The 2009 Willagee state by-election was held for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Willagee on 28 November 2009.[1] It was triggered as a result of the resignation of former Premier of Western Australia Alan Carpenter. The election was won by Labor candidate Peter Tinley.[2]
Four candidates stood at the by-election. They were as follows in ballot paper order:[3]
Christian Democratic Party – Henri Chew. Chew stood previously as the Christian Democrats candidate for the district of Carine at the 2008 state election.
Labor Party – Peter Tinley. Tinley is a former SAS major who stood unsuccessfully as the endorsed Labor candidate for the marginal seat of Stirling at the 2007 federal election.[4]
Greens – Hsien Harper. Harper is a union organiser who stood twice previously as a Greens candidate: most recently for the seat of Maylands at the 2008 state election and before that at the 2008 Murdoch state by-election.[5]
Independent – Gerry Georgatos. Georgatos was originally preselected as the Greens candidate in anticipation of a potential by-election in Willagee earlier in the year. However, when the by-election materialised, preselection was re-opened and Georgatos lost to Harper. He subsequently ran as an independent.[6]
The Liberal Party did not field a candidate.[7]
The Liberal Party, who received 30.93 percent of the vote at the previous election in Willagee, did not contest the election. All candidates received a lift in their respective primary vote.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Peter Tinley | 9,160 | 53.80 | +2.15 | |
| Greens | Hsien Harper | 5,162 | 30.32 | +12.90 | |
| Independent | Gerry Georgatos | 1,529 | 8.98 | +8.98 | |
| Christian Democrats | Henri Chew | 1,175 | 6.90 | +6.90 | |
| Total formal votes | 17,026 | 95.48 | +1.87 | ||
| Informal votes | 863 | 4.82 | −1.87 | ||
| Turnout | 17,889 | 77.50 | −8.62 | ||
| Two-candidate-preferred result | |||||
| Labor | Peter Tinley | 10,316 | 60.61 | −3.97 | |
| Greens | Hsien Harper | 6,664 | 39.39 | +39.39 | |
| Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |||
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By-elections of the 38th Western Australian parliament (2008–2013)
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| 2009 |
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| 2010 |
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