On numerous occasions last week, I heard journalists and media commentators say that no government has won a by-election from the opposition since 1911.
It was repeated over and over. It was asserted again on Insiders yesterday and on Sky News last night.
The context, of course, is the batch of four by-elections – in Mayo, Longman, Braddon and Fremantle – that are about to take place following the resignations flowing from the High Court’s Section 44 decision on former Senator Katy Gallagher. A fifth by-election will take place due to the resignation for personal reasons of the ALP’s Tim Hammond in Perth.
The Liberal Party has decided not to contest Perth or Fremantle, so these seats should now be easily retained by the ALP.
The Liberals are favoured to retake their traditional stronghold of Mayo, especially given the Xenophon implosion.
So attention centres on Longman, in Queensland, and Braddon, in Tasmania. Can the ALP hang on to these two seats it won back last time? Could the government take one or two seats off the opposition?
A swing of just 0.8% would see Longman return to the government. Braddon needs 1.5%. It’s do-able but it’s tricky. Afterall, it hasn’t happened since 1911…
Well, no… [Read more…]