View source for 2001 Aston by-election

{{About|the 2001 by-election|2023 by-election in the same electorate|2023 Aston by-election}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| country = Victoria
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| election_date = 14 July 2001

| image1 = [[File:Chris Pearce.jpg|150x150px]]
| candidate1 = [[Chris Pearce (politician)|Chris Pearce]]
| party1 = Liberal Party of Australia
| popular_vote1 = '''31,640'''
| percentage1 = '''40.73%'''
| swing1 = {{decrease}} 7.76pp

| image2 = [[File:Labor Placeholder.png|150x150px]]
| candidate2 = {{nowrap|Kieran Boland}}
| party2 = Australian Labor Party
| popular_vote2 = 28,716
| percentage2 = 36.96%
| swing2 = {{decrease}} 1.55pp

| 1blank = [[Two-party-preferred|TPP]]
| 2blank = TPP swing
| 1data1 = '''50.58%'''
| 2data1 = {{decrease}} 3.36pp
| 1data2 = 49.42%
| 2data2 = {{increase}} 3.36pp

| title = MP
| before_election = [[Peter Nugent]]
| before_party = Liberal Party of Australia
| after_election = [[Chris Pearce (politician)|Chris Pearce]]
| after_party = Liberal Party of Australia
}}
The '''2001 Aston by-election''' was held in the Australian electorate of [[Division of Aston|Aston]] in [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]] on 14 July 2001. The [[by-election]] was triggered by the death of the sitting member, the [[Liberal Party of Australia]]'s [[Peter Nugent]], on 24 April 2001. The writ for the by-election was issued on 1 June 2001.

==Background==
The by-election was an important test for the Liberal Party. The federal Liberal government had introduced a controversial [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|Goods and Services Tax]] just over a year before, and unpopular sentiment surrounding the government and its GST were believed to have led to the defeat of the Coalition in [[2001 Western Australian state election|Western Australia]] and [[2001 Queensland state election|Queensland]] state elections in landslides.<ref name="smh">Coorey, Phillip: [http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/no-glorious-july-for-pm-this-year/2007/07/12/1183833687249.html No glorious July for PM this year], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', 13 July 2007.</ref> The Liberals had also lost the seat of [[Division of Ryan|Ryan]] in a recent by-election, and the ALP led by [[Kim Beazley]] was ahead in opinion polls.

==Results==
{{Election box begin |
|title=Aston by-election, 2001
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = [[Chris Pearce (politician)|Chris Pearce]]
|party = Liberal
|votes = 31,640
|percentage = 40.73
|change = −7.76
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Kieran Boland
|party = Labor
|votes = 28,716
|percentage = 36.96
|change = −1.55
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Pierre Harcourt
|party = Democrats
|votes = 6,271
|percentage = 8.07
|change = +0.54
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Garry Scates
|party = Independent
|votes = 3,401
|percentage = 4.38
|change = +4.38
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Mick Kir
|party = Greens
|votes = 1,877
|percentage = 2.42
|change = +2.42
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = June Scott
|party = One Nation
|votes = 1,369
|percentage = 1.76
|change = −1.13
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Peter O'Loughlin
|party = Independent
|votes = 1,160
|percentage = 1.49
|change = +1.49
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = [[Graeme Dunstan]]
|party = HEMP
|votes = 711
|percentage = 0.92
|change = +0.92
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Luke James Chamberlain
|party = liberals for forests
|votes = 680
|percentage = 0.88
|change = +0.88
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Mark Sloan
|party = No GST
|votes = 618
|percentage = 0.80
|change = +0.80
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Doug Mitchell
|party = CEC
|votes = 334
|percentage = 0.43
|change = +0.43
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|candidate = Josephine Cox
|party =
|votes = 328
|percentage = 0.42
|change = +0.42
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Steve Raskovy
|party = Independent
|votes = 227
|percentage = 0.29
|change = +0.29
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Tim Petherbridge
|party = Hope
|votes = 232
|percentage = 0.30
|change = +0.30
}}
{{Election box candidate|
|candidate = Mark Ward
|party =
|votes = 126
|percentage = 0.16
|change = +0.16
}}

{{Election box formal|
|votes = 77,690
|percentage = 94.16
|change = −3.01
}}

{{Election box informal|
|votes = 4,819
|percentage = 5.84
|change = +3.01
}}

{{Election box turnout|
  |votes      = 82,509
  |percentage = 92.54
  |change     = −4.10
}}

{{Election box 2pp}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|party = Liberal
|candidate = [[Chris Pearce (politician)|Chris Pearce]]
|votes = 39,299
|percentage = 50.58
|change = −3.66
}}

{{Election box candidate AU party|
|party = Labor
|candidate = Kieran Boland
|votes = 38,391
|percentage = 49.42
|change = +3.66
}}

{{Election box hold AU party|
  |winner     = Liberal
  |loser      = Labor
  |swing      = −3.66
}}

{{Election box end}}

==Aftermath==
Chris Pearce won the by-election, retaining Aston for the Liberal Party, but suffering a swing of 3.66%. [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[John Howard]] appeared on the first episode of the ABC program ''[[Insiders (Australian TV program)|Insiders]]'' the next day, where he suggested that Labor's electoral momentum had been held in check, and the government was back in the game:
{{Blockquote|text=I believe that the Government is well and truly back in the game. If there were an unstoppable momentum for Labor to win the federal election, they'd have rolled us over in Aston.|author=[[John Howard]]|title=[[Insiders (Australian TV program)|Insiders]]|source=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC TV]], 15 July 2001<ref name="smh" />}}

The [[Howard government]] reportedly spent $700,000 on political advertising in the lead-up to the by-election.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/coalition-spent-700-000-on-aston-ads-20020103-k1b6u|title=Coalition spent $700,000 on Aston ads|newspaper=Australian Financial Review|date=3 January 2002|first=Paul|last=Cleary|access-date=12 March 2023}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Australian federal by-elections]]
* [[2023 Aston by-election]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/supplementary_by_elections/aston/results.htm Aston (VIC) By-Election (14 July 2001) Results], [[Australian Electoral Commission]]

{{Aus by-elections 39th parl}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aston By-Election, 2001}}
[[Category:2001 elections in Australia]]
[[Category:Victorian federal by-elections]]
[[Category:July 2001 in Australia]]
[[Category:2001 in Victoria (state)]]