Elections to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly were held on Saturday, 21 February 1998. The incumbent Liberal Party, led by Kate Carnell, was challenged by the Labor Party, led by Wayne Berry. Candidates were elected to fill three multi-member electorates using a single transferable vote method, known as the Hare-Clark system. The result was another hung parliament. However the Liberals, with the largest representation in the 17-member unicameral Assembly, formed Government with the support of independents Michael Moore, Paul Osborne, and Dave Rugendyke. Carnell was elected Chief Minister at the first sitting of the fourth Assembly on 19 March 1998.

Subsequent to the election and during the life of the fourth Assembly, on 18 October 2000, Carnell stepped down as Chief Minister and was replaced by Gary Humphries.

This would be the last time the Liberal Party (or the Coalition) would form government at a state or territory level after an election until the 2008 Western Australian state election. Also, this is the last time the Liberal Party has formed government after an election in the ACT.

Key dates

Close of party registration: 15 January 1998 Pre-election period commenced/nominations opened: 16 January 1998 Rolls closed: 23 January 1998 Nominations closed: 29 January 1998 Nominations declared/ballot paper order determined: 30 January 1998 Pre-poll voting commenced: 2 February 1998 Polling day: 21 February 1998 Poll declared: 17 March 1998

Candidates

Sitting members at the time of the election are listed in bold. Tickets that elected at least one MLA are highlighted in the relevant colour. Successful candidates are indicated by an asterisk (*).

Retiring Members

Greens Lucy Horodny (Ginninderra)

Brindabella Five seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending two seats. The Liberal Party was defending two seats. The Paul Osborne Independent Group was defending one seat.

Labor candidatesLiberal candidatesGreens candidatesDemocrats candidates  John Hargreaves* Karen Mow Kathryn Presdee Andrew Whitecross Bill Wood*Geoff Didier Margaret Head Trevor Kaine* Louise Littlewood Brendan Smyth*Sue Ellerman Peter Farrelly Liz Stephens Fiona TitoCharlie Bell Geoff Dodd Anna Grant Mark Peirce Adele TaitOsborne candidatesCDP candidatesUngrouped  Linda Moore Paul Osborne*Stephen Carter Francis PiccinTom Cornwell (Ind) Margaret A Kobier (Ind) Margot Marshall (Ind) Peter Menegazzo (Ind) Leonard Munday

Ginninderra Five seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending two seats. The Liberal Party was defending two seats. The Greens were defending one seat.

Labor candidatesLiberal candidatesGreens candidatesDemocrats candidates  Wayne Berry* Roberta McRae Joy Nicholls Chris Sant Jon Stanhope*Terry Birtles Vicki Dunne Warwick Gow Harold Hird* Bill Stefaniak*Jennifer Palma Shane Rattenbury Dierk Von Behrens Molly WainwrightAlex Allars Jocelyn Bell Terry Holder Stephen Selden Peter VandenbroekOsborne candidatesCDP candidatesPLP candidatesUngrouped  Hilary Back Dave Rugendyke*John Richard Miller Ivan YoungRenee Brooks Morgan GrahamAlice Chu (Ind) Cheryl Hill Derek Hill Connie Steven (Ind) Helen Szuty Manuel Xyrakis

Molonglo Seven seats were up for election. The Labor Party was defending two seats. The Liberal Party was defending three seats. The Greens were defending one seat. The Moore Independents were defending one seat.

Labor candidatesLiberal candidatesGreens candidatesDemocrats candidatesMoore candidates  Simon Corbell* Chris Flaherty Steve Garth Tania McMurtry John O'Keefe Ted Quinlan* Marion ReillyGreg Aouad Jacqui Burke Kate Carnell* Greg Cornwell* Gary Humphries* John Louttit Nick TolleyMiko Kirschbaum Caroline Le Couteur Tiffany Lynch Roland Manderson Niki Ruker Michael Smitheram Kerrie Tucker*John Davey Jane Errey John Kennedy Melissa McEwen Jonathan Tonge Jason WoodJoan Kellett Michael Moore* Osborne candidatesCDP candidatesPLP candidatesDSP candidatesUngrouped  Chris Carlile Chris UhlmannTerry Craig John Edward MillerRobin Bartrum Bora KanraSue Bull Tim Gooden Nicholas SoudakoffPamela Ayson (Ind) Daryl Arthur Black (Ind) Nick Dyer (Ind) Jerzy Gray-Grzeszkiewicz (Ind) Noel Habercht John Hancock (Ind) Jeremy Leyland (Shooters ACT) Roger Nicholls (Ind) Jacqui Rees Peter Willmott (Ind)

Results

+ Results by electorate Brindabella Ginninderra Molonglo Party Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Votes % Seats Liberal 20,110 37.1 2 16,741 33.2 2 31,370 41.5 3 Labor 15,463 28.5 2 14,931 29.6 2 19,404 25.6 2 Osborne Independent Group 8,804 16.2 1 4,856 9.6 1 2,766 3.7 0 Greens 4,383 8.1 0 4,384 8.7 0 7,650 10.1 1 Democrats 3,336 6.2 0 3,614 7.2 0 3,836 5.1 0 Independent 1,244 2.3 0 4,745 9.4 0 3,243 4.3 0 Moore Independents — — — — — — 5,261 7.0 1 Christian Democrats 911 1.7 0 922 1.8 0 1,194 1.6 0 Democratic Socialist — — — — — — 745 1.0 0 Progressive Labour — — — 240 0.5 0 197 0.3 0

+ Distribution of seats Electorate Seats held Brindabella     O     Ginninderra     O     Molonglo       M       M - Moore Independents O - Osborne Independent Group

See also Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, 1998–2001 Second Carnell Ministry Humphries Ministry List of Australian Capital Territory elections

References

External links ACT Electoral Commission ACT Legislative Assembly - List of Members (1989 - 2008)