1980 Norwood state by-election

The 1980 Norwood state by-election was a by-election held on 16 February 1980 for the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Norwood.

The seat had been held by former Premier and Labor MHA Don Dunstan from the 1953 state election, until his resignation in February 1979. The subsequent March 1979 by-election was won by Labor's Greg Crafter, but Crafter lost to the Liberal Party's Frank Webster at the September 1979 state election.

The 1979 state election result was overturned because the Court of Disputed Returns found that a Liberal Party advertisement in an Italian language newspaper, which described Webster as "your representative" ("il vostro deputato"), gave the false impression that Webster was the sitting member.[1]

Therefore, a by-election was held in February 1980, and Crafter regained the seat.

Result edit

Norwood state by-election, 16 February 1980[2][3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Greg Crafter 7,390 48.8 +1.8
Liberal Frank Webster 6,713 44.4 -2.5
Democrats David D'Angelo 682 4.5 -1.6
Marijuana Steve Dimitriou 342 2.3 +2.3
Total formal votes 15,127 97.7 +2.1
Informal votes 354 2.3 -2.1
Turnout 15,481 88.8 -3.5
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Greg Crafter 8,026 53.1 +3.2
Liberal Frank Webster 7,101 46.9 -3.2
Labor gain from Liberal Swing +3.2

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Red Silk: The Life of Elliott Johnston, QC, Penelope Debelle, Wakefield Press, 2011
  2. ^ History of South Australian elections, 1857-2006 - by Dean Jaensch - ISBN 978-0-9750486-3-4
  3. ^ History of South Australian Elections 1857 - 2006 Volume 1: ECSA