Portal:Australia/Featured article/Week 6, 2007

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Legislative elections for the 51st Parliament of South Australia were held in the state of South Australia on 18 March 2006, and were conducted by the independent State Electoral Office. The centre-left Australian Labor Party, in government since 2002 under Premier Mike Rann, gained a 7.7 percent statewide swing, resulting in the first Labor majority government since the 1985 election, with 28 of the 47 House of Assembly (lower house) seats. The centre-right Liberal Party of Australia, led by Rob Kerin, achieved their worst lower house result in any South Australian election, with 31.9% of seats. In addition to the major party results, all three sitting independents and a sitting Nationals SA member retained their lower house seats. In the Legislative Council (upper house), both major parties each finished with a total of eight seats, with Labor winning four and the Liberals winning three. No Pokies independent Nick Xenophon polled an unprecedented (for an independent or minor party) 20.5 percent, resulting in both Xenophon and his running mate, Ann Bressington being elected. Family First had a second member elected, the Democrats vote collapsed leaving one remaining member, and the SA Greens won a seat for the first time.