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 Electoral district of Fisher in the southern metropolitan area of Adelaide. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A by-election for the seat of Fisher in the South Australian House of Assembly was held on 6 December 2014. The by-election was triggered by the death of independent MP Bob Such on 11 October 2014. Originally elected to Fisher for the Liberal Party of Australia at the 1989 election, defeating the one-term Australian Labor Party MP Philip Tyler, Such left the party in 2000.[1][2]
Though the Liberals were favourites to win the traditionally Liberal seat,[3] Labor's Nat Cook won the by-election by five votes, a 50.02 percent two-party-preferred vote from a 7.27-point swing away from the Liberals, resulting in a change from minority to majority government.[4][5][6] Despite this, the Jay Weatherill Labor government kept crossbench MPs Geoff Brock and Martin Hamilton-Smith in cabinet, giving the government a 26 to 21 parliamentary majority.[4]
ABC psephologist Antony Green described the by-election as a "very poor result for the Liberal Party in South Australia both state and federally", and that a fourth term government gaining a seat at a by-election was unprecedented in Australian history.[7] Much of the anti-Liberal swing was attributed to the unpopularity of then Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and additionally, the remark from then Defence Minister David Johnston several days before the Fisher by-election, where he stated he wouldn't trust South Australia's Australian Submarine Corporation to "build a canoe".[8][9][10][11]
- ^ Wills, Daniel (20 October 2014). "Voters to go to the polls in Bob Such's seat of Fisher on December 6 as Liberal Iain Evans also retires and triggers Davenport by-election". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- ^ "South Australia set for two by-elections, in Fisher and Davenport state electorates". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 20 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- ^ By-election for Bob Such's seat of Fisher expected to put pressure on Weatherill Government: ABC 13 October 2014
- ^ a b Fisher by-election win for Labor gives Weatherill Government majority in SA: ABC 13 December 2014
- ^ Labor claims victory in Fisher by-election: The Advertiser 13 December 2014
- ^ 2014 Fisher By-election: Antony Green ABC
- ^ Likely Shock Labor By-Election Win in SA: The Conversation 4 December 2014
- ^ Defence Minister says he 'wouldn't trust' Australian Submarine Corporation to build a canoe: ABC 25 November 2014
- ^ Is Tony Abbott the hazard for Liberals in Fisher by-election?: The Advertiser 30 November 2014[permanent dead link]
- ^ Abbott government forced into sub-mission after shock loss in South Australia: Sydney Morning Herald 9 December 2014
- ^ Federal Libs blamed for big swing to Labor in SA: The New Daily 8 December 2014