2004 Dubbo state by-election
A by-election was staged in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly district of Dubbo on 20 November 2004. It was triggered by the death of sitting independent member Tony McGrane.
The by-election saw McGrane succeeded by another independent in Dawn Fardell.
Background
On 15 September 2004, the independent sitting member Tony McGrane for Dubbo died after a battle with liver cancer.[1] McGrane was first elected at the 1999 state election and re-elected at the 2003 state election. His death triggered a by-election for the vacant seat.
The by-election presented the National Party with an opportunity to regain the seat they had held for 18 years from 1981 before losing it to McGrane in 1999. However, the seat was won instead by another independent, Dubbo deputy mayor Dawn Fardell.
The by-election was not contested by the Labor Party, the party in government at the time. Nor was it contested by the opposition Liberal Party, who deferred to their junior coalition partner the National Party, as is typical in regional districts.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Dawn Fardell | 19,511 | 50.56 | +50.56 | |
| National | Jan Cowley | 15,332 | 42.41 | +4.19 | |
| Greens | Terrance Loughlin | 1,390 | 3.60 | +0.92 | |
| Independent | Makere Rangihaeata | 1,326 | 3.44 | +3.44 | |
| Total formal votes | 38,592 | 98.50 | +0.18 | ||
| Informal votes | 589 | 1.50 | −0.18 | ||
| Turnout | 39,181 | 88.92 | −5.20 | ||
| Independent hold | Swing | N/A | |||
References
- ^ "Dubbo mourns MP death". ABC. 16 September 2004.
- ^ Dubbo 2004 By-election Results