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2017 Western Australian state election

none

Field	Value
election_name	2017 Western Australian state election
country	Western Australia
type	parliamentary
ongoing	no
vote_type	First preference
previous_election	2013 Western Australian state election
previous_year	2013
election_date	11 March 2017
next_election	2021 Western Australian state election
next_year	2021
seats_for_election	All 59 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
and all 36 members in the Western Australian Legislative Council
30 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
opinion_polls	#Opinion polling
<!-- Labor -->	image1	[[File:Mark McGowan headshot.jpg	150x150px]]
leader1	Mark McGowan
leader_since1
party1	Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
leaders_seat1	Rockingham
popular_vote1	557,794
percentage1	42.20%
swing1	9.07
last_election1	21 seats
seats_needed1	9
seats1	41
seat_change1	20
<!-- Liberal -->	image2	[[File:Colin Barnett (formal) crop b.jpg	150x150px]]
leader2	Colin Barnett
party2	Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division)
leader_since2
leaders_seat2	Cottesloe
last_election2	31 seats
seats_needed2
seats2	13
seat_change2	18
popular_vote2	412,710
percentage2	31.23%
swing2	15.88
swing_needed2
image3	[[File:Brendon Grylls b.jpg	150x150px]]
leader3	Brendon Grylls
leader_since3
party3	National Party of Australia (WA)
leaders_seat3	Pilbara
(lost seat)
popular_vote3	71,313
percentage3	5.40%
swing3	0.66
last_election3	7 seats
seats_needed3	23
seats3	5
seat_change3	2
<!-- 2PP -->	1blank	2PP
1data1	55.5%
1data2	44.5%
2blank	2PP swing
2data1	12.80
2data2	12.80
<!-- map -->	map_image	Western Australian state election, 2017 results by division.svg
map_caption	The map on the left shows the first party preference by electorate. The map on the right shows the final two-party preferred vote result by electorate.
map_size	400px
<!-- last/next Premier -->	title	Premier
before_election	Colin Barnett
before_party	Liberal Party of Australia (Western Australian Division)
posttitle	Elected Premier
after_election	Mark McGowan
after_party	Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
turnout	1,593,228 (88.61%)

and all 36 members in the Western Australian Legislative Council 30 Assembly seats were needed for a majority

(lost seat)

The 2017 Western Australian state election was held on Saturday 11 March 2017 to elect members to the Parliament of Western Australia, including all 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly and all 36 seats in the Legislative Council. The eight-and-a-half-year two-term incumbent Liberal–WA National government, led by Premier Colin Barnett, was defeated in a landslide by the Labor opposition, led by Opposition Leader Mark McGowan.

Labor won 41 of the 59 seats in the Legislative Assembly—a 12-seat supermajority. This was WA Labor's strongest performance in a state election at the time, and formed the largest majority government and seat tally in Western Australian parliamentary history until that point. Additionally, Labor exceeded all published opinion polling, winning 55.5 percent of the two-party-preferred vote from a state record landslide 12.8-point two-party swing. It was the worst defeat of a sitting government in Western Australia, as well as one of the worst defeats of a sitting state or territory government since Federation.

Labor also became the largest party in the Legislative Council with 14 of the 36 seats. The Labor government thus required at least five additional votes from non-government members to pass legislation.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Government (41) Opposition (13) Crossbench (5) ]]

[[File:2017 WA Legislative Assembly.svg]]	Party	Votes	%	Swing	Seats	+/–	Formal votes
		Labor	557,794	42.20	9.07	41	20
		Liberal	412,710	31.23	15.88	13	18
		Greens	117,723	8.91	0.51	0
		National	71,313	5.40	0.66	5	2
		One Nation	65,192	4.93	New	0
		Christians	27,724	2.10	0.29	0
		Shooters, Fishers, Farmers	17,317	1.31	New	0
		Micro Business	13,211	1.00	New	0
		Matheson for WA	6,145	0.47	New	0
		Animal Justice	2,836	0.21	New	0
		Flux the System!	2,188	0.17	New	0
		Family First	1,443	0.11	0.49	0
		Socialist Alliance	694	0.05	New	0
		Liberal Democrats	561	0.04	New	0
		Independents	24,327	1.84	1.07	0
		Other	462	0.04	New	0
1,321,640	95.46	1.46
62,860	4.54	1.46
1,384,500			59
1,593,222	86.90	2.31
		Labor	733,738	55.5	12.8
		Liberal	587,353	44.5	12.8

The four main media networks covering the election, the ABC, Sky News, Seven News and Nine News, all called the election for Labor within two hours after polls closed. McGowan succeeded Barnett to become the 30th Premier of Western Australia.

By the morning of 12 March, two thirds of votes had been counted and seven lower house seats were still in doubt, showing that Labor had won at least 36 seats, well above the 30 required for a majority, which the ABC predicted would increase to 41. Meanwhile, the Liberals and WA Nationals had won only 10 and five seats respectively, with a further three expected to be retained by the Liberals.

The swing against the government affected traditionally safe seats. Consequently, six government ministers lost their seats in the Legislative Assembly while one lost his seat in the Legislative Council.

The Labor landslide was built primarily on a near-sweep of Perth. Labor took 34 of the capital's 43 seats on a swing of 13.6 points, accounting for nearly all of its majority. By comparison, it had gone into the election holding 17 seats in Perth. According to the ABC's Antony Green, the 10 percent swing Labor needed to make McGowan premier was not nearly as daunting as it seemed on paper. Green noted that several Liberals in outer suburban seats sat on inflated margins. Additionally, Green argued that the one vote one value reforms of 2008, which allowed Perth to elect over 70 percent of the legislature, proved to be a boost for Labor in 2017. Green noted that when Labor last governed from 2001 to 2008, it did so in a legislature where voters in country seats had twice the voting power of voters in a Perth-based seat.

Seats changing parties

:1 Matt Taylor was the member for the seat of Bateman, but contested Bicton after losing preselection to Dean Nalder, the member for the abolished seat of Alfred Cove. :2 Albert Jacob was the member for the abolished seat of Ocean Reef, but instead contested Burns Beach, a seat containing much of the same territory.

Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
Labor also retained two seats—Collie-Preston and West Swan—which were notionally Liberal-held after the redistribution. The Liberals retained Hillarys, which was being contested by the incumbent MLA Rob Johnson as an independent.

Legislative Council

Government (14) Opposition (9) Crossbench (13) ]]

Map of seats won for each party per electoral division.

[[File:2017 WA Legislative Council.svg]]	Party	Primary votes	%	Swing	Seats	+/-	Formal votes
		Labor	544,938	40.41	7.90	14	3
		Liberal	360,235	26.71	20.91	9	8
		Greens	116,041	8.60	0.39	4	2
		One Nation	110,480	8.19	New	3	3
		National	59,776	4.43	0.45	4	1
		Shooters, Fishers, Farmers	31,924	2.37	0.59	1
		Christians	26,209	1.94	0.01	0
		Liberal Democrats	23,848	1.77	New	1	1
		Animal Justice	14,838	1.10	New	0
		Family First	11,279	0.84	0.53	0
		Daylight Saving	9,209	0.68	New	0
		Micro Business	7,484	0.55	New	0
		Flux the System!	5,934	0.44	New	0
		Matheson for WA	5,270	0.39	New	0
		Fluoride Free WA	4,327	0.32	New	0
		Socialist Alliance	1,367	0.10	New	0
		Independents	15,516	1.15	0.53	0
	Other	482	0.03	New	0
1,348,675	97.29	0.13
37,480	2.70	0.13
1,386,155			36
1,593,222	87.00	2.20

Labor became the largest party in the Legislative Council with 14 of the 36 seats. The Labor government will require at least five additional votes from non-government members to pass legislation.

On 4 April, the Western Australian Electoral Commission conducted a recount of 2013 election results to fill two casual vacancies for the remainder of the 2013–17 term caused by the resignation and subsequent election to the Legislative Assembly of Amber-Jade Sanderson (Labor) in East Metropolitan and Peter Katsambanis (Liberal) in North Metropolitan. The vacancies were filled by Bill Leadbetter (Labor) and Elise Irwin (Liberal), who will first sit in the Legislative Council on 11 May 2017.

Date of election

On 3 November 2011, the Government of Western Australia introduced fixed four-year terms for the Legislative Assembly, with the elections to be held on the second Saturday in March. The first election under the new law was the 2013 election. Previously, under electoral reforms of the Burke Government in 1987, four-year maximum terms were adopted for the Legislative Assembly, and fixed four-year terms for the Legislative Council.

Campaign

The Western Australian National Party led by Brendon Grylls, who retook the leadership in August 2016, ran on a policy to increase the tax on every tonne mined from $0.25 to $5 for BHP and Rio Tinto. The big mining companies ran an advertising campaign against the policy, while a poll conducted found that 39.4% of voters surveyed supported the policy, 37.1% opposed and 23.5% were undecided.

The Liberal Party undertook a preference deal with One Nation during the elections, saying the party held less extreme views than it did in the 1990s. Some One Nation candidates were against the preference deal with the Liberal Party.

One Nation ran on opposing privatisation and the National party mining taxes.

Seats held

Lower house

At the 2013 election, Labor won 21 seats, the Liberals won 31 seats and the Nationals won 7 seats. No seats were won by independents.

On 15 April 2016, the Liberal member for Hillarys, Rob Johnson, resigned from the Liberals to sit as an independent, leaving the government with 30 seats in the lower house.

Upper house

At the 2013 election, the Liberals won 17 seats, Labor won 11 seats, the Nationals won five seats, the Greens won two seats and the Shooters and Fishers won one seat.

Western Australia's Legislative Council was divided into six regions at the time. Three were based in Perth, while three were rural. Each region elected six members to the Legislative Council. These areas were not of similar population sizes, with rural areas having received from one and a half to about six times the effective membership of the metropolitan regions.

The Western Australian rural population dropped from about 12.1% to 10.7% of the state's enrolled electors after the 2008 election. Election analyst Antony Green predicted this would make it more difficult for the Liberals or Labor (who typically perform better in Perth than rural areas) to increase their presence within the Legislative Council.

Redistribution

A redistribution of electoral boundaries for the lower house was completed on 27 November 2015. This resulted in a net gain of one seat for the Liberals from Labor. The Liberal seats of Alfred Cove, Eyre and Ocean Reef, the Labor seat of Gosnells and the National seat of Wagin were abolished. Five new seats were created (or re-created): the notionally Liberal seats of Bicton (mostly replacing Alfred Cove) and Burns Beach (mostly replacing Ocean Reef), the notionally Labor seats of Baldivis (created from parts of Kwinana and Warnbro) and Thornlie (replacing Gosnells), and the notionally National seat of Roe (merging Wagin and Eyre). The Labor seats of Collie-Preston and West Swan became notionally Liberal.

Retiring MPs

Members who did not re-nominate at the 2017 election:

Liberal

John Castrilli MLA (Bunbury) – announced 14 March 2016
Kim Hames MLA (Dawesville) – announced 2 August 2014
Liz Behjat MLC (North Metropolitan) – lost preselection
Barry House MLC (South West) – announced 27 October 2015

National

Wendy Duncan MLA (Kalgoorlie) – announced 4 December 2015
Terry Waldron MLA (Wagin) – announced 25 November 2014

Electoral pendulums

The following Mackerras pendulums work by lining up all of the seats according to the percentage point margin post-election on a two-candidate-preferred basis, grouped as marginal, safe etc. as defined by the Australian Electoral Commission.

Pre-election pendulum

This pendulum takes the redistribution into account. One sitting member, retiring Wagin Nationals MP Terry Waldron, does not appear in this pendulum: his seat was combined with Eyre to form Roe, a seat with a National margin that will also be contested by Eyre Liberal MP Graham Jacobs, who is listed as the defending member below. Two Liberal members, Dean Nalder (Alfred Cove, now renamed Bicton) and Matt Taylor (Bateman), were contesting each other's seats; this is reflected below. Retiring members are listed in italics.

Bateman	Dean Nalder	LIB	23.1

Post-election pendulum

Opinion polling

Graphical summary

Voting intention

Date	Firm	Primary vote	TPP vote	LIB	NAT	ALP	GRN
Galaxy (Exit Poll)	33%	6%	41%	6%	14%	45.5%	54.5%
ReachTEL	33.9%	6.0%	41.8%	6.5%	11.8%	46%	54%
Newspoll	32%	5%	41%	7%	15%	46%	54%
Galaxy	31%	5%	40%	8%	16%	46%	54%
ReachTEL	34.6%	6.8%	35.2%	10.7%	12.7%	48%	52%
ReachTEL	35.4%	8.4%	35%	6%	15.1%	50%	50%
Newspoll	30%	5%	38%	9%	18%	46%	54%
Newspoll	34%	6%	41%	9%	10%	48%	52%
ReachTEL	35.9%	6.1%	36.7%	7.7%	13.6%	48%	52%
Roy Morgan	34%	5%	36.5%	12.5%	12%	47.5%	52.5%
Roy Morgan	34.5%	6.5%	35.5%	12.5%	11%	49%	51%
Roy Morgan	36.5%	7%	34%	12.5%	10%	51%	49%
Newspoll	40%	42%	11%	7%	46%	54%
Roy Morgan	33.5%	8%	37%	14.5%	7%	48%	52%
ReachTEL	37%	5%	39%	13%	5%	44%	56%
Newspoll	37%	5%	42%	10%	6%	47%	53%
Morgan	37.5%	4.5%	32%	13%	13%	51.5%	48.5%
Morgan	35%	7%	34%	15%	9%	50%	50%
Newspoll	33%	7%	33%	14%	13%	48%	52%
Newspoll	34%	6%	35%	14%	11%	48%	52%
Newspoll	34%	8%	33%	15%	10%	50%	50%
Newspoll	35%	6%	31%	15%	13%	50%	50%
Newspoll	34%	6%	27%	17%	16%	50%	50%
Newspoll	36%	8%	33%	13%	10%	51%	49%
47.1%	6.1%	33.1%	8.4%	5.3%	57.3%	42.7%
Newspoll	48%	6%	32%	8%	6%	59.5%	40.5%

Liberal
Barnett	Labor
McGowan	6–9 Mar 2017	Oct 2016	Oct 2016	Sep 2016 (RM)	Mar–May 2016	Mar 2016 (RT)	Oct–Dec 2015	Apr–Jun 2015	Jan–Mar 2015	Oct–Dec 2014	Jul–Sep 2014	Apr–Jun 2014	Oct–Dec 2013	[2013 election](2013-western-australian-state-election)	4–7 Mar 2013
37%	45%
29%	47%
41%	59%
43%	57%
32%	46%
39%	61%
36%	41%
37%	43%
38%	44%
39%	40%
38%	41%
36%	43%
37%	43%
–	–
52%	31%
Polling conducted by Roy Morgan Research (RM), ReachTEL (RT),
or Newspoll (all others).
^ Remainder were "uncommitted" to either leader.

Barnett	McGowan	Satisfied	Dissatisfied
34%	57%	45%	40%
28%	61%	46%	33%
31%	58%	51%	28%
33%	54%	47%	32%
36%	57%	49%	33%
38%	53%	53%	28%
37%	49%	48%	27%
32%	56%	47%	29%
34%	56%	49%	31%
34%	54%	51%	22%
–	–	–	–
51%	36%	49%	29%
Polling conducted by Newspoll and published in The Australian.
^Remainder were "uncommitted" to either leader.

Newspaper endorsements

Newspaper	Endorsement
The Australian
The Australian Financial Review
The Sunday Times
The West Australian

References

Labor 55.5% 2PP vote and +12.8-point 2PP swing sourced from [[Antony Green]]'s temporary estimate within provided ABC link published 30 March 2017, which states "The two-party-preferred count is based on estimates for [[Electoral district of Baldivis. Baldivis]], [[Electoral district of Moore. Moore]] and [[Electoral district of Roe. Roe]]. – [http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2017/03/final-2017-wa-election-results-plus-a-new-electoral-pendulum.html Final 2017 WA Election Results plus a New Electoral Pendulum: Antony Green ABC 30 March 2017] {{webarchive. link. (21 May 2017)
[[Antony Green]]. (16 March 2017). "The Role of One-Vote One-Value Electoral Reforms in Labor's Record WA Victory". [[ABC News (Australia)]].
(11 March 2017). "WA Election 2017". [[ABC News Australia.
(26 March 2017). "WA Labor misses out on upper house working majority by one seat". ABC News.
(11 March 2017). "2017 State General Election Results". [[Western Australian Electoral Commission]].
"2017 Western Australian State Election – Analysis of Results". Parliamentary Library Western Australia.
Sprague, Julie-anne. (11 March 2017). "WA election: Labor storms to victory". Australian Financial Review.
(17 March 2017). "Mark McGowan sworn in as WA's 30th Premier". ABC News.
(12 March 2017). "WA Election 2017 - WA Results". ABC News.
(15 March 2017). "WA Election: Seventh minister lost in WA Liberals rout". ABC News.
"2017 State General Election Results". Western Australian Electoral Commission.
(11 March 2017). "WA Election 2017". [[ABC News Australia.
(16 March 2017). "Legislative Council Results". ABC News.
"Vacancies in two Legislative Council Regions". WAEC.
"April 2017 Legislative Council vacancies filled". WAEC.
(3 November 2011). "New laws fix state election dates". Abc.net.au.
[[Antony Green]]. (8 February 2011). "Future election dates". Blogs.abc.net.au.
[http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1617/AustralianElectionsTimetable ‘So when is the next election?’: APH.gov.au 1 September 2016] {{webarchive. link. (19 June 2017)
Phillips, Harry C. J. [https://www.elections.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/documents/Electoral_Law_WA_3rd.pdf Electoral Law in the State of Western Australia: An Overview] {{webarchive. link. (20 February 2017 . Western Australian Electoral Commission, 2013. {{ISBN). 9780980417340, page 113 (pdf 126). Retrieved 10 March 2017
(9 August 2016). "WA Nationals: Brendon Grylls elected leader again after Terry Redman resigns". ABC News.
(13 March 2017). "Anti-mining tax advertising avalanche set to blast Grylls out of Parliament". ABC News.
(13 December 2016). "Brendon Grylls fights for political survival". ABC News.
(9 March 2017). "WA Nationals leader digs in on mining tax as BHP Billiton steps up attack".
(2 March 2017). "WA election: Miners' campaign against tax fails to win voters".
(14 February 2017). "One Nation's 'extreme' policies a thing of the past, Barnett says". ABC News.
(13 February 2017). "WA Premier Colin Barnett defends One Nation preference deal".
(12 February 2017). "One Nation deal to deliver 'Senate-style' Upper House to WA". ABC News.
(13 February 2017). "WA One Nation candidates refuse to preference Liberals". ABC News.
(20 December 2016). "One Nation to oppose privatisation and mining tax in WA". ABC News.
Green, Antony. (6 March 2017). "The growing bias against Perth and the South-West in the Legislative Council". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Green, Antony. "2015 Western Australian state redistibution". [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]].
(18 August 2016). "Bunbury MLA John Castrilli to retire at next State election". The West Australian.
(2 August 2014). "Joe Spagnolo: Hunt for WA Liberal leader to replace Colin Barnett after deputy Kim Hames confirms he will not contest next state election". Perth Now.
(25 February 2016). "Who will make the team as Libs plan for state election?".
(17 July 2016). "Veteran MP to retire from politics". Perth Now.
(7 December 2015). "MP Wendy Duncan reflects on career as prospective candidates circle in Kalgoorlie". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
(25 November 2014). "Waldron to retire from politics". The West Australian.
(3 January 2017). "2017 Western Australian Election - Electoral Pendulum".
(6 May 2016). "Elections – Frequently Asked Questions : What is a marginal seat?". Australian Electoral Commission.
(11 March 2017). "Exit poll shows big win for WA Labor". 9 News.
"Newspoll: 54-46 to Labor in Western Australia".
(4 March 2017). "Galaxy: 54-46 to Labor in Western Australia".
Brendan Foster. (3 March 2017). "ReachTEL: 50-50 in Western Australia".
"WA election poll shows One Nation vote on the slide".
"Newspoll: 54-46 to Labor in Western Australia".
"Newspoll: 52-48 to Labor in Western Australia".
"Power poll blow as voters reject power privatisation".
(10 October 2016). "Baird Government drops behind for first time in NSW; Barnett in trouble in Western Australia while Andrews Government still riding high in Victoria despite CFA union dispute". Roy Morgan Research.
(8 September 2016). "Now 'too close to call' in New South Wales as Baird support slips while ALP has slight lead in Western Australia and a clear lead in Victoria". Roy Morgan Research.
(1 June 2016). "L-NP in front in NSW & WA and ALP well in front in Victoria but parties dead-level in Queensland after LNP elect new Leader Tim Nicholls". Roy Morgan Research.
[http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2016/05/12/newspoll-54-46-labor-western-australia/ Newspoll: 54-46 to Labor in Western Australia – The Poll Bludger 12 May 2016] {{webarchive. link. (12 May 2016)
(1 April 2016). "ALP increases support in all Australian States. Queensland electors narrowly turn down new election after Referendum on 4 year terms successful". Roy Morgan Research.
[https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/31139071/barnett-and-liberals-take-big-hit-in-poll/ Barnett and Liberals take big hit in poll with McGowan now preferred leader: The West Australian 19 March 2016] {{webarchive. link. (3 April 2016 - using undedided excluded at [http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2016/03/19/reachtel-56-44-to-labor-in-wa/ ReachTEL: 56-44 to Labor in WA - The Poll Bludger 19 March 2016] {{webarchive). link. (24 March 2016)
[http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2016/01/04/newspoll-53-47-to-labor-in-western-australia/ Newspoll: 53-47 to Labor in Western Australia – The Poll Bludger 4 January 2016] {{webarchive. link. (10 January 2016)
"Popular Premiers Mike Baird & Daniel Andrews have large leads in NSW & Victoria while other States are close".
"Too much at stake in WA". The Australian.
(9 March 2017). "WA deserves the chance for a fresh start". The West Australian.

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Newspaper	Endorsement
The Australian
The Australian Financial Review
The Sunday Times
The West Australian