1915 Wide Bay by-election

1915 Wide Bay by-election

11 December 1915

First party Second party   ALP Candidate Edward Corser Andrew Thompson Party Liberal Labor Popular vote 14,027 13,941 Percentage 50.15% 49.85% Swing 50.15pp 14.46pp

MP before election Andrew Fisher Labor Elected MP Edward Corser Liberal

A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Wide Bay on 11 December 1915. This was triggered by the resignation of former Labor Party Prime Minister and MP Andrew Fisher.

The by-election was won by Commonwealth Liberal Party candidate Edward Corser by 43 votes, after the party previously did not contest the seat at the 1914 federal election — instead, the seat was contested by independent candidate John Austin, on 35.7 percent of the vote. Labor lost 14.5 percent of its vote from just over a year earlier. Voting was not compulsory in 1915.

Results

1915 Wide Bay by-election[1][2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Edward Corser	14,027	50.15	+50.15
	Labor	Andrew Thompson	13,941	49.85	−14.46
Total formal votes			27,968	99.12	+2.02
Informal votes			248	0.88	−2.02
Registered electors			34,276
Turnout			28,216	82.32	+4.21
	Liberal gain from Labor

See also

• List of Australian federal by-elections

References

1. "By-Elections 1914-1917". Psephos.
2. Commonwealth By-elections 1901–82. Canberra: Australian Electoral Office. 1983.