Bob Hawke was the Labor member for the Melbourne electorate of Wills from 1980 until his resignation on February 20, 1992.
In this ABC News report on February 23, we can see that the major political parties were quick to begin their campaigns for the by-election.
The by-election was held on April 11, 1992. It was won by Phil Cleary, an independent. Cleary is the only non-Labor member to have held the Coburg-based seat since it was created in 1949.
Cleary’s election was declared void by the High Court on November 25, 1992 on the grounds that he was still an employee of the Victorian Education Department at the time of his election, in breach of Section 44 of the Constitution. He was re-elected at the 1993 Federal Election but was defeated in 1996.
The video features Deputy Prime Minister Brian Howe and Opposition Leader John Hewson.
