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A by-election was conducted for the Queensland Legislative Assembly seat of Stafford on 19 July 2014 following 23 May resignation of LNP MP Chris Davis.[1][2] The LNP won Stafford from Labor at the 2012 election with 57.1 percent of the two-party vote from a 14.4-point two-party swing. The 2014 Redcliffe by-election saw a 17.2-point two-party swing to Labor. Analysts predicted a Labor win with a 10–12-point two-party swing.[3][4] Labor candidate Anthony Lynham won the by-election with a 62 percent two-party vote from a 19.1-point two-party swing.[5]
This election was the first in Australia which required voter identification to be shown prior to receiving a ballot paper.[5]
The four candidates in ballot paper order were as follows:[6]
Candidate nominations | |||
---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Background | |
Liberal National Party | Bob Andersen | Psychologist for Queensland Health.[5] | |
Family First Party | Sally-Anne Vincent | Accountant. Family First candidate for Sandgate in 2006, Murrumba in 2009 and 2012 and Redcliffe in 2014, federal seat of Petrie in 2007 and 2010, and Senate in 2013.[5] | |
Queensland Greens | Anne Boccabella | Small businesswoman. Greens candidate for Brisbane Central in 2012, 2009 and 2007, and independent candidate for Mount Coot-tha in 2001.[5] | |
Labor Party | Anthony Lynham | Oral and maxillofacial surgeon at the Royal Brisbane Hospital.[5] |
Katter's Australian Party, which received 4.9 percent in 2012, did not re-contest Stafford at the by-election.[5] Clive Palmer initially said the Palmer United Party would run in the by-election,[7] but then said it was undecided whether the party would field a candidate.[8] A candidate was not fielded.[9]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labor | Anthony Lynham | 12,626 | 50.6 | +17.1 | |
Liberal National | Bob Andersen | 8,339 | 33.4 | −16.8 | |
Greens | Anne Boccabella | 2,971 | 11.9 | +0.6 | |
Family First | Sally-Anne Vincent | 997 | 4.0 | +4.0 | |
Total formal votes | 24,933 | 98.1 | −0.0 | ||
Informal votes | 485 | 1.9 | +0.0 | ||
Turnout | 25,418 | 81.5 | −9.8 | ||
Two-party-preferred result | |||||
Labor | Anthony Lynham | 14,562 | 62.0 | +19.1 | |
Liberal National | Bob Andersen | 8,925 | 38.0 | −19.1 | |
Labor gain from Liberal National | Swing | +19.1 |
The result saw the biggest swing at a Queensland by-election since changes to the 1992 Electoral Act.[12]