2008 Townsville City Council election explained

Election Name:2008 Townsville City Council election
Country:Queensland
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2004 Townsville City Council election
Previous Year:2004
Next Election:2012 Townsville City Council election
Next Year:2012
Module:
Election Name:Mayor
Embed:yes
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Candidate1:Les Tyrell
Party1:Team Tyrell
Colour1:090CA4
Popular Vote1:47,956
Percentage1:54.64%
Swing1: 54.64
Candidate2:Tony Mooney
Party2:Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch)
Popular Vote2:31,524
Percentage2:35.91%
Swing2: 37.65
Mayor
Posttitle:Subsequent Mayor
Before Election:Tony Mooney
Before Party:Labor
After Election:Les Tyrell
After Party:Team Tyrell
Module:
Embed:yes
Ongoing:no
Election Name:Councillors
Seats For Election:All 13 members on the City Council (including the Mayor)
Majority Seats:7
Party1:Team Tyrell
Leader1:Les Tyrell
Colour1:
  1. 090CA4
Seats1:11
Last Election1:0
Party2:Labor
Leader2:Tony Mooney
Colour2:
  1. DD2F27
Seats2:1

The 2008 Townsville City Council election was held on 15 March 2008 to elect a mayor and 12 councillors to the City of Townsville. The election was held as part of the statewide local elections in Queensland, Australia.[1]

The election saw the Australian Labor Party, which had controlled the council for 32 years − the longest-serving Labor administration in Australia − defeated in a landslide by the conservative Team Tyrell, which won all but one of the councillor positions. Incumbent mayor Tony Mooney was among the ALP members defeated.[2]

As of 2024, this was the last time the ALP contested a Townsville City Council election.[3]

Background

Townsville City Council had been controlled by Labor since 1976. Tony Mooney had served as mayor since 1989, when he succeeded Mike Reynolds. At the previous election in 2004, Mooney won 73.56% of the primary vote and 80% of the two-candidate-preferred vote.[4]

In 2007, the Queensland state government engaged in a programme of local government reform, focused on amalgamating local government areas (LGAs) across Queensland. It was recommended that the City of Thuringowa merge with the City of Townsville to form a new, larger council.[5] Although there was some controversy, the merger ultimately took place, with the City of Thuringowa ceasing to exist on 15 March 2008 (the date of the local elections).

Candidates

Les Tyrell, Thuringowa's mayor of 17 years, chose to contest the Townsville mayoral election, leading the Team Tyrell ticket. Incumbent Independent Liberal councillor David Crisafulli ran on the ticket in partnership with Tyrell as a deputy mayoral candidate.[6] [7]

The Greens led a ticket called "Community Voices", although only three out of eight candidates (including mayoral candidate Jenny Stirling) were Greens members.[8] [9]

Results

Councillors

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2008 Local Government Elections . Electoral Commission of Queensland . https://web.archive.org/web/20230302020402/https://results.ecq.qld.gov.au/elections/local/lg2008/groupIndex.html . 2 March 2023.
  2. Web site: How it happened: a defining moment in politics . Townsville Bulletin . 15 March 2018.
  3. Web site: Labor to run partisan ticket in 2020 Townsville City Council election . Townsville Bulletin . 6 June 2018.
  4. Web site: Candidates cast their votes . Brisbane Times . 15 March 2008.
  5. Book: Report of the Local Government Reform Commission. Queensland Local Government Reform Commission. 2. 334–339. 978-1-921057-11-3. July 2007. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20110407154647/http://www.dlgp.qld.gov.au/resources/map/reform/townsville-rationale.pdf. 7 April 2011. dmy-all.
  6. Web site: 'Team Tyrell' told to remove election billboard . ABC News . 25 January 2008.
  7. Web site: David Crisafulli elected LNP Leader and David Janetzki Deputy Leader . The North West Star.
  8. Web site: Greens' Stirling makes Townsville mayoral bid . ABC News . 21 December 2007.
  9. Web site: Indigenous support for Tyrell win . ABC News . 20 March 2008.