The 2013 Western Australian state election was held on Saturday 9 March 2013 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council.

The incumbent Liberal–National Coalition government, led by Premier Colin Barnett, won a second consecutive four-year term in government, defeating the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Mark McGowan, in a landslide. The Liberals alone won a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly for the first time since the election of 1996, retaining government with 31 seats. Labor won 21 seats and the Nationals won 7 seats. In the Legislative Council, the Liberals won 17 of the 36 seats.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Legislative Council

Summary of Assembly results

Seats changing parties Seat Pre-2013 rowspan="2" Post-2013 Party Member Margin Margin MemberParty Alfred Cove  Independent Liberal Janet Woollard 0.2* N/A 23.6** Dean Nalder Liberal  Balcatta  Labor John Kobelke 2.2 9.5 7.3 Chris Hatton Liberal  Belmont  Labor Eric Ripper 6.7 7.6 0.9 Glenys Godfrey Liberal  Churchlands  Independent Liz Constable 23.5** N/A 20.2** Sean L'Estrange Liberal  Forrestfield  Labor Andrew Waddell 0.2 2.3 2.1 Nathan Morton Liberal  Fremantle  Independent Adele Carles 4.0** N/A 7.9* Simone McGurk Labor  Joondalup  Labor Tony O'Gorman 3.3 7.8 4.5 Jan Norberger Liberal  Kalgoorlie  Independent John Bowler 3.6*** N/A 6.3* Wendy Duncan National  Morley  Labor notional 0.8 5.5 4.7 Ian Britza Liberal  Perth  Labor John Hyde 7.7 10.3 2.6 Eleni Evangel Liberal  Pilbara  Labor Tom Stephens 7.2 18.7 11.5 Brendon Grylls National 

Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election. * figure is vs. Liberal ** figure is vs. Labor *** figure is vs. National

Background At previous elections, the government was able to choose the date of an election, but on 3 November 2011, the government introduced fixed four-year terms, with elections being held every four years on the second Saturday in March. This was the first election under the new system.

Key dates Issue of writ: 6 February Nominations open: 7 February Close of party nominations: 12 noon, 14 February Close of rolls: 6 pm, 14 February Close of independent nominations: 12 noon, 15 February Postal voting commences: ? Pre-poll voting commences: 20 February Polling day: 9 March Return of writ: On or before 6 May

Seats held

Lower house At the 2008 election, Labor won 28 seats, the Liberals won 24 seats, the Nationals won four seats, with three seats won by independents. Three changes have occurred since; the Greens won the seat of Fremantle off Labor at the 2009 by-election, Vince Catania in the seat of North West defected from Labor to the Nationals in July 2009, and Fremantle MP Adele Carles resigned from the Greens in 2010, leaving Labor with 26 seats, the Liberals with 24 seats, the Nationals with five seats, while independents hold four seats.

Boundary changes took effect at this election. The only changes to the notional 2008 results were that the seat of Morley shifted from Liberal to Labor and the seat of North West (renamed North West Central) shifted from Labor to National.

Upper house At the 2008 election, the Liberals won 16 seats, Labor won 11 seats, the Nationals won five seats, and the Greens won four seats.

Retiring MPs

Labor

John Kobelke MLA (Balcatta) Carol Martin MLA (Kimberley) Eric Ripper MLA (Belmont) Tom Stephens MLA (Pilbara) Martin Whitely MLA (Bassendean) Helen Bullock MLC (Mining and Pastoral Region) Ed Dermer MLC (North Metropolitan Region) Jon Ford MLC (Mining and Pastoral Region) Linda Savage MLC (East Metropolitan Region)

Liberal

Norman Moore MLC (Mining and Pastoral Region)

National

Grant Woodhams MLA (Moore)

Independent

John Bowler MLA (Kalgoorlie) Liz Constable MLA (Churchlands)

2008 pendulum The following Mackerras pendulum works by lining up all of the seats according to the percentage point margin post-election on a two-candidate-preferred basis.

Liberal/National seats MarginalNorth WestVince CataniaNAT−3.1 ppRivertonMike NahanLIB0.2 ppWannerooPaul MilesLIB0.7 ppMorleyIan BritzaLIB 0.9 ppSouthern RiverPeter AbetzLIB 1.6 ppJandakotJoe FrancisLIB 1.8 ppMount LawleyMichael SutherlandLIB 2.2 ppNedlandsBill MarmionLIB 2.5 pp v INDMooreGrant WoodhamsNAT 3.1 pp v LIBSwan HillsFrank AlbanLIB 3.5 ppEyreGraham JacobsLIB 3.6 pp v NATOcean ReefAlbert JacobLIB 4.4 ppKingsleyAndrea MitchellLIB 4.5 ppScarboroughLiza HarveyLIB 5.2 ppDarling RangeTony SimpsonLIB 5.6 ppFairly safeKalamundaJohn DayLIB6.3 ppMurray-WellingtonMurray CowperLIB8.4 ppGeraldtonIan BlayneyLIB8.5 ppSafeDawesvilleKim HamesLIB11.1 ppBatemanChristian PorterLIB11.4 ppHillarysRob JohnsonLIB11.4 ppBunburyJohn CastrilliLIB11.7 ppVasseTroy BuswellLIB13.5 ppSouth PerthJohn McGrathLIB14.3 ppCarineTony KrsticevicLIB14.5 ppBlackwood-StirlingTerry RedmanNAT17.3 pp v LIBCentral WheatbeltBrendon GryllsNAT17.9 pp v LIBCottesloeColin BarnettLIB19.4 ppVery safeWaginTerry WaldronNAT27.1 pp v LIBIndependent seatsAlfred CoveJanet WoollardIND LIB1.0 pp v LIBKalgoorlieJohn BowlerIND3.6 pp v NATFremantleAdele CarlesIND4.0 pp v ALPChurchlandsLiz ConstableIND23.5 pp v ALP Labor seatsMarginalAlbanyPeter WatsonALP0.2 ppForrestfieldAndrew WaddellALP0.2 ppKwinanaRoger CookALP0.8 pp v INDCollie-PrestonMick MurrayALP1.0 ppBalcattaJohn KobelkeALP2.3 ppJoondalupTony O'GormanALP3.5 ppPilbaraTom StephensALP3.6 ppWest SwanRita SaffiotiALP4.4 ppGosnellsChris TallentireALP5.5 ppFairly safeBelmontEric RipperALP6.7 ppKimberleyCarol MartinALP6.8 ppPerthJohn HydeALP7.8 ppMidlandMichelle RobertsALP8.3 ppMindarieJohn QuigleyALP8.5 ppCanningtonBill JohnstonALP9.0 ppMaylandsLisa BakerALP9.0 ppVictoria ParkBen WyattALP9.0 ppCockburnFran LoganALP9.6 ppWarnbroPaul PapaliaALP9.7 ppSafeBassendeanMartin WhitelyALP10.3 ppMandurahDavid TemplemanALP10.5 ppRockinghamMark McGowanALP10.6 ppWillageePeter TinleyALP10.6 pp v GRNGirrawheenMargaret QuirkALP11.5 ppNollamaraJanine FreemanALP12.7 ppVery safeArmadaleTony ButiALP20.3 pp v CDP

1.Elected as Labor member, defected to the Nationals in July 2009, margin is ALP v NAT. 2.Elected as Green member, resigned from The Greens in May 2010.

Post-election pendulum

Margins with an asterisk (*) indicate seats that have a different 2-candidate-preferred result other than Labor v. Liberal/National. The 2cp result for each seat is below the table.

Liberal/National seats MarginalBelmontGlenys GodfreyLIB0.9ForrestfieldNathan MortonLIB2.1PerthEleni EvangelLIB2.6JoondalupJan NorbergerLIB4.5MorleyIan BritzaLIB4.7Swan HillsFrank AlbanLIB5.9Fairly safeBalcattaChris HattonLIB7.3JandakotJoe FrancisLIB8.1RivertonMike NahanLIB9.2Mount LawleyMichael SutherlandLIB9.4SafeKalamundaJohn DayLIB10.5WannerooPaul MilesLIB11.1PilbaraBrendon GryllsNAT11.5Murray-WellingtonMurray CowperLIB12.0DawesvilleKim HamesLIB12.7BunburyJohn CastrilliLIB13.1North West CentralVince CataniaNAT13.5*KingsleyAndrea MitchellLIB14.8Darling RangeTony SimpsonLIB15.3Warren-BlackwoodTerry RedmanNAT15.6*KalgoorlieWendy DuncanNAT16.9*Southern RiverPeter AbetzLIB17.0ScarboroughLiza HarveyLIB17.3BatemanMatt TaylorLIB17.8CarineTony KrsticevicLIB18.1Ocean ReefAlbert JacobLIB19.0HillarysRob JohnsonLIB19.0NedlandsBill MarmionLIB19.1Very safeChurchlandsSean L'EstrangeLIB20.2CottesloeColin BarnettLIB20.9South PerthJohn McGrathLIB21.1Central WheatbeltMia DaviesNAT21.1*VasseTroy BuswellLIB21.2GeraldtonIan BlayneyLIB22.8*MooreShane LoveNAT23.2*EyreGraham JacobsLIB23.3*Alfred CoveDean NalderLIB23.6WaginTerry WaldronNAT25.8*

Labor seatsMarginalCollie-PrestonMick MurrayALP0.1MidlandMichelle RobertsALP0.1ButlerJohn QuigleyALP1.8West SwanRita SaffiotiALP1.9AlbanyPeter WatsonALP2.0CanningtonBill JohnstonALP2.1GirrawheenMargaret QuirkALP2.4GosnellsChris TallentireALP2.9MaylandsLisa BakerALP3.1CockburnFran LoganALP4.1Victoria ParkBen WyattALP4.1MirrabookaJanine FreemanALP4.6BassendeanDave KellyALP5.1KimberleyJosie FarrerALP5.1Fairly safeMandurahDavid TemplemanALP7.7FremantleSimone McGurkALP7.9WarnbroPaul PapaliaALP8.8ArmadaleTony ButiALP9.6SafeWillageePeter TinleyALP10.6KwinanaRoger CookALP11.8*RockinghamMark McGowanALP13.2

North West Central had a 2CP margin of 9.7% NAT v LIB. Warren-Blackwood had a 2CP margin of 3.1% NAT v LIB. Kalgoorlie had a 2CP margin of 6.3% NAT v LIB. Central Wheatbelt had a 2CP margin of 7.9% NAT v LIB. Geraldton had a 2CP margin of 10.9% LIB v NAT. Moore had a 2CP margin of 5.9% NAT v LIB. Eyre had a 2CP margin of 0.4% LIB v NAT. Wagin had a 2CP margin of 26.9% NAT v LIB. Kwinana had a 2CP margin of 2.6% ALP v IND.

Polling Newspoll polling is conducted via random telephone number selection in city and country areas. Sampling sizes consist of around 1,100 electors. The declared margin of error is ±3 percent.

Voting intention

+Legislative Assembly (lower house) pollingPrimary voteTPP voteLibNatALPGreOthLib/NatALP2013 election47.1%6.1%33.1%8.4%5.3%57.3%42.7%4–7 Mar 201348%6%32%8%6%59.5%40.5%3–7 Feb 201345%6%35%8%6%57%43%Oct–Dec 201243%6%30%12%9%58%42%Jul–Sep 201243%5%30%12%10%57%43%Jan–Mar 201239%6%35%11%9%53%47%Oct–Dec 201146%4%29%12%9%59%41%Jul–Sep 201142%6%29%13%10%57%43%Apr–Jun 201143%6%30%12%9%57%43%Jan–Mar 201143%6%31%13%7%57%43%Oct–Dec 201042%7%29%13%9%58%42%Jul–Sep 201041%6%30%14%9%57%43%Apr–Jun 201038%6%32%16%8%54%46%Jan–Mar 201040%5%37%11%7%53%47%Jan–Mar 200942%5%33%13%7%55%45%2008 election38.4%4.9%35.8%11.9%9.0%51.9%48.1%2–4 Sep 200837%6%35%12%10%50%50%Polling conducted by Newspoll and published in The Australian.

Preferred Premier

+ Better Premier polling^ LiberalBarnett LaborMcGowan2013 election––4–7 Mar 201352%31%3–7 Feb 201344%40%Oct–Dec 201248%29%Jul–Sep 201245%29%Jan–Mar 201243%30%Oct–Dec 201159%18%2Jul–Sep 201156%22%2Apr–Jun 201158%18%2Jan–Mar 201156%17%2Oct–Dec 201060%16%2Jul–Sep 201061%17%2Apr–Jun 201060%19%2Jan–Mar 201058%19%2Jan–Mar 200960%14%22008 election––2–4 Sep 200835%48%1Polling conducted by Newspolland published in The Australian.^ Remainder were "uncommitted" to either leader.1 Alan Carpenter.2 Eric Ripper.

Approval ratings

+ Satisfaction polling^BarnettMcGowanSatisfiedDissatisfiedSatisfiedDissatisfied2013 election––––4–7 Mar 201351%36%49%29%3–7 Feb 201347%42%51%26%Oct–Dec 201249%37%44%26%Jul–Sep 201248%37%48%23%Jan–Mar 201251%33%43%17%Oct–Dec 201158%28%34%239%2Jul–Sep 201151%35%34%243%2Apr–Jun 201150%37%33%243%2Jan–Mar 201154%33%31%244%2Oct–Dec 201055%35%33%243%2Jul–Sep 201056%32%34%242%2Apr–Jun 201055%33%36%244%2Jan–Mar 201051%34%33%243%2Jan–Mar 200956%23%35%234%22008 election––––2–4 Sep 200840%43%42%148%1Polling conducted by Newspoll and published in The Australian.^Remainder were "uncommitted" to either leader.1 Alan Carpenter.2 Eric Ripper.

Newspaper endorsements Newspaper Endorsement The Australian The Australian Financial ReviewBehind paywall The West Australian

See also Candidates of the 2013 Western Australian state election

References

External links 2013 Western Australian Election Preview: Antony Green ABC Western Australian Electoral Commission Antony Green's Election Blog - Western Australia Elections and Politics