2024 Pittwater state by-election

A by-election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Pittwater was held on 19 October 2024, following the resignation of Liberal MP Rory Amon.[1]

2024 Pittwater state by-election

← 2023 19 October 2024 2027 →

Electoral district of Pittwater in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Registered57,196
Turnout48,700 (85.15%)
(Decrease 5.01 pp)
  First party Second party
 
IND
Candidate Jacqui Scruby Georgia Ryburn
Party Independent Liberal
Popular vote 25,705 19,852
Percentage 54.17% 41.84%
Swing Increase 18.31 Decrease 2.87
TCP 55.94% 44.06%
TCP swing Increase 6.60 Decrease 6.60

MP before election

Rory Amon
Liberal

Elected MP

Jacqui Scruby
Independent

Amon resigned from parliament on 30 August 2024 after he was charged with child sex offences.[2] Several hours prior to resigning from parliament, Amon also resigned as a member of the Liberal Party.[3]

Independent Jacqui Scruby was elected.

Key dates

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  • Issue of writ – 27 September 2024
  • Close of roll – 27 September 2024
  • Close of nominations – 3 October 2024
  • Declaration of nominations – 4 October 2024
  • Commencement of early voting – 12 October 2024
  • Applications for postal voting close – 14 October 2024
  • Polling day – 19 October 2024
  • Last day for return of the writ – 8 November 2024[1]

Previous results

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2023 New South Wales state election: Pittwater[4][5][6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Rory Amon 22,137 44.71 −12.64
Independent Jacqui Scruby 17,754 35.86 +35.86
Labor Jeffrey Quinn 5,039 10.18 −2.38
Greens Hilary Green 3,386 6.84 −8.47
Sustainable Australia Craig Law 1,195 2.41 −1.32
Total formal votes 49,511 97.75 +0.42
Informal votes 1,139 2.25 −0.42
Turnout 50,650 90.16 +0.27
Notional two-party-preferred count
Liberal Rory Amon 26,796 63.25 −9.11
Labor Jeffrey Quinn 15,567 36.75 +9.11
Two-candidate-preferred result
Liberal Rory Amon 23,365 50.66 −20.18
Independent Jacqui Scruby 22,759 49.34 +49.34
Liberal hold  

Candidates

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Party Candidate Background
  Libertarian Party Doug Rennie[7]
  Independent Jacqui Scruby Sustainability consultant and former environmental lawyer, former adviser for federal independent MPs Sophie Scamps and Zali Steggall.[7][8]
  Liberal Party Georgia Ryburn Former deputy mayor of Northern Beaches Council until 2024 and a senior manager at a professional services firm.[7]

Liberal pre-selection

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On 11 September 2024 Manly ward councillor Georgia Ryburn defeated fellow councillors Michael Gencher from Pittwater ward and Bianca Crvelin from Narrabeen ward along with lawyer Claire Longley to win Liberal Party preselection.[9] Ryburn previously served as the deputy mayor of Northern Beaches Council, but was unable to contest the local government elections on 14 September after the Liberal Party missed the candidate nomination deadline.[10]

Labor absence

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The governing Labor Party did not contest the by-election with Premier Chris Minns stating "a swing against us would be a massive distraction".[11]

Results

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2024 Pittwater state by-election[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Jacqui Scruby 25,705 54.17 +18.31
Liberal Georgia Ryburn 19,852 41.84 −2.87
Libertarian Doug Rennie 1,893 3.99 +3.99
Total formal votes 47,450 97.43 −0.32
Informal votes 1,250 2.57 +0.32
Turnout 48,700 85.15 −5.01
Two-candidate-preferred result
Independent Jacqui Scruby 26,050 55.94 +6.60
Liberal Georgia Ryburn 20,519 44.06 −6.60
Independent gain from Liberal Swing −6.60

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "2024 Pittwater State by-election". NSW Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  2. ^ McSweeney, Jessica; Smith, Alexandra; Gorrey, Megan; Sibthorpe, Clare (30 August 2024). "NSW MP charged with child sex offences, quits parliament". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2 September 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  3. ^ Lewis, Alexander (30 August 2024). "Liberal MP for Pittwater Rory Amon charged with child sex offences". ABC News. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024. The ABC understands Mr Amon has quit parliament and the Liberal Party following the charges.
  4. ^ LA First Preference: Pittwater, NSW State Election Results 2023, NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  5. ^ LA Two Candidate Preferred: Pittwater, NSW State Election Results 2023, NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  6. ^ Two Candidate Preferred (TCP) Analytical Tool: Pittwater, NSW State Election Results 2023, NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Green, Antony. "Pittwater By-election - NSW Election 2024". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 October 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  8. ^ Gorrey, Megan (5 September 2024). "'I'm still an underdog': The teal candidate taking on the Liberals in Pittwater". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 5 September 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024. Teal candidate Jacqui Scruby hopes widespread frustration at the NSW Liberals' turmoil might propel her into state parliament when she takes her second tilt at the seat of Pittwater, setting up a rematch between the party and independents in the knife-edge northern beaches electorate.
  9. ^ Dole, Nick; Al–Khouri, Chantelle (12 September 2024). "NSW Liberals select Georgia Ryburn to run in Pittwater seat for upcoming state by-election". ABC News. Sydney. Archived from the original on 12 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Libs off Council for four years". Northern Beaches Advocate. 15 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  11. ^ Dowling, James (26 September 2024). "NSW Labor will not contest blue ribbon by-elections despite opposition woes". The Australian. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024. "We'd have to put a lot of time and effort and resources into campaigns that we would be unlikely to prevail in, and a swing against us would be a massive distraction."
  12. ^ "LA - Check Count Final Results - First Preference Votes - Pittwater". NSW State Election Results 2024. NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  13. ^ "LA Check Count Final Results - Distribution of Preferences - Pittwater". NSW State Election Results 2024. NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 7 November 2024.