2017 Gosford state by-election

Election result for Gosford, New South Wales, Australia

2017 Gosford state by-election

* * *

|  | 8 April 2017 |

|
|

|   | First party  | Second party

|
|

Candidate  | Liesl Tesch | Jilly Pilon
Party  | Labor | Liberal
Popular vote  | 22,931 | 14,208
Percentage  | 49.5% | 30.7%
Swing  |  10.9pp  |  11.9pp
TPP | 62.5% | 37.5%
TPP swing  |  12.3pp  |  12.3pp

* * *

| MP before election

Kathy Smith
Labor

| Elected MP

Liesl Tesch
Labor

|

A by-election was held in the state electoral district of Gosford on 8 April 2017. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Kathy Smith (Labor) due to ill health.[1] It was held on the same day as the North Shore and Manly state by-elections.

## Dates

[edit]

Date  | Event

|

17 March 2017  | Writ of election issued by the Speaker and close of electoral rolls
Noon, 22 March 2017  | Close of nominations for party-endorsed candidates
Noon, 23 March 2017  | Close of nominations for other candidates
8 April 2017  | Polling day, between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm

## Candidates

[edit]

The candidates in ballot paper order were as follows:[2]

Candidate nominations

Party  | Candidate  | Notes (not on ballot paper)
| Greens | Abigail Boyd | Financial lawyer
| Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) | Andrew Church  | Gosford City Citizen of the Year 2016 and businessman[3]
| Animal Justice Party | Skyla Wagstaff  |
| Labor Party | Liesl Tesch | Paralympian and local teacher. Former federal MP Belinda Neal had expressed interest in running as a candidate; however, a preselection ballot was not held.[4]
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party | Larry Freeman  | Council worker
| Liberal Party | Jilly Pilon  | Businesswoman. She attracted criticism for residing in the adjoining electorate of Terrigal instead of Gosford.[5]

## Results

[edit]

2017 Gosford by-election
Saturday 8 April [6][7] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Labor | Liesl Tesch | 22,931  | 49.5  | +10.9
| Liberal | Jilly Pilon  | 14,208  | 30.7  | −11.9
| Greens | Abigail Boyd | 3,454  | 7.5  | −1.5
| Shooters, Fishers, Farmers | Larry Freeman  | 2,378  | 5.1  | +5.1
| Animal Justice | Skyla Wagstaff  | 1,841  | 4.0  | +4.0
| Christian Democrats | Andrew Church  | 1,475  | 3.2  | +0.9
Total formal votes  | 46,287  | 97.3  | +0.5
Informal votes  | 1,285  | 2.7  | −0.5
Turnout | 47,572  | 85.0  | −5.6
Two-party-preferred result
| Labor | Liesl Tesch | 26,440  | 62.5  | +12.3
| Liberal | Jilly Pilon  | 15,853  | 37.5  | −12.3
| Labor hold | Swing | +12.3 |

## See also

[edit]

* Electoral results for the district of Gosford
* List of New South Wales state by-elections

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Gosford Labor MP Kathy Smith resigns triggering by-election". ABC News. 14 February 2017.
2. ^ "List of Nominated Candidates". Electoral Commission NSW. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
3. ^ "TV News Reports on CDP Candidate for Gosford ⋆ Christian Democratic Party". 16 March 2017.
4. ^ "Claims ALP candidate Liesl Tesch 'parachuted' into Central Coast seat". ABC News. 23 February 2017.
5. ^ Taylor, Matt; Noone, Richard (13 March 2017). "Liberal candidate Jilly Pilon plays down concerns over living outside Gosford electorate". The Daily Telegraph. Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
6. ^ First Preference Votes Report Parliamentary Election: Gosford, Electoral Commission NSW, 13 April 2017.
7. ^ State Electoral District of Gosford Distribution of Preferences, Electoral Commission NSW, 13 April 2017.

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