2001 Queensland state election
Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The 2001 Queensland state election was held on 17 February 2001 to elect the 89 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The result of the election was the return of the Labor Party (ALP) government of Premier Peter Beattie, with an increased majority in a landslide. Labor won 66 seats, easily the most it has ever won in Queensland and one of Labor's best-ever results nationwide. There was a 10.07% swing towards Labor, while One Nation suffered a 13.98% swing against it, losing eight seats (five of which were held by the newly formed City Country Alliance after an internal split in December 1999).
The longstanding coalition between the Nationals and Liberals, led by Nationals leader (and former premier) Rob Borbidge recorded only a 2.39% swing against it. However, its support in Brisbane all but vanished; indeed, Labor won every seat in Brisbane except Moggill. Largely due to losses in Brisbane, the Coalition suffered an overall 17-seat loss. This included only three seats for the Liberals, easily the worst showing for the urban non-Labor party in Queensland since it adopted the Liberal banner in 1948. The 'Just Vote 1' strategy adopted by the Labor campaign (capitalising on Queensland's optional preferential voting system) was also considered to be effective in reducing preference flows between the Coalition parties, thereby dampening the combined strength of the conservative parties.[1]
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 23 January 2001 | Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.[2] |
| 29 January 2001 | Close of electoral rolls. |
| 30 January 2001 | Close of nominations. |
| 17 February 2001 | Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. |
| 22 February 2001 | The Beattie Ministry was reconstituted. |
| 2 March 2001 | The writ was returned and the results formally declared. |
Electoral redistribution
A redistribution of electoral boundaries occurred in 1999.
The electorates of Archerfield, Barambah, Caboolture, Chermside, Crows Nest, Kedron, Merrimac, Mooloolah, Nerang, Sunnybank, Warwick, Western Downs, and Yeronga were abolished.
The electorates of Algester, Darling Downs, Gaven, Glass House, Kawana, Mudgeeraba, Nanango, Pumicestone, Robina, Southern Downs, Stafford, Stretton, and Yeerongpilly were created.
The redistribution merged Chermside with Kedron to create the notionally Labor-held Stafford north of Brisbane, and Crows Nest with Western Downs to create the notionally National-held Darling Downs in regional Queensland. Notionally National-held Gaven was created on the Gold Coast, and notionally One Nation-held Glass House was created on the Sunshine Coast. Archerfield was renamed Algester, Caboolture was renamed Pumicestone, Merrimac was renamed Robina, Mooloolah was renamed Kawana, Nerang was renamed Mudgeeraba, Sunnybank was renamed Stretton, Warwick was renamed Southern Downs, and Yeronga was renamed Yeerongpilly. Albert notionally became Labor-held, Callide notionally became One Nation-held, while Springwood notionally became Liberal-held.
The changes resulted in 43 notionally Labor-held seats, 10 notionally Liberal-held seats, 21 notionally National-held seats, 13 notionally One Nation-held seats, and 2 notionally Independent-held seats.
Retiring members
Labor
- Paul Braddy MLA (Kedron)
- David Hamill MLA (Ipswich)
National
- Russell Cooper MLA (Crows Nest)
- Tony Elliott MLA (Cunningham)
- Brian Littleproud MLA (Western Downs)
- Len Stephan MLA (Gympie)
Independent
- Jim Elder MLA (Capalaba) — Elected for the Labor Party
- Mike Kaiser MLA (Woodridge) — Elected for the Labor Party
- Grant Musgrove MLA (Springwood) — Elected for the Labor Party
Results
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Seats changing hands
- Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
- 1 Jeff Knuth, David Dalgleish, Jack Paff, Bill Feldman, and Harry Black were elected as members of the One Nation Party, but resigned in 1999 and formed the City Country Alliance, and contested the 2001 election for that party.
- 2 John Kingston, Dorothy Pratt, and Ken Turner were elected as members of the One Nation Party, but resigned in 1999, and contested the 2001 election as Independents.
- 3 Warren Pitt gained Mulgrave for the Labor Party in the 1998 by-election. The One Nation Party had won the seat at the 1998 election.
- The Labor Party also retained the seat of Albert which had a notional Labor margin, and the seats of Capalaba and Woodridge, where sitting Labor members had resigned to become Independents.
- The One Nation Party also retained the seat of Lockyer, where the sitting member contested the 2001 election as a member of the City Country Alliance, and Tablelands, where the sitting member contested the 2001 election as an Independent.
Post-election pendulum
| National/Liberal seats (15) | |||
| Marginal | |||
| Warrego | Howard Hobbs | NAT | 0.30% v IND |
| Maroochydore | Fiona Simpson | NAT | 0.79% |
| Moggill | David Watson | LIB | 0.88% |
| Caloundra | Joan Sheldon | LIB | 0.97% |
| Keppel | Vince Lester | NAT | 1.46% |
| Callide | Jeff Seeney | NAT | 2.32% v ONP |
| Hinchinbrook | Marc Rowell | NAT | 2.77% v ONP |
| Mirani | Ted Malone | NAT | 3.80% |
| Robina | Bob Quinn | LIB | 4.03% |
| Beaudesert | Kev Lingard | NAT | 5.09% |
| Surfers Paradise | Rob Borbidge | NAT | 5.29% |
| Fairly Safe | |||
| Toowoomba South | Mike Horan | NAT | 7.94% |
| Cunningham | Stuart Copeland | NAT | 8.63% |
| Gregory | Vaughan Johnson | NAT | 9.30% |
| Safe | |||
| Southern Downs | Lawrence Springborg | NAT | 16.77% |
| Crossbench seats (8) | |||
| Maryborough | John Kingston | IND | 0.50% v ALP |
| Darling Downs | Ray Hopper | IND | 1.13% v NAT |
| Gympie | Elisa Roberts | ONP | 3.26% v ALP |
| Gladstone | Liz Cunningham | IND | 3.50% v ALP |
| Lockyer | Bill Flynn | ONP | 7.30% v ALP |
| Tablelands | Rosa Lee Long | ONP | 13.81% v ALP |
| Nanango | Dorothy Pratt | IND | 17.07% v ALP |
| Nicklin | Peter Wellington | IND | 23.43% v ONP |
Subsequent changes
- On 20 March 2001, former National Premier Rob Borbidge (Surfers Paradise) resigned. At the by-election on 5 May 2001, Independent Lex Bell won the seat.
- On 22 December 2001, Ray Hopper (Darling Downs) joined the National Party.
- On 18 April 2002, Elisa Roberts (Gympie) resigned from the One Nation Party and sat as an Independent.
- On 24 March 2003, Independent John Kingston (Maryborough) resigned. At the by-election on 26 April 2003, Independent Chris Foley won the seat.
Notes
References
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See also
- Candidates of the Queensland state election, 2001
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1998–2001
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 2001–2004
- Beattie Ministry
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