1997 Gippsland West state by-election

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1997 Gippsland West by-election

The by-election for Gippsland West in the Victorian Legislative Assembly was held on 1 February 1997 after Liberal MP Alan Brown resigned on 31 December 1996 to become the Agent General for Victoria. Brown had previously been Liberal leader from 1989 to 1991.

Susan Davies, who had run for Labor in the 1996 election, stood as an independent after Labor chose not to contest Gippsland West. She won the seat, defeating the Liberal candidate and achieving a clear swing against the Liberals on the two-candidate-preferred count.

Turnout was 88.7% of the 31,375 registered voters. The by-election was a significant setback for Premier Jeff Kennett and the Liberal government, and it was the first of two by-election losses Kennett faced in 1997 (the other being Mitcham in December).

Davies was re-elected at the 1999 state election and later helped topple Kennett’s government by supporting a minority Labor government led by Steve Bracks. This by-election was also the first contest for the Australian Reform Party, formed in May 1996.