Groom by-election, 1988

A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Groom on 9 April 1988. This was triggered by the resignation of National Party MP Tom McVeigh.

The election was won by Liberal Party candidate Bill Taylor.

Taylor was publicly backed by former Queensland premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen a month before the poll. Bjelke-Petersen, who had been forced to resign as premier several months earlier after losing the support of his National Party colleagues, said the Nationals had lost their way and turned their backs on traditional conservative policies.[1]

Candidates

Results

Groom by-election, 1988[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Bill Taylor 20,651 33.3 +19.9
National David Russell 17,814 28.8 -20.1
Labor Linda Dwyer 14,973 24.2 -8.2
Independent Vincent Burke 4,661 7.5 +7.5
Democrats Mark Carew 3,474 5.6 +0.2
Independent Peter Consandine 369 0.6 +0.6
Total formal votes 61,942 98.6
Informal votes 889 1.4
Turnout 62,831 88.0
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Bill Taylor 38,651 62.4 +62.4
National David Russell 23,271 37.6 -25.2
Liberal gain from National Swing N/A

See also

References

  1. "Vote for Libs, says Joh, the Nats are lost", The Courier-Mail, 15 March 1988, pg 2.
  2. "By-Elections 1987-1990". Psephos.