's preferences went to Uebergang.