Pembroke state by-election, 2009

A by-election was held in the Tasmanian Legislative Council division of Pembroke on 1 August 2009.^[1] It was triggered by the resignation of sitting member Allison Ritchie.

Background

Ritchie was first elected to the Legislative Council in 2001 at the age of 26, the youngest person ever elected to that chamber. She spent nine and a half weeks as Minister for Planning and Workplace Relations in 2008, but resigned due to ill health.^[2] She announced her resignation from parliament amid allegations of nepotism on 20 June 2009.^[3]

Candidates

The writ for the by-election was issued on 30 June 2009; nominations closed on 9 July.^[1] The eight candidates were:

Independent — Honey Bacon, widow of former Tasmanian Premier Jim Bacon.
Independent — Peter Cooper, a Clarence City Alderman (2008–present).
Independent — James Crotty, former Labor candidate and considered the unofficial representative of the Government.^[4]
Liberal Party of Australia — Vanessa Goodwin, a 39-year old lawyer and criminologist, was previously the Liberal candidate for the state seat of Franklin in 2006 and the federal candidate for the equivalent seat in 2007, achieving a rare swing to the Liberal Party.
Tasmanian Greens — Wendy Heatley, a 46-year-old lawyer.
Independent — Richard James, a Clarence City Alderman( 1984–89, 1994–present). James previously contested Pembroke in 1995, 1999 and 2007.
Independent — John Peers, a Clarence City Alderman (1994–present).
Independent — Kit (Sharon) Soo, a public relations consultant.

Results

Pembroke state by-election, 2009^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Vanessa Goodwin	7,812	38.55	+38.55
	Greens	Wendy Heatley	2,604	12.85	–0.56
	Independent	Richard James	2,285	11.28	–7.10
	Independent	Honey Bacon	2,110	10.41	+10.41
	Independent	John Peers	1,942	9.58	+0.32
	Independent	James Crotty	1,783	8.80	+8.80
	Independent	Peter Cooper	1,510	7.45	+7.45
	Independent	Kit (Sharon) Soo	219	1.08	+1.08
Total formal votes			20,265	96.48	–0.26
Informal votes			740	3.52	+0.26
Turnout			21,005	85.05	–2.47
	Liberal gain from Labor		Swing	N/A

Distribution of Preferences

The distribution of preferences is shown in detail on the Tasmanian Electoral Commission website.^[6] In accordance with the preferential voting system, the following candidates were excluded in the order shown and their votes distributed to remaining candidates or declared exhausted (no more preferences): Soo, Cooper, Crotty, Peers, Bacon.

Vanessa Goodwin attained a quota (an absolute majority of formal votes) when two other candidates were left in the count, meaning that no two-candidate-preferred figure was attained.

Result after Distribution of Preferences^[5]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Vanessa Goodwin	10,143	51.05
	Independent	Richard James	5,510	27.73
	Greens	Wendy Heatley	4,215	21.22

References