Mulgrave state by-election, 1998

A by-election was held in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland seat of Mulgrave on 5 December 1998. It was triggered by the resignation of sitting One Nation member Charles Rappolt.

The by-election was won by Labor candidate Warren Pitt.

Background

Charles Rappolt came to parliament as one of 11 One Nation candidates elected at the 1998 state election. Rappolt won the seat of Mulgrave with 54.2% of the two party preferred vote.^[1] However, Rappolt found it difficult to cope with the pressures of public life and resigned his seat just four months into his term.

Candidates

The by-election pitted two former members for Mulgrave against each other. The National Party endorsed Naomi Wilson who had held the seat from 1995 to 1998 before her defeat to Rappolt at the 1998 state election. The Labor Party preselected Warren Pitt, member for Mulgrave from 1989 to 1995 before his defeat to Wilson at the 1995 state election. Pitt had also unsuccessfully stood for the seat at the 1998 state election.

One Nation chose Peter Boniface to defend the seat.

Result

With One Nation failiing to repeat their strong state election performance, the contest reverted to a more typical Labor versus National contest. Labor's Warren Pitt prevailed narrowly.

Mulgrave state by-election, 1998[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Warren Pitt	9,446	42.35	+5.33
	National	Naomi Wilson	8,550	38.33	+8.38
	One Nation	Peter Boniface	3,470	15.56	−15.48
	Greens	Jonathan Metcalfe	573	2.57	+2.57
	Independent	Norm Mathison	266	1.19	+1.19
Total formal votes			22,205	98.99
Informal votes			228	1.01
Turnout			22,433	85.83
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Warren Pitt	10,394	50.63	+4.8
	National	Naomi Wilson	10,135	49.37	+49.37
	Labor gain from One Nation		Swing	N/A

Aftermath

Where previously the Labor government of Peter Beattie had governed in the minority—they held 44 seats in an 89-seat parliament and depended upon the support of independent MP Peter Wellington—their victory in Mulgrave gave the government an outright majority of 45 seats.

See also

• List of Queensland state by-elections

References

1. "1998 Queensland election". Psephos.
2. "Mulgrave By-election" (PDF). Electoral Commission of Queensland.