1999 Holt by-election

{{Short description|Australian federal by-election}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox election | country = Victoria | type = parliamentary | vote_type = Primary | ongoing = no | election_date = 6 November 1999 | previous_year = 1998 | next_year = 2001

| image1 = {{CSS image crop|Image = Anthony Byrne MP portrait, 2015.jpg|bSize = 125|cWidth = 120|cHeight = 160|oTop = 12|oLeft = 0}} | candidate1 = '''Anthony Byrne''' | party1 = Australian Labor Party | popular_vote1 = '''48,499''' | percentage1 = '''65.63%''' | swing1 = {{increase}} 5.85

| image2 = {{eppt|Australian Democrats}} | candidate2 = {{nowrap|Polly Morgan}} | party2 = Australian Democrats | popular_vote2 = 10,896 | percentage2 = 14.74% | swing2 = {{increase}} 8.75

| 1blank = TPP | 2blank = TPP swing | 1data1 = '''72.06%''' | 2data1 = {{increase}} 6.95 | 1data2 = 27.94% | 2data2 = {{increase}} 27.94

| title = MP | before_election = Gareth Evans | before_party = Australian Labor Party | after_election = Anthony Byrne | after_party = Australian Labor Party }} The '''1999 Holt by-election''' was held in the Australian electorate of Holt in Victoria on 6 November 1999. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, former Australian Labor Party deputy leader Gareth Evans on 30 September 1999. The writ for the by-election was issued on 1 October 1999.

==Background== Holt was held by Gareth Evans, a former senator who had moved to the House of Representatives when the previous Labor member Michael Duffy retired in 1996. When Labor was defeated by the Coalition at the 1998 election, Evans resigned as deputy leader and from the opposition frontbench. He announced his intention to retire during the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television coverage of the 1998 election, but delayed his formal retirement until late 1999.<ref>Green, Antony: [https://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/holt.htm Federal Election Guide 2007 - Holt], Australian Broadcasting Corporation.</ref>

The Liberal Party did not field a candidate for the Holt by-election, with the main opponents being Labor's Anthony Byrne, and Polly Morgan, the Australian Democrats candidate.

The Holt by-election was held in conjunction with the 1999 referendum on the republic on 6 November, with the residents of Holt voting on an additional by-election ballot paper, as well as the two referendum questions.

==Results== {{Election box begin | |title=<includeonly></includeonly>1999 Holt by-election<includeonly></includeonly>}} {{Election box candidate AU party| |party = Labor |candidate = Anthony Byrne |votes = 48,499 |percentage = 65.63 |change = +5.85 }} {{Election box candidate AU party| |party = Democrats |candidate = Polly Morgan |votes = 10,896 |percentage = 14.74 |change = +8.75 }} {{Election box candidate AU party| |party = Democratic Labor |candidate = John Mulholland |votes = 5,404 |percentage = 7.31 |change = +7.31 }} {{Election box candidate AU party| |party = Greens |candidate = Daniel Scoullar |votes = 4,701 |percentage = 6.36 |change = +6.36 }} {{Election box candidate AU party| |party = Christian Democrats |candidate = Lynne Dickson |votes = 4,399 |percentage = 5.95 |change = +4.20 }}

{{Election box formal |votes = 73,899 |percentage = 92.81 |change = -2.66 }} {{Election box informal |votes = 5,727 |percentage = 7.19 |change = +2.66 }} {{Election box turnout |votes = 79,626 |percentage = 93.98 |change = -1.23 }}

{{Election box 2cp}} {{Election box candidate AU party| |party = Labor |candidate = Anthony Byrne |votes = 53,252 |percentage = 72.06 |change = +6.95 }}

{{Election box candidate AU party| |party = Democrats |candidate = Polly Morgan |votes = 20,647 |percentage = 27.94 |change = +27.94 }}

==Aftermath== Anthony Byrne won the seat easily, with the lack of a Liberal candidate seeing a positive swing to all parties.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[https://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/supplementary_by_elections/holt/results.htm Holt (VIC) By-Election (6 November 1999) Results], Australian Electoral Commission

Category:1999 elections in Australia Category:Victorian federal by-elections Category:1990s in Victoria (state)