View source for 2001 Ryan by-election

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| country = Queensland
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| election_date = 17 March 2001

| image1 = [[File:Labor Placeholder.png|150x150px]]
| candidate1 = [[Leonie Short]]
| party1 = Australian Labor Party
| popular_vote1 = 29,173
| percentage1 = 38.68%
| swing1 = {{increase}} 8.33

| image2 = [[File:Liberal Placeholder.png|150x150px]]
| candidate2 = Bob Tucker
| party2 = Liberal Party of Australia
| popular_vote2 = '''32,571'''
| percentage2 = '''43.19%'''
| swing2 = {{decrease}} 7.21

| 1blank = [[Two-party-preferred|TPP]]
| 2blank = TPP swing
| 1data1 = '''50.17%'''
| 2data1 = {{increase}} 9.69
| 1data2 = 49.83%
| 2data2 = {{decrease}} 9.69

| title = MP
| before_election = [[John Moore (Australian politician)|John Moore]]
| before_party = Liberal Party of Australia
| after_election = [[Leonie Short]]
| after_party = Australian Labor Party
}}
The '''2001 Ryan by-election''' was held in the [[Australia]]n electorate of [[Division of Ryan|Ryan]] in [[Queensland]] on 17 March 2001. The [[by-election]] was triggered by the retirement of the sitting member, the [[Liberal Party of Australia]]'s [[John Moore (Australian politician)|John Moore]], on 5 February 2001. The writ for the by-election was issued on 9 February 2001.

==Background==
The Federal Division of Ryan had been in Liberal hands since its creation in 1949, and for most of that time had been reasonably safe for that party. However, in 1969, the Labor candidate, John Conn, employing his early version of the later famous 'It's Time' slogan, achieved a record swing in excess of 19% to almost unseat the long-time Liberal incumbent, [[Nigel Drury]]. Conn achieved a further swing to Labor in 1972, rendering the seat marginal. Subsequently, upon Drury's retirement, in the big anti-Labor swing of 1975, Liberal John Moore won Ryan and became a minister in the [[Malcolm Fraser|Fraser]] and [[John Howard|Howard]] governments. When a [[Cabinet of Australia|Cabinet]] reshuffle saw him lose the [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Defence portfolio]], Moore resigned immediately.<ref>Coorey, Phillip: [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/diplomatic-sweetener/2007/01/23/1169518709584.html Diplomatic sweetener], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', 24 January 2007.</ref> His retirement came at a very bad time for the government.  The Coalition had just been defeated in the [[2001 Western Australian state election|Western Australia]] and [[2001 Queensland state election|Queensland]] state elections, and the public reaction to the [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|GST]] introduced eight months earlier was still worrying the Liberals.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s258748.htm Ryan electorate becomes political honeypot], ''[[The 7.30 Report]]'' ([[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]]), 12 March 2001.</ref>

The Queensland election saw the re-election of the Labor Government of [[Peter Beattie]]. Ironically Beattie was Moore's Labor opponent in Ryan at the 1980 federal election in which Moore defeated Beattie.

Comparisons were drawn with the [[1975 Bass by-election|1975 by-election]] in the [[Tasmania]]n electorate of [[Division of Bass|Bass]]: both had resulted from the resignation of a Defence Minister (former Labor Deputy Prime Minister [[Lance Barnard]] in 1975).  Labor's landslide loss in Bass was linked to the defeat of the [[Gough Whitlam|Whitlam]] government several months later.<ref>Oakes, Laurie: [http://bulletin.ninemsn.com/article.aspx?id=127837&print=true All aboard the Ryan express]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''[[The Bulletin (Australian periodical)|The Bulletin]]'', 7 March 2001.</ref>

The Liberals were expected to [[preselection|preselect]] [[Hong Kong]]-born lawyer [[Michael Johnson (Australian politician)|Michael Johnson]] as their candidate for the by-election, although Johnson's Chinese heritage led to accusations of [[branch stacking]] by signing up ethnic Chinese as members of the Liberal Party. Eventually it emerged that Johnson had not properly renounced his [[British nationality law|British citizenship]], and was ineligible to run as an electoral candidate in Australia.<ref>Green, Antony: [http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/ryan.htm Election Guide 2007 - Ryan], [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]].</ref>

==Results==
{{Election box begin |
|title=Ryan by-election, 2001
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Bob Tucker
|party = Liberal
|votes = 32,571
|percentage = 43.19
|change = -7.21
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = [[Leonie Short]]
|party = Labor
|votes = 29,173
|percentage = 38.68
|change = +8.33
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Mike Stasse
|party = Greens
|votes = 4,608
|percentage = 6.11
|change = -2.28
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Lyn Dengate
|party = Democrats
|votes = 3,808
|percentage = 5.05
|change = -2.93
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Nigel Freemarijuana
|party = HEMP
|votes = 1,685
|percentage = 2.23
|change = +2.23
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Jody Moore
|party = Independent
|votes = 1,351
|percentage = 1.79
|change = +1.79
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Andrew Hassall
|party = Christian Democrats
|votes = 955
|percentage = 1.27
|change = +1.27
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Terry Hyland
|party = Independent
|votes = 822
|percentage = 1.09
|change = +1.09
}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|candidate = Warren Stagg
|party = Independent
|votes = 440
|percentage = 0.58
|change = +0.58
}}

{{Election box formal|
|votes = 75,413
|percentage = 97.04
|change = -0.65
}}

{{Election box informal|
|votes = 2,304
|percentage = 2.96
|change = +0.65
}}

{{Election box turnout|
  |votes      = 77,717
  |percentage = 88.68
  |change     = -5.71
}}

{{Election box 2pp}}
{{Election box candidate AU party|
|party = Labor
|candidate = [[Leonie Short]]
|votes =37,834
|percentage = 50.17
|change = +9.69
}}

{{Election box candidate AU party|
|party = Liberal
|candidate = Bob Tucker
|votes = 37,579
|percentage = 49.83
|change = -9.69
}}

{{Election box gain AU party|
  |winner     = Labor
  |loser      = Liberal
  |swing      = +9.69
}}

{{Election box end}}

==Aftermath==
Leonie Short won the seat for Labor in a close contest on preferences, with only 255 votes separating her from Liberal candidate Bob Tucker on a two-party basis. The loss was a huge worry for the Liberals, although Labor's electoral momentum was halted by their loss in the [[2001 Aston by-election|Aston by-election]] four months later.

Short contested the [[2001 Australian federal election|2001 federal election]], but was defeated by her Liberal opponent [[Michael Johnson (Australian politician)|Michael Johnson]], who had by then renounced his British citizenship.

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/supplementary_by_elections/ryan/results.htm  Ryan (QLD) By-Election (17 March 2001) Results], [[Australian Electoral Commission]]

{{Aus by-elections 39th parl}}

[[Category:2001 elections in Australia]]
[[Category:Queensland federal by-elections]]
[[Category:March 2001 in Australia]]
[[Category:2000s in Queensland]]