Davidson state by-election, 1992
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
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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.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Andrew Humpherson | 15,852 | 49.32 | -16.07 | |
| Independent | Julie Sutton | 9,489 | 29.52 | +29.52 | |
| Greens | Ross Knowles | 1,195 | 3.72 | +3.72 | |
| Democrats | Edna Cunningham | 1,156 | 3.60 | -12.01 | |
| Independent | Kevin Begaud | 918 | 2.86 | +2.86 | |
| Independent | Michael Evanian | 852 | 2.65 | +2.65 | |
| Call to Australia | Bruce Coleman | 770 | 2.40 | +2.40 | |
| Independent EFF | Michael Vescio | 683 | 2.12 | +2.12 | |
| Independent | Ted Roach | 361 | 1.12 | +1.12 | |
| Independent | Janet Fairlie-Cuninghame | 357 | 1.11 | +1.11 | |
| Independent | Peter Leney | 190 | 0.59 | +0.59 | |
| Independent | Steven Klinger | 157 | 0.49 | +0.49 | |
| Independent | William Williams | 105 | 0.33 | +0.33 | |
| Independent | Julien Droulers | 34 | 0.11 | +0.11 | |
| Independent | Sandor Torzsok | 24 | 0.07 | +0.07 | |
| Total formal votes | 32,143 | 96.97 | |||
| Informal votes | 1,006 | 3.03 | |||
| Turnout | 33,149 | 87.10 | |||
| Two-candidate-preferred result | |||||
| Liberal | Andrew Humpherson | 17,352 | 59.65 | -13.04 | |
| Independent | Julie Sutton | 11,737 | 40.35 | +40.35 | |
| Liberal hold | Swing | -13.04 | |||
