1969 Curtin by-election

Key dates

Candidates

The Liberal Party's candidate was Victor Garland, a 34-year-old chartered accountant who was also deputy mayor of the Town of Claremont and senior vice-president of the Liberal Party in Western Australia. The preselection, which took place on 20 March and was ratified on 24 March by the party's State Council, had approximately 15 contestants, among whom Garland and party president (later Senator) Peter Durack were regarded as the main contenders. Others included lawyer John Huelin, a Methodist minister, a naval commodore and the Moore divisional president.

The Labor Party's candidate was Hayden Jones, a 29-year-old schoolteacher at Swanbourne Senior High School.

Captain Robert Scoggins (37) ran as an independent, backed by the Association for the Abolition of the Means Test, who had campaigned on social welfare issues.

The Democratic Labor Party (DLP) decided not to run in Curtin. The DLP's secretary, John Martyr, asked its supporters in the final week to vote for Scoggins.

Campaign

As a safe Liberal seat, Labor did not expect to win, but Opposition Leader Gough Whitlam predicted a large swing against the government. In a campaign stop on 1 April, Whitlam said Labor would campaign on the cost of land in Perth — the cheapest in Australia ten years previously but the most expensive by 1969 — and the danger of overseas companies controlling Western Australian mineral resources. Other issues included what he described as a deteriorating standard of Australian schools and the need for an Australian Schools Commission. The Canberra press gallery correspondent of the West Australian, Geoffrey Paddick, believed the three by-elections would be a key test of Prime Minister John Gorton's leadership, amidst allegations about his personal conduct and "one-man-bandmanship", and Whitlam's greater experience and energy in campaigning.

On 17 April, Jones accused Garland of illegal campaigning and spending more than the $500 legal limit on expenses. He also expressed annoyance at Scoggins for what he described as milking protest votes that would otherwise have gone to Labor. Scoggins countered that he hoped to attract votes from both parties as neither of them were dealing adequately with social justice issues.

Results

Garland won the election with a majority of primary votes, but with a significantly reduced majority. Scoggins attained almost double the DLP vote from 1966. Opposition leader Gough Whitlam commented: "Curtin has been among the half dozen most undeviatingly conservative electorates in Australia. Reports from scrutineers indicate that at least half, and in some subdivisions well over half, of Mr Scoggins's preferences would come to Labor. This confirms the extent and reality of the swing". Prime Minister John Gorton said: "In this particular poll, neither ourselves nor the Labor Party can draw much comfort from the figures." He noted the tradition of by-elections going against the government, the large number of people (19.2% compared to 5.4% at the 1966 election) who failed to vote at all, and the loss of Sir Paul Hasluck's personal vote. Of Scoggins, Gorton said: "An interesting aspect was the relatively large vote polled by Mr Scoggins, who had campaigned on a non-party basis with social service questions as his exclusive issue."

In declaring victory, Garland said he believed the result was satisfactory and that the anti-government swing had been anticipated, expecting that the vote would return at the general election. Jones said the swing foreshadowed a Labor victory at the 1969 election, and that his scrutineers reported two-thirds of Scoggins' preferences in the Leederville subdivision were going to Labor, while in the Dalkeith subdivision they were splitting 50-50. (There is no way to verify this claim, as under the Electoral Act at the time, preferences were not formally reported if the leading candidate won over 50% of the primary vote—the below calculation by Adam Carr and Malcolm MacKerras assumes a 50-50 split electorate-wide.) A spokesman for the Association for the Abolition of the Means Test was pleased with the result, predicting the election result would be reflected in the 1969 budget, and the association intended to enter three candidates to oppose Liberal MPs (Freeth, Chaney and Cleaver) at the 1969 election if the fight was still necessary.

References

References

1. (18 April 1969). "By-election campaign warms up". The West Australian.
2. {{cite hansard. (25 February 1969). Speaker]]
3. (14 March 1969). "The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives". [[Commonwealth of Australia Gazette.
4. {{cite hansard. (29 April 1969)
5. (21 March 1969). "Liberals pick party official for Curtin". [[The West Australian]].
6. (15 March 1969). "Curtin Liberal field near 15". [[The West Australian]].
7. (21 April 1969). "Liberal wins Curtin; majority shrinks". The West Australian.
8. Brown, Wallace. (2 April 1969). "DLP move centre of by-elections". [[The Courier-Mail]].
9. (2 April 1969). "Labor has 2 big issues in Curtin fight". The West Australian.
10. Paddick, Geoffrey. (4 April 1969). "Election Test for Leaders". The West Australian.
11. (21 April 1969). "Liberal wins Curtin;". The West Australian.
12. (1983). "Commonwealth Electoral Legislation Amendment Act 1983".
13. Australian Electoral Office. (1983). "Commonwealth By-Elections 1901–82". Australian Government Publishing Service.
14. "By-Elections 1966-1969".