1996 Southern Highlands state by-election Navigation menue
ClarenceOrangePittwaterPort MacquarieSouthern HighlandsStrathfield
1996 elections in AustraliaNew South Wales state by-elections20th century in New South Wales
New South Wales Legislative AssemblyJohn FaheyMacarthur1996 electionClarenceOrangePittwaterStrathfieldthree-cornered-contesttwo-party preferred
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Southern Highlands on May 25, 1996, following the resignation of sitting member and former Premier John Fahey, to contest federal seat of Macarthur at the 1996 election.
On the same day, by-elections were held in the seats of Clarence, Orange, Pittwater and Strathfield.
All seats were retained by the Liberal-National Parties, with the exception of Clarence. In Southern Highlands, there was three-cornered-contest between coalition partners, the Liberal and National Parties. Despite the Nationals candidate polling the highest number of first preference votes, the Liberal Party retained the seat with a swing of 8.00% against them on a two-party preferred basis.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
National | Katrina Hodgkinson | 11,530 | 32.60 | +32.60 | |
Liberal | Peta Seaton | 10,565 | 29.87 | -24.69 | |
Labor | Philip Yeo | 8,862 | 25.06 | -7.48 | |
Democrats | Greg Butler | 2,155 | 6.09 | +1.54 | |
Independent | Malcolm Duncan | 1,493 | 4.22 | +4.22 | |
Call to Australia | Charles Chappell | 763 | 2.16 | +0.53 | |
| Informal votes | 712 | 1.97 | -1.81 | ||
Turnout | 36,080 | 89.43 | -5.85 | ||
Two-candidate-preferred result | |||||
Liberal | Peta Seaton | 19,933 | 52.37 | -8.00 | |
National | Katrina Hodgkinson | 15,400 | 47.63 | +47.63 | |
Liberal hold | Swing | -8.00 | |||
