Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 19 February 1983 to elect all 57 members to the Legislative Assembly and 18 members to the 34-seat Legislative Council.
The three-term Liberal-National Country coalition government, led by Premier Ray O'Connor since 25 January 1982 (after the retirement of Sir Charles Court) was defeated by the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Brian Burke since 10 September 1981.
Results
Legislative Assembly
Notes: 754,226 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but one seat, Narrogin, held by the National Country Party's Peter Jones and representing 9,239 electors, was held unopposed. The National Country Party (NCP) and the National Party (NP) were two separate parties, the former in coalition with the Liberal Party, the latter an independent party which had split from the NCP on 10 August 1978.
Legislative Council
Seats changing parties Seat Pre-1983 Swing Post-1983 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Bunbury Liberal John Sibson 1.3 4.0 2.7 Phil Smith Labor Mandurah Liberal notional N/A N/A 0.3 John Read Labor Mount Marshall National Country Ray McPharlin 10.8* 16.5 5.7** Bill McNee Liberal Mundaring Liberal Tom Herzfeld 3.5 3.6 0.1 Gavan Troy Labor Pilbara Liberal Brian Sodeman 1.6 19.1 17.5 Pam Buchanan Labor Scarborough Liberal Ray Young 6.2 11.9 5.7 Graham Burkett Labor Whitford Liberal Mick Nanovich 8.3 16.0 7.7 Pam Beggs Labor
Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election. * figure is vs. Liberal ** figure is vs. National (NP)
Post-election pendulum
Labor seats (32)Marginal MundaringGavan TroyALP0.1% MandurahJohn ReadALP0.3% BunburyPhil SmithALP2.7% ScarboroughGraham BurkettALP5.7%Fairly safe JoondalupJackie WatkinsALP6.7% MitchellDavid SmithALP6.9% WhitfordPam BeggsALP7.7% Esperance-DundasJulian GrillALP8.3% AvonKen McIverALP8.4%Safe NollamaraKeith WilsonALP11.3% BalcattaRon BertramALP13.0% GosnellsYvonne HendersonALP13.1% GeraldtonJeff CarrALP13.1% WarrenDavid EvansALP13.4% ArmadaleBob PearceALP13.6% HelenaGordon HillALP13.7% WelshpoolColin JamiesonALP14.8% MaylandsJohn HarmanALP14.9% CanningTom BatemanALP15.6% CollieTom JonesALP15.6% KimberleyErnie BridgeALP15.9% Victoria ParkRon DaviesALP17.1% PilbaraPam BuchananALP17.5% PerthTerry BurkeALP17.8% FremantleDavid ParkerALP19.1% RockinghamMike BarnettALP19.7% AscotMal BryceALP19.9% Morley-SwanArthur TonkinALP20.9%MelvilleBarry HodgeALP21.2%KalgoorlieIan TaylorALP24.1%CockburnDon TaylorALP28.6%BalgaBrian BurkeALP29.0% Liberal/NCP seats (23)MarginalDaleCyril RushtonLIB0.06%Murchison-EyrePeter CoyneLIB1.3%SubiacoTom DadourLIB1.6%AlbanyLeon WattLIB2.3%Mount LawleyRay O'ConnorLIB3.4%MurdochBarry MacKinnonLIB4.0%ClontarfTony WilliamsLIB4.2%South PerthBill GraydenLIB4.5%Mount MarshallBill McNeeLIB5.7% v NATKarrinyupJim ClarkoLIB5.9%Fairly safeCottesloeBill HassellLIB6.3%Darling RangeGeorge SpriggsLIB6.6%Murray-WellingtonJohn BradshawLIB8.2%East MelvilleAnthony TrethowanLIB8.9%FloreatAndrew MensarosLIB9.6%SafeKalamundaIan ThompsonLIB10.1%GascoyneIan LauranceLIB11.8%MooreBert CraneNCP13.3% v LIBNedlandsRichard CourtLIB14.1%VasseBarry BlaikieLIB14.2%GreenoughReg TubbyLIB21.2%Katanning-RoeDick OldNCP32.1%NarroginPeter JonesNCPUnoppNational seats (2)StirlingMatt StephensNAT6.1% v LIBMerredinHendy CowanNAT15.0% v NCP
Opinion polling +Morgan Gallop opinion poll resultsDatePrimary voteLeader's approval ratingLaborLiberal-NCPLaborLiberalFebruary–April 198144483947June–August 19814942375118 September 1981Brian Burke replaces Ron Davies as leader of the Labor PartySeptember–November 198151393347December 1981–January 19824646396321 January 1982Ray O'Connor replaces Charles Court as leader of the Liberal PartyFebruary–April 198251425250May–June 198249445459July–August 198251445663September–October 198248425462November–December 19824748586119 February 1983 election53.844.2
See also Candidates of the 1983 Western Australian state election Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1980–1983 Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1983–1986
References