1985 Victorian state election

The 1985 Victorian state election, held on Saturday, 2 March 1985, was for the 50th Parliament of Victoria. It was held in the Australian state of Victoria to elect all 88 members of the state's Legislative Assembly and 22 members of the 44-member Legislative Council. Since the previous election, the number of members of the Legislative Assembly was increased by 7 to 88.

Lindsay Thompson, who led the Liberal Party to a defeat at the 1982 election with a 17-seat swing against it, resigned the leadership of the party on 5 November 1982. He was succeeded by Jeff Kennett. At the election, the incumbent Labor Party government led by John Cain Jr. maintained its electoral support, though the Liberal Party did increase the number of seats. It was the first time since Federation that a Labor government had been reelected in Victoria. Although the Labor Party lost seats in the lower house it gained a majority in the upper house picking up 4 seats to hold 23 up from 19 at the last election meaning the Liberal/National Coalition no longer had sway on government policy.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Seats changing hands

Seat Pre-1985 Swing Post-1985 Party Member Margin Margin Member PartyBennettswood LaborDoug Newton 1.2 -2.0 0.8Roger PescottLiberal Dromana LaborDavid Hassett 1.4 -3.8 2.4Ron WellsLiberal Evelyn LaborMax McDonald 1.3 -4.1 2.8Jim PlowmanLiberal Ivanhoe LaborTony Sheehan 1.3 -2.7 1.6Vin HeffernanLiberal Mornington Labornotional - new seat 1.4 -3.4 2.0Robin CooperLiberal Syndal LaborDavid Gray 0.1 -1.5 1.4Geoff ColemanLiberal Warrnambool LiberalAdam Kempton 11.3 -17.8 6.5John McGrathNational 

Members listed in italics did not recontest their seats. In addition, the National party retained the seat of Swan Hill, which it had won from the Liberals in a by-election.

Redistribution affected seats

Seat 1982 election 1984 redistribution Swing 1985 election Party Member Margin Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Mentone  Liberal Bill Templeton 1.2  Labor Notional 3.7 -1.7 2.0 Peter Spyker Labor  Narracan Liberal John Delzoppo 1.7 Labor Notional 1.4 1.8 0.4 John Delzoppo Liberal Prahran Labor Bob Miller 3.7 Liberal Notional 1.7 5.1 6.8 Don Hayward Liberal Sandringham Labor Graham Ihlein 1.5 Liberal Notional 2.6 2.3 4.9 David Lea Liberal

Post-election pendulum

Labor seats (47)Marginal BentleighGordon HockleyALP0.1% WarrandyteLou HillALP0.2% Ballarat SouthFrank SheehanALP1.8% MentonePeter SpykerALP2.0% Box HillMargaret RayALP2.1% RingwoodKay SetchesALP2.7% St KildaAndrew McCutcheonALP2.7% BellarineGraham ErnstALP3.0% MitchamJohn HarrowfieldALP3.7% MonbulkNeil PopeALP3.7% WhittleseaMax McDonaldALP4.6% GreensboroughPauline TonerALP5.1% WantirnaCarolyn HirshALP5.3% Bendigo WestDavid KennedyALP5.7%Fairly safe GeelongHayden ShellALP6.1% OakleighRace MathewsALP6.1% WerribeeKen CoghillALP6.2% SpringvaleEddie MicallefALP7.0% MorwellValerie CallisterALP7.4% Frankston NorthJane HillALP9.0% Dandenong NorthJan WilsonALP9.1% CarrumIan CathieALP9.4% ClaytonGerard VaughanALP9.8%Safe DandenongTerry NorrisALP11.1% KnoxSteve CrabbALP11.4% Pascoe ValeTom EdmundsALP11.4% KeilorGeorge SeitzALP11.5% EssendonBarry RoweALP12.1% Albert ParkBunna WalshALP12.2% BundooraJohn CainALP12.3% NiddrieJack SimpsonALP13.0% DovetonRob JollyALP14.9% MelbourneKeith RemingtonALP15.2% DerrimutDavid CunninghamALP15.6% Geelong NorthNeil TreziseALP15.8% ReservoirJim SimmondsALP18.7% WilliamstownGordon StirlingALP18.8% PrestonCarl KirkwoodALP19.6% BroadmeadowsJack CulpinALP20.0%CoburgPeter GavinALP20.4%BrunswickTom RoperALP20.6%St AlbansAlex AndrianopoulosALP21.0%SunshineBill FogartyALP21.1%RichmondTheo SidiropoulosALP21.4%NorthcoteFrank WilkesALP21.8%FootscrayRobert FordhamALP23.4%ThomastownBeth GleesonALP23.9% Liberal/National seats (41)MarginalNarracanJohn DelzoppoLIB0.4%BennettswoodRoger PescottLIB0.8%SyndalGeoff ColemanLIB1.4%IvanhoeVin HeffernanLIB1.6%MorningtonRobin CooperLIB2.0%DromanaRon WellsLIB2.4%EvelynJim PlowmanLIB2.8%BerwickRob MaclellanLIB3.1%South BarwonHarley DickinsonLIB3.4%Frankston SouthGraeme WeidemanLIB3.6%Bendigo EastMichael JohnLIB3.9%Forest HillJohn RichardsonLIB3.9%SandringhamDavid LeaLIB4.9%BurwoodJeff KennettLIB5.6%DoncasterMorris WilliamsLIB5.6%HawthornPhil GudeLIB5.7%Fairly safeRiponTom AustinLIB6.5%WarrnamboolJohn McGrathNAT6.5% v LIBPrahranDon HaywardLIB6.8%Ballarat NorthTom EvansLIB7.1%CaulfieldTed TannerLIB7.3%GisborneTom ReynoldsLIB7.5%BulleenDavid PerrinLIB7.8%MalvernGeoff LeighLIB9.8%SafeGlen WaverleyRoss SmithLIB10.1%KewPrue SibreeLIB10.2%BrightonAlan StockdaleLIB12.1%Gippsland WestAlan BrownLIB12.1%PortlandDigby CrozierLIB13.3%BalwynJim RamsayLIB15.4%BenallaPat McNamaraNAT16.1%Gippsland EastBruce EvansNAT17.5%PolwarthIan SmithLIB18.3%BenambraLou LiebermanLIB19.6%Gippsland SouthTom WallaceNAT21.8%Murray ValleyKen JasperNAT22.2%SheppartonPeter Ross-EdwardsNAT22.8%MilduraMilton WhitingNAT23.0%Swan HillBarry SteggallNAT27.6%RodneyEddie HannNAT30.1%LowanBill McGrathNAT30.2%

See also Candidates of the 1985 Victorian state election

References