| Election Name: | 1989 Australian Capital Territory general election |
| Country: | Australian Capital Territory |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 1982 (House) |
| Next Election: | 1992 Australian Capital Territory general election |
| Next Year: | 1992 |
| Seats For Election: | All 17 seats of the unicameral Legislative Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 9 |
| Turnout: | 88.8% |
| Leader Since1: | 4 March 1989 |
| Party1: | Australian Labor Party (Australian Capital Territory Branch) |
| Popular Vote1: | 32,370 |
| Percentage1: | 22.8% |
| Seats1: | 5 |
| Seat Change1: | 5 |
| Leader2: | Trevor Kaine |
| Leader Since2: | 4 March 1989 |
| Party2: | Liberal Party of Australia (Australian Capital Territory Division) |
| Popular Vote2: | 21,088 |
| Percentage2: | 14.9% |
| Seats2: | 4 |
| Seat Change2: | 4 |
| Image3: | NSGP |
| Leader3: | Craig Duby |
| Leader Since3: | 1989 |
| Party3: | No Self Govt |
| Popular Vote3: | 13,647 |
| Color3: | EBD583 |
| Seats3: | 3 |
| Percentage3: | 11.5% |
| Seat Change3: | 3 |
| Leader4: | Bernard Collaery |
| Leader Since4: | 1989 |
| Party4: | Residents Rally |
| Color4: | 808080 |
| Popular Vote4: | 16,274 |
| Percentage4: | 9.6% |
| Seats4: | 4 |
| Seat Change4: | 4 |
| Image5: | ASGC |
| Leader5: | Dennis Stevenson |
| Leader Since5: | 1989 |
| Party5: | Abolish Self Govt |
| Color5: | FE4F00 |
| Popular Vote5: | 10,641 |
| Percentage5: | 7.5% |
| Seats5: | 1 |
| Seat Change5: | 1 |
| Chief Minister | |
| Posttitle: | Resulting Chief Minister |
| After Election: | Rosemary Follett |
| After Party: | Australian Labor Party (Australian Capital Territory Branch) |
The 1989 Australian Capital Territory general election was held on 4 March 1989 to elect the 1st Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. This was the first direct election by voters in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) for their power legislative body.
The Labor Party, led by Rosemary Follett, and the Liberal Party, led by Trevor Kaine, were the main challengers. Candidates were elected to fill seats using modified d'Hondt electoral system[1] for a multi-member single (at-large) constituency.
The result was a hung parliament. However, Labor, with the largest representation in the 17-member unicameral Assembly, formed Government with the support of various non-aligned minor parties. Follett was elected the first Chief Minister at the first sitting of the first Assembly on 11 May 1989.[2]
See also: Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly. The Australian Capital Territory was established in 1911, initially called the Federal Capital Territory. The Territory was carved out of the state of New South Wales to make way for the site of the capital of Australia. As the Territory grew, particularly the city of Canberra from the 1960s, there were increasing calls for some form of self-government.[4] There were a number of appointed and elected advisory bodies between 1920 and 1986. The main elected representative body of the ACT was the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly that sat from 1975 to 1986. This House served primarily as an advisory body, with most legislative powers managed by the Federal Minister for the Territories, under section 122 of the Australian Constitution.[5] In an advisory referendum held in 1978, voters in the ACT rejected a proposal for self-government, with 63% voting in favour of the proposition that the 'present arrangements for governing the Australian capital should continue for the time being'. Thirty percent of voters favoured self-government with a locally elected body with state-like powers, and 6% voted for a locally elected body with powers and functions similar to those of local government.[6] [7] In spite of the referendum outcome, in 1983, the federal Labor government of Prime Minister Bob Hawke set up a Self-Government Task Force to report on the government of the ACT.[8] Further, it wanted to force the ACT into line with the states on funding levels[7] and, in late 1988, the Australian Government passed the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act, allowing for the self-government of the ACT.
The Australian Capital Territory comprised one electorate for the election. However, electors were only able to cast ordinary votes within their own federal electoral seats of either Canberra or Fraser. The election was conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission, operating under Commonwealth legislation.[3] The election was notable for having a ballot paper almost one-metre wide that listed 117 candidates for election representing 22 political parties. A number of parties ran in opposition to self-government and there was a number of people taking full advantage of some of the more ludicrous or ridiculous aspects of the ballot paper.[9] The parties include the "Sun-Ripened Warm Tomato Party", "Party! Party! Party!" and "Surprise Party".[10]
The centre-left Labor Party, led by Rosemary Follett, and the centre-right Liberal Party, led by Trevor Kaine, were the main challengers. Three minor parties also played a prominent role in the campaign including Residents Rally, a self described "community-based urban green party",[11] led by Bernard Collaery, as well as two parties campaigning on platforms of opposing self-government.[9]
| Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | 32,370 | 22.8 | N/A | 5 | 5 | |||||
| Liberal | 21,088 | 14.9 | N/A | 4 | 4 | |||||
| Ungrouped independents | 16,351 | 11.5 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| No Self Government | 16,274 | 11.5 | N/A | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Residents Rally | 13,647 | 9.6 | N/A | 4 | 4 | |||||
| Abolish Self Government | 10,641 | 7.5 | N/A | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Fair Elections Coalition | 7,765 | 7.5 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| The A.C.T. Community Party | 5,777 | 4.1 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Canberra First | 4,918 | 3.5 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Family Movement | 3,885 | 2.7 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Democrats | 2,350 | 1.7 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| National | 1,947 | 1.4 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Sun Ripened Warm Tomato | 1,666 | 1.2 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Party | Party! Party | 979 | 0.7 | N/A | 0 | |||||
| Christian Alternative | 846 | 0.6 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Socialist Workers | 713 | 0.5 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Sleepers Wake | 173 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Surprise Party | 166 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Disabled & Redeployed Workers | 163 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| A Better Idea | 80 | 0.1 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Home Rule OK | 62 | 0.0 | N/A | 0 | ||||||
| Formal votes | 141,861 | 94.3 | ||||||||
| Informal votes | 8,560 | 5.7 | ||||||||
| Total | 150,421 | 17 | ||||||||
| Registered voters / turnout | 169,493 | 88.8 | ||||||||
It took almost two months after election day to determine the results of the election.[12] Four people won seats on ostensible platforms of abolishing self-government. The result was a hung parliament. First preference results of the major contenders at conclusion of the final count were: Labor Party – 22.8 per cent, Liberal – 14.9 per cent, No Self Government Party – 11.5 per cent, Residents Rally – 9.6 per cent, and Abolish Self-Government Coalition – 7.5 per cent.[13] Other candidates and parties that polled well, but failed to achieve a quota included Fair Elections Coalition (5.5%), John Haslem (4.8%), The A.C.T. Community Party (4.1%), and Bill Mackay (4.0%).
Following distribution of preferences, the membership of the first Assembly was one member from the Abolish Self-Government Coalition; five members from the Australian Labor Party; four members from the Liberal Party; three members from the No Self Government Party and four members from the Residents Rally.[14] Labor, with the largest representation in the 17-member unicameral Assembly, formed a minority Government. Follett was elected the first Chief Minister at the first sitting of the first Assembly on 11 May 1989,[2] sitting in rented premises at 1 Constitution Avenue, Canberra City. The final sitting of the first Assembly was on 17 December 1991.
The office holders of the first Assembly[2] were:
David Prowse (No Self Government Party)
Rosemary Follett (Labor)
Trevor Kaine (Liberal)
At the inaugural election, candidates were elected to fill seats using a modified D'Hondt method for a multi-member single constituency covering the entire Territory. Seventeen vacancies were available to fill the unicameral ACT Legislative Assembly. Tickets that elected at least one MLA are highlighted in the relevant colour. Successful candidates are indicated by an asterisk (*).[15]
With the ACT House of Assembly abolished in 1986, the following elected representatives from the previous House nominated as candidates for election to the inaugural ACT Legislative Assembly:
| Labor candidates | Liberal candidates | NSG candidates | Residents Rally candidates | ASGC candidates | ||||||
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| Democrats candidates | Nationals candidates | Family Team candidates | FEC candidates | Canberra First candidates | ||||||
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| Haslem candidates | Party! Party | Party! candidates | SWP candidate | DRWP candidates | Home Rule OK candidate | |||||
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| A Better Idea candidate | Christian Alt. candidates | Sleepers Wake candidate | Community candidates | Tomato candidates | ||||||
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| Spagnolo candidate | Surprise Party candidate | Ungrouped candidates | ||||||||
| valign=top |
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| valign=top | Frank Crnkovic (Ind) Bill Mackey (Ind) Bob Reid (Ind) Kevin Robert Wise (Ind) Gary James Pead (Ind) Bill Pye (Ind) John Rocke (Ind) Harold Hird (Ind) Lyall L Gillespie (Ind) | valign=top | valign=top |