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Electoral district of Rockingham in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Map showing the location of the electoral district of Rockingham (dark green) in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aby-election for theelectoral district of Rockingham inWestern Australia was held on 29 July 2023, following the resignation ofPremier and sittingLabor MPMark McGowan, on 8 June 2023.[1][2] Thewrit was issued on the same day.[3]
The two major party candidates for the election wereMagenta Marshall for theAustralian Labor Party and Peter Hudson for theLiberal Party. Additionally,Hayley Edwards the Deputy Mayor of theCity of Rockingham also announced her candidacy.[4] TheGreens preselected Madeleine De Jong. There were nine candidates for the seat.[5] Notably, both major parties preselected candidates under the age of 30.[6]
The election was called for Labor at 7:30pm AWST, with Marshall claiming victory for the Labor Party. However, Labor suffered one of the biggest swings against it at a by-election in the state's history: with a swing against them of 33.4% in the primary vote and a swing against of 22.5% in thetwo-party-preferred vote.[7]
On 29 May 2023, McGowan announced that he was resigning asPremier of Western Australia and the MLA for Rockingham, a seat he had held since 1996. He stated that the job was "relentless" and that he no longer had the "energy or drive to continue". Reflecting on his political career, McGowan thanked voters ofWestern Australia who had "provided [him] with the opportunity of a lifetime." McGowan led Labor to government for the first time since 2008 in 2017.[8]
The electoral district of Rockingham was first contested at the1974 Western Australian state election and has been held by theAustralian Labor Party since its inception. Previous member Mike Barnett held the district from the beginning until his retirement at the1996 election where he was succeeded by McGowan. Barring the elections in 1974 and 1977, Rockingham has been a consistently safe electorate for Labor with the smallest margin being 0.9 per cent of thetwo-party-preferred vote (TPP) in its first election. At the2021 Western Australian state election, McGowan received a TPP of 87.7% - one of the highest margins in both federal and state elections in Australia.
Geographically, the district encompasses theCity of Rockingham and its surrounding areas. Located 47 km south-southwest of the Perth CBD by the coast near theCockburn Sound inlet. The district is adjacent to several maritime and resource-industry installations and offshore is home to Australia's largest naval fleet and submarine base atGarden Island. According to the2021 Census, the median age of Rockingham is 45 with a weekly median household income of $1,273 per week. 20.5 per cent of residents are currently engaged in secondary education and 17.7 per cent in tertiary education.[9]
| Election | 1996 | 2001 | 2005 | 2008 | 2013 | 2017 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | 57.50% | 65.6% | 62.30% | 60.60% | 63.20% | 73.40% | 87.70% | |
| Liberal | 42.50% | 34.4% | 37.70% | 39.40% | 36.80% | 26.60% | 12.30% | |
| Government | LIB | ALP | ALP | LIB | LIB | ALP | ALP | |
| Party | Candidate | Background | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Magenta Marshall | Labor campaign strategist.[10] | |
| Legalise Cannabis | Rae Cottam | City of Rockingham councillor.[11] | |
| Liberal | Peter Hudson | Resources sector recruitment consultant; candidate forBrand at the2022 federal election.[6] | |
| Janetia Knapp | Candidate forFremantle at the 2022 federal election. Endorsed by the unregisteredWestern Australia Party. | ||
| Greens | Madeleine De Jong | Former staffer toJordon Steele-John. | |
| Independent | Clive Galletly | Massage therapist. | |
| Independent | Hayley Edwards | Deputy Mayor of Rockingham.[12] She was formerly affiliated with theLabor Party. | |
| AustralianChristians | Mike Crichton[13] | Candidate for theSenate at the 2022 federal election. | |
| Independent | Peter Dunne | Candidate at the2022 North West Central state by-election. | |
On 14 June, it was confirmed that Labor strategist Magenta Marshall has been preselected for Labor to run as the party's candidate in Rockingham.[10]
On 13 June, the Liberal Party announced that the party would contest the by-election.[14]
On 18 June, it was reported that 21-year-old Peter Hudson will be the party's candidate. He was the only person to nominate for preselection.[6]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Mark McGowan | 19,661 | 82.8 | +21.3 | |
| Liberal | Michael McClure | 2,322 | 9.8 | −7.9 | |
| Greens | Breanna Morgan | 753 | 3.2 | −4.0 | |
| One Nation | Geoff George | 489 | 2.1 | −6.6 | |
| No Mandatory Vaccination | Tom Hawkins | 383 | 1.6 | +1.6 | |
| Liberal Democrats | William Lofts | 151 | 0.6 | +0.6 | |
| Total formal votes | 23,759 | 96.7 | +1.1 | ||
| Informal votes | 801 | 3.3 | −1.1 | ||
| Turnout | 24,560 | 83.9 | −1.2 | ||
| Two-party-preferred result | |||||
| Labor | Mark McGowan | 20,836 | 87.7 | +14.2 | |
| Liberal | Michael McClure | 2,916 | 12.3 | −14.2 | |
| Laborhold | Swing | +14.2 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Magenta Marshall | 10,791 | 49.33 | −33.42 | |
| Liberal | Peter Hudson | 3,868 | 17.73 | +7.91 | |
| Independent | Hayley Edwards | 3,488 | 15.95 | +15.95 | |
| Legalise Cannabis | Rae Cottam | 1,487 | 6.80 | +6.80 | |
| Greens | Madeleine De Jong | 1,081 | 4.94 | +1.77 | |
| Christians | Mike Crichton | 534 | 2.44 | +2.44 | |
| Western Australia | Janetia Knapp | 262 | 1.20 | +1.20 | |
| Independent | Clive Gallety | 193 | 0.88 | +0.88 | |
| Independent | Peter Dunne | 170 | 0.78 | +0.78 | |
| Total formal votes | 21,874 | 97.20 | +0.46 | ||
| Informal votes | 630 | 2.80 | −0.46 | ||
| Turnout | 22,504 | 74.48 | −9.46 | ||
| Notionaltwo-party-preferred count | |||||
| Labor | Magenta Marshall | 13,978 | 65.20 | −22.52 | |
| Liberal | Peter Hudson | 7,461 | 34.80 | +22.52 | |
| Two-candidate-preferred result | |||||
| Labor | Magenta Marshall | 13,412 | 61.37 | −26.35 | |
| Independent | Hayley Edwards | 8,443 | 38.63 | +38.63 | |
| Laborhold | Swing | N/A | |||
