Higgins by-election, 1968
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Higgins on 24 February 1968. It was triggered by the presumed death of then-current Prime Minister and Liberal Party MP Harold Holt.
On 15 January 1968, the speaker stated that there was conclusive evidence that Holt had died, and that a writ would be issued for the by-election. Senator John Gorton, who had been elected party leader and Prime Minister by his party colleagues on 9 January, was preselected unopposed to run for the Liberal Party on 31 January. The Australian Labor Party nominated David Bennett, a research officer with the Australian Council for Educational Research, whilst the Democratic Labor Party, who had received 11.56% of the vote at the November 1966 election in the seat, opted not to contest the election. The other two candidates were Dr Leonard Webber for the Australia Reform Movement, and a Sydney journalist, Frank Courtis.[1]
Gorton won the by-election for the Liberals with an increased primary vote.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | John Gorton | 24,067 | 69.40 | +6.12 | |
| Labor | David Bennett | 9,601 | 27.69 | +2.53 | |
| Reform Movement | Leonard Weber | 662 | 1.91 | +1.91 | |
| Independent | Frank Courtis | 347 | 1.00 | +1.00 | |
| Total formal votes | 34,677 | 98.63 | +1.39 | ||
| Informal votes | 481 | 1.37 | –1.39 | ||
| Turnout | 35,158 | 84.87 | –9.45 | ||
| Liberal hold | Swing | +6.12 | |||
