1906 Cootamundra state by-election
Election result for Cootamundra, New South Wales, Australia
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A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Cootamundra on 28 July 1906 because of the resignation of William Holman (Labour). John Norton blamed Holman for a series of articles in The Worker commenting on Norton's unnatural silence over the land scandals involving Paddy Crick and William Willis.[1][2] Norton made a personal attack on Holman in parliament, challenging him to resign and both would contest Holman's seat of Cootamundra.[1][3]
The Surry Hills by-election was held the previous week. John Norton was a candidate, however he was defeated and withdrew from the contest for Cootamundra.[4] H. V. Evatt argues that the most likely explanation for Norton's attack was to remove Labour's best debater at a critical time.[3][5]
Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 5 July 1906 | William Holman resigned.[6] |
| 6 July 1906 | Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.[7] |
| 17 July 1906 | Nominations |
| 28 July 1906 | Polling day |
| 14 August 1906 | Return of writ |
Result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | William Holman (re-elected) | 2,296 | 57.8 | 0.0 | |
| Farmers and Settlers | John Fitzpatrick | 1,663 | 41.9 | ||
| Independent | John Norton | 13 | 0.3 | ||
| Total formal votes | 3,972 | 98.2 | â1.0 | ||
| Informal votes | 72 | 1.8 | +1.0 | ||
| Turnout | 4,044 | 58.5â[a] | â6.0 | ||
| Labour hold | Swing | ||||
See also
Notes
- Estimate based on an electoral roll of 6,916 at the 1904 election.[8]