1983 Queensland state election

Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 22 October 1983 to elect the 82 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.

The election resulted in a sixth consecutive term of office for the National Party under Joh Bjelke-Petersen. It was the tenth election win for the National Party in Queensland since it first came to office in 1957.

Background

The election was triggered when a number of Liberal MLAs, including Welfare Services Minister Terry White, crossed the floor of the Parliament to support a Labor motion to create an Expenditure Review Committee. White was sacked from cabinet for supporting the motion. In response, he launched a party-room coup against Liberal leader and deputy premier Llewellyn Edwards and became Liberal leader with Angus Innes as his deputy.

In the normal course of events, White would have succeeded Edwards as deputy premier. However, White and Innes' progressive leanings didn't sit well with Bjelke-Petersen, and he refused to make White deputy premier. In response, White tore up the Coalition agreement and led the Liberals to the crossbench. However, Bjelke-Petersen prorogued Parliament ahead of the election, allowing him to govern for nine weeks without fear of being toppled on the floor of the legislature.

Labor, under the leadership of new leader Keith Wright, hoped to make use of the division between the conservative parties to make gains, while the Liberals hoped to win enough seats to force the Nationals back into Coalition under more favourable terms. The Nationals sought to gain enough seats to form a majority government in their own right. Indeed, Bjelke-Petersen directed his campaign mainly at right-leaning Liberal voters, suggesting that the alternative was a Labor government propped up by White's Liberals.

Clive Palmer served as the National Party's campaign director during the 1983 state election.

Key dates Date Event 13 September 1983 The Parliament was dissolved. 13 September 1983 Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. 22 September 1983 Close of nominations. 22 October 1983 Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. 7 November 1983 The Bjelke-Petersen Ministry was reconstituted. 18 November 1983 The writ was returned and the results formally declared. 22 November 1983 Parliament resumed for business.

Results

The Nationals were returned to office, one seat short of a majority. Labor also made gains, although not enough to challenge Bjelke-Petersen's continued dominance. The Liberals were decimated, falling from 22 seats to a rump of eight seats. Of the Liberals who crossed the floor, only White and Innes were reelected.

Seats changing hands

Seat Pre-1983 Swing Post-1983 Party Member Margin Margin Member PartyAshgrove LiberalJohn Greenwood 0.4 –2.0 1.6 Tom Veivers Labor Aspley  LiberalBeryce Nelson 13.9 –24.4 10.4 Brian Cahill National Callide  National Lindsay Hartwig 15.8 N/A 9.3 Lindsay Hartwig Independent Greenslopes  LiberalBill Hewitt 12.3 –16.6 4.3Leisha Harvey National Ipswich  LiberalLlewellyn Edwards 5.1 –14.8 9.7David Hamill Labor Kurilpa  LiberalSam Doumany 2.7 –4.7 2.0Anne Warner Labor Mansfield  LiberalBill Kaus 8.3 N/A 6.1Bill Kaus National Maryborough  LaborBrendan Hansen 0.6 –0.6 0.03 Gilbert Alison National Mount Gravatt  LiberalGuelfi Scassola 15.7 –23.6 7.9Ian Henderson National Mount Isa  NationalAngelo Bertoni 0.9 –3.7 2.8Bill Price Labor Pine Rivers  LiberalRob Akers 7.5 –7.9 0.4 Yvonne Chapman National Salisbury  LiberalRosemary Kyburz 2.3 –3.4 1.1Wayne Goss Labor Stafford  LiberalTerry Gygar 0.7 –0.8 0.1Denis Murphy Labor Toowong  LiberalIan Prentice 13.1 –18.3 5.2Earle Bailey National Toowoomba North  LiberalJohn Lockwood 5.5 –9.1 3.6Sandy McPhie National Townsville  LiberalNorman Scott-Young 6.0 –7.5 1.5Ken McElligott Labor Windsor  NationalBob Moore* 1.3 –3.4 2.1Pat Comben Labor 

Members listed in italics did not recontest their seats. Bob Moore was elected as a Liberal in the previous election, but changed to the National party in 1983.

Post-election pendulum

National seats (41)MarginalMaryboroughGilbert AlisonNAT0.03%Pine RiversYvonne ChapmanNAT0.4%Barron RiverMartin TenniNAT3.2% CabooltureBill NewtonNAT3.3%Toowoomba NorthSandy McPhieNAT3.6%RedlandsJohn GolebyNAT4.0%GreenslopesLeisha HarveyNAT4.3%FlindersBob KatterNAT5.2%ToowongEarle BaileyNAT5.2%Fairly safeMansfieldBill KausNAT6.1%HinchinbrookTed RowNAT6.2%AlbertIvan GibbsNAT6.5%FassifernKev LingardNAT6.5%WhitsundayGeoff MuntzNAT6.5%MiraniJim RandellNAT6.6%BurdekinMark StonemanNAT6.7%IsisLin PowellNAT7.1%MulgraveMax MenzelNAT7.5%South CoastRuss HinzeNAT7.5%WarregoNeil TurnerNAT7.7%Mount GravattIan HendersonNAT7.9%SafeToowoomba SouthJohn WarnerNAT10.0%AspleyBrian CahillNAT10.4%Peak DownsVince LesterNAT10.4%SomersetBill GunnNAT11.0%CoorooraGordon SimpsonNAT12.1%GregoryBill GlassonNAT12.8%LandsboroughMike AhernNAT13.9%SouthportDoug JenningsNAT13.9%CarnarvonPeter McKechnieNAT14.3%GympieLen StephanNAT14.5%RomaRussell CooperNAT15.5%BurnettClaude WhartonNAT16.1%Surfers ParadiseRob BorbidgeNAT17.4%WarwickDes BoothNAT17.9%Very safeAuburnNeville HarperNAT23.3%CondamineBrian LittleproudNAT23.8%LockyerTony FitzgeraldNAT24.1%BalonneDon NealNAT24.4%BarambahJoh Bjelke-PetersenNAT28.5%CunninghamTony ElliottNAT28.7% Labor seats (32)MarginalStaffordDennis MurphyALP0.1% SalisburyWayne GossALP1.1% TownsvilleKen McElligottALP1.5%AshgroveTom VeiversALP1.6% KurilpaAnne WarnerALP2.0% v LIB WindsorPat CombenALP2.1% CairnsKeith De LacyALP2.2% MourilyanBill EatonALP2.7%Mount IsaBill PriceALP2.8% Port CurtisBill PrestALP3.6% WoodridgeBill D'ArcyALP5.1% MurrumbaJoe KrugerALP5.2% BundabergClem CampbellALP5.3%Fairly safe MackayEd CaseyALP6.0% Townsville WestGeoff SmithALP6.3% EvertonGlen MillinerALP6.5% Townsville SouthAlex WilsonALP7.0% ChatsworthTerry MackenrothALP7.6% v LIB WynnumEric ShawALP8.3% South BrisbaneJim FourasALP8.7% Brisbane CentralBrian DavisALP8.9% v LIB Ipswich WestDavid UnderwoodALP9.4% IpswichDavid HamillALP9.7% Safe BulimbaRon McLeanALP10.0% Rockhampton NorthLes YewdaleALP10.4% RockhamptonKeith WrightALP11.4% NudgeeKen VaughanALP12.4% v LIB SandgateNev WarburtonALP12.8% CookBob ScottALP13.5% WolstonBob GibbsALP14.3% v LIBVery safe LyttonTom BurnsALP21.4% ArcherfieldKevin HooperALP21.6% Liberal seats (8)MarginalWavellBrian AustinLIB1.3%YerongaNorm LeeLIB2.9%IthacaCol MillerLIB3.3%RedcliffeTerry WhiteLIB5.0%Fairly safeNundahWilliam KnoxLIB6.2%MerthyrDon LaneLIB7.7%SafeMount Coot-thaBill LickissLIB10.5% v NATSherwoodAngus InnesLIB16.7%Crossbench seats (1)CallideLindsay HartwigIND9.3% v NAT

Aftermath

After the election, Bjelke-Petersen openly invited Liberal MLAs to defect to the Nationals. On 25 October, two Liberal MLAs, Brian Austin (Wavell) and Don Lane (Merthyr) took up Bjelke-Petersen's offer and joined the Nationals. This gave them 43 seats, a majority of two—the first time that the Nationals had governed in majority at any level in Australia.

This left only six Liberals, and marked the end of Terry White's leadership and Angus Innes' deputy leadership. Former leader Sir William Knox (Nundah) was returned to lead what remained of the party.

Labor had performed well, but not well enough, especially in North Queensland. Still, Labor strategists hoped that they had recovered enough seats to put them within striking distance of winning in 1986.

See also Candidates of the Queensland state election, 1983

References