Davidson state by-election, 1992

Davidson boundaries

A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Davidson on 2 May 1992.^[1]

It was triggered by the resignation of former Liberal Party-turned Independent MP, Terry Metherell, after the scandal known as the 'Metherell Crisis'.^[1]

The seat was subsequently won by Andrew Humpherson of the Liberal Party. However the Liberals suffered a 16% drop in their primary vote, and a 14% drop in their two party preferred vote.^[1]

Background

The seat of Davidson, a traditionally safe Liberal seat, was held since 1981 by Dr Terry Metherell, a controversial Minister for Education in the first term of the Greiner government^[1]

Charges of tax avoidance forced his resignation from the Ministry in 1990. However, there was speculation that he would be re-appointed to the ministry when the Greiner government was re-elected in 1991. However, at the 1991 election, the Greiner government emerged without a clear majority and all hopes of a ministerial appointment for Metherell were squashed. Feeling betrayed and rejected from his party, in October 1991 Metherell resigned from the Liberal Party live on the 7:30 Report, without having given his colleagues notice.^[1]

The government subsequently created a job for Metherell, a position with the Environment Protection Agency, which he accepted, effectively engineering a vacancy in a seat the Liberal Party would recover at a by-election. Labor did not nominate a candidate, but a field of Independents and minor parties reduced the Liberal vote by 16%, and 14% after preferences.^[1]

Results

The Liberal Party retained the seat, despite a swing of 16%.^[2] The Liberal candidate, Warringah Councillor since 1985, Andrew Humpherson, was declared the winner against Independent Candidate and Warringah Councillor since 1980, Julie Sutton.

References