1984 New South Wales state election

Elections were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 24 March 1984. The Labor government led by Neville Wran won a fourth term in office, though with a reduced (if still sizeable) majority and a 7% swing against it.

1984 New South Wales state election

← 1981 24 March 1984 (1984-03-24) 1988 →

All 99 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
and 15 (of the 45) seats in the New South Wales Legislative Council
50 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Neville Wran Nick Greiner
Party Labor Liberal/National coalition
Leader since 17 November 1973 15 March 1983
Leader's seat Bass Hill Ku-ring-gai
Last election 69 seats 28 seats
Seats won 58 37
Seat change Decrease11 Increase9
Popular vote 1,466,413 1,292,996
Percentage 48.77% 43.00%
Swing Decrease6.95 Increase4.16
TPP 52.4% 47.6%
TPP swing Decrease6.3 Increase6.3

Two-candidate-preferred margin by electorate

Premier before election

Neville Wran
Labor

Elected Premier

Neville Wran
Labor

As the two previous elections each saw the sitting Opposition Leader lose the election and failing to be elected to Parliament, the 1984 election saw Nick Greiner becoming the first Opposition Leader to lose an election and retain his seat since Pat Hills in 1973.

Independents Ted Mack and John Hatton retained their seats of North Shore and South Coast respectively. They were joined on the cross benches by a third independent and Bruce Duncan.

Duncan, a former National Country Party member, withdrew from the party in protest at their change to the National Party name. He ran on an "Independent Country Party" ticket and won his seat of Lismore.

At a 1981 referendum, voters had approved an increase in the maximum parliamentary term from three years to four.

Key dates

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Date Event
5 March 1984 The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.[1]
9 March 1984 Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon.
24 March 1984 Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
5 April 1984 The seventh Wran Ministry was reconstituted.
30 April 1984 The writ was returned and the results formally declared.
1 May 1984 Parliament resumed for business.

Results

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Legislative Assembly

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New South Wales state election, 24 March 1984[1][2][3]
Legislative Assembly
<< 19811988 >>

Enrolled voters 3,330,350
Votes cast 3,081,226 Turnout 92.52 +1.37
Informal votes 74,316 Informal 2.41 –0.67
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 1,466,413 48.77 –6.95 58 – 11
  Liberal 1,026,901 34.15 +6.53 22 + 8
  National 266,095 8.85 –2.37 15 + 1
  Democrats 85,604 2.85 +0.42 0 ± 0
  Ind. Country 25,227 0.84 +0.84 1 + 1
  Call to Australia 2,347 0.08 +0.08 0 ± 0
  Socialist Labour 2,113 0.07 +0.07 0 ± 0
  Independent 130,013 4.32 +1.53 3 + 1
  Other[a] 2,197 0.07 +0.07 0 ± 0
Total 3,006,910     99  
Two-party-preferred
  Labor 52.4% -6.3%
  Liberal/National 47.6% +6.3%


Popular vote
Labor
48.77%
Liberal
34.15%
National
8.85%
Independents
4.32%
Democrats
2.85%
Others
1.06%
Two-party-preferred vote
Labor
52.4%
Coalition
47.6%
Parliamentary seats
Labor
58
Liberal
22
National
15
Independents
3
Ind. Country
1

Legislative Council

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New South Wales state election, 24 March 1984[4]
Legislative Council

Enrolled voters 3,330,350
Votes cast 3,081,223 Turnout 92.52 +1.38
Informal votes 205,275 Informal 6.66 –0.18
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes % Swing Seats
won
Seats
held
  Labor 1,348,348 46.88 –4.90 7 24
  Liberal/National Coalition 1,225,519 42.61 +8.84 7 18
  Call to Australia 175,068 6.09 –3.02 1 2
  Democrats 90,634 3.15 –0.88 0 1
  Concerned Citizens 14,036 0.49 +0.49 0 0
  Progress 6,416 0.22 +0.11 0 0
  Silent Majority 3,899 0.14 +0.14 0 0
  Independent 12,028 0.42 +0.35 0 0
Total 2,875,948     15  

Seats changing hands

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Seat Pre-1984 Swing Post-1984
Party Member Margin Margin Member Party
Bligh   Labor Fred Miller 2.7 -3.9 1.2 Michael Yabsley Liberal  
Burwood   Labor Phil O'Neill 7.2 -8.8 1.6 Paul Zammit Liberal  
Camden   Labor Ralph Brading 2.0 -7.2 5.2 John Fahey Liberal  
Clarence   Labor Don Day 6.6 -10.9 4.3 Ian Causley National  
Cronulla   Labor Michael Egan 5.3 -5.8 0.5 Malcolm Kerr Liberal  
Hurstville   Labor Kevin Ryan 9.2 -10.1 0.9 Guy Yeomans Liberal  
Lismore   National Bruce Duncan 18.9 N/A 26.9 Bruce Duncan Independent Country  
Manly   Labor Alan Stewart 1.2 -5.7 4.5 David Hay Liberal  
Miranda   Labor Bill Robb 4.3 -6.1 1.8 Ron Phillips Liberal  
Murrumbidgee   Labor Lin Gordon 13.9 -15.4 1.5 Adrian Cruickshank National  
Wakehurst   Labor Tom Webster 7.0 -8.2 1.2 John Booth Liberal  
Wollongong   Labor Eric Ramsay 0.1 -4.3 4.2 Frank Arkell Independent  
  • Members listed in italics did not recontest their seats.

Post-election pendulum

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Labor seats (58)
Marginal
Northern Tablelands Bill McCarthy ALP 1.6%
Albury Harold Mair ALP 1.9%
Gosford Brian McGowan ALP 1.9%
Woronora Maurie Keane ALP 3.3%
Blue Mountains Bob Debus ALP 3.5%
Waverley Ernie Page ALP 3.7%
Burrinjuck Terry Sheahan ALP 4.3%
Wentworthville Ernie Quinn ALP 4.6%
Ryde Garry McIlwaine ALP 4.9%
Georges River Frank Walker ALP 5.0%
Earlwood Ken Gabb ALP 5.2%
Bathurst Mick Clough ALP 5.3%
Parramatta Barry Wilde ALP 5.3%
Gladesville Rodney Cavalier ALP 5.5%
Monaro John Akister ALP 5.9%
Fairly safe
Kogarah Brian Langton ALP 6.3%
Coogee Michael Cleary ALP 6.8%
Campbelltown Michael Knight ALP 8.7% v IND
Kiama Bill Knott ALP 8.7%
Maitland Allan Walsh ALP 8.9%
Charlestown Richard Face ALP 9.0%
Drummoyne John Murray ALP 9.0%
Ashfield Paul Whelan ALP 9.9%
Safe
Seven Hills Bob Christie ALP 10.1%
Heathcote Rex Jackson ALP 11.1%
Lakemba Wes Davoren ALP 11.8%
Tuggerah Harry Moore ALP 11.8%
Lake Macquarie Merv Hunter ALP 12.2%
Ingleburn Stan Knowles ALP 13.0%
Maroubra Bob Carr ALP 13.2%
Peats Paul Landa ALP 13.2%
Waratah John Price ALP 13.2%
Penrith Peter Anderson ALP 14.3%
Wallsend Ken Booth ALP 14.3%
Newcastle Arthur Wade ALP 14.4%
Bankstown Ric Mochalski ALP 14.5%
Rockdale Brian Bannon ALP 14.6%
Riverstone Richard Amery ALP 14.9%
Cabramatta Eric Bedford ALP 15.1%
Heffron Laurie Brereton ALP 15.6%
East Hills Pat Rogan ALP 16.0%
Blacktown John Aquilina ALP 16.6%
Auburn Peter Cox ALP 16.8%
Bass Hill Neville Wran ALP 17.3%
Merrylands Geoff Irwin ALP 17.4%
Canterbury Kevin Stewart ALP 17.9%
Corrimal Laurie Kelly ALP 18.9%
Granville Laurie Ferguson ALP 18.9%
Balmain Peter Crawford ALP 19.0%
St Marys Ron Mulock ALP 19.0%
Illawarra George Petersen ALP 19.6%
Broken Hill Bill Beckroge ALP 20.1%
Fairfield Janice Crosio ALP 21.8%
Elizabeth Pat Hills ALP 22.2%
Liverpool George Paciullo ALP 22.2%
Swansea Don Bowman ALP 22.2%
Marrickville Andrew Refshauge ALP 23.4%
Cessnock Stan Neilly ALP 26.2%
Liberal/National seats (37)
Marginal
Cronulla Malcolm Kerr LIB 0.5%
Byron Don Beck NAT 0.8%
Hurstville Guy Yeomans LIB 0.9%
Bligh Michael Yabsley LIB 1.2%
Wakehurst John Booth LIB 1.2%
Murrumbidgee Adrian Cruickshank NAT 1.5%
Burwood Paul Zammit LIB 1.6%
Miranda Ron Phillips LIB 1.8%
Goulburn Robert Webster NAT 2.3%
Clarence Ian Causley NAT 4.3%
Manly David Hay LIB 4.5%
Fairly safe
Camden John Fahey LIB 7.2%
Castlereagh Roger Wotton NAT 7.3%
Orange Garry West NAT 8.0%
Hornsby Neil Pickard LIB 9.2%
Upper Hunter Col Fisher NAT 9.5%
Safe
Coffs Harbour Matt Singleton NAT 11.3%
Gloucester Leon Punch NAT 11.9%
Oxley Bruce Jeffery NAT 12.7%
Barwon Wal Murray NAT 13.0%
Tamworth Noel Park NAT 13.4%
Wagga Wagga Joe Schipp LIB 14.0%
Eastwood Jim Clough LIB 14.8%
Dubbo Gerry Peacocke NAT 14.9%
Willoughby Peter Collins LIB 15.4%
Davidson Terry Metherell LIB 15.5%
Pittwater Max Smith LIB 15.5%
Lachlan Ian Armstrong NAT 15.9%
Hawkesbury Kevin Rozzoli LIB 18.0%
The Hills Fred Caterson LIB 18.9%
Lane Cove John Dowd LIB 19.2%
Mosman Phillip Smiles LIB 19.5%
Northcott Bruce Baird LIB 20.0%
Murray Tim Fischer NAT 22.6%
Vaucluse Rosemary Foot LIB 24.6%
Gordon Tim Moore LIB 30.3%
Ku-ring-gai Nick Greiner LIB 30.9%
Crossbench seats (4)
Wollongong Frank Arkell IND 4.2% v ALP
North Shore Ted Mack IND 7.7% v LIB
South Coast John Hatton IND 26.0% v ALP
Lismore Bruce Duncan IND 26.9% v ALP

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ One candidate each from the Citizens Action, Rainbow, Uninflated and National Action Parties.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Green, Antony. "1984 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  2. ^ Australian Government and Politics Database. "Parliament of New South Wales, Assembly election, 24 March 1984". Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  3. ^ Hughes (1986), p. 195.
  4. ^ Hughes (1986), p. 196.

Sources cited

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  • Hughes, Colin A. (1986). A handbook of Australian government and politics, 1975-1984. ANU Press. ISBN 0-08-033038-X.