December 1911 Cobar state by-election
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The December 1911 Cobar state by-election was scheduled to be held on 16 December 1911 to elect the member for Cobar in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, following the death of Labour Party MP Donald Macdonell.[1][2]
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16 December 1911
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Electoral district of Cobar in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||||||||||||||||
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| Registered | 7,806[a] | |||||||||||||||
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Macdonell had been absent from parliament because he was unwell, but he was expected to recover.[3][4] During his absence, a political crisis caused by the resignation of two Labour members resulted in the parliament being prorogued, and he was automatically expelled for non-attendance during an entire session.[5][6] His seat was declared vacant in September 1911, but he recontested and was elected unopposed at the resulting by-election.[7][8]
Three weeks after the September by-election, Macdonell died, triggering a second by-election.[9][10] The only candidate to contest was Labour's Charles Fern, and he was declared elected at the close of candidate nominations on 2 December 1911.[11][12]
Key events
- 26 October 1911 â Donald Macdonell died[13]
- 13 November 1911 â Charles Fern wins Labour preselection[14]
- 21 November 1911 â Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly[15]
- 2 December 1911 â Candidate nominations
- 16 December 1911 â Polling day (scheduled date)
- 30 December 1911 â Return of writ (scheduled date)
Candidates
| Party | Candidate | Background | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Charles Fern | Miner and union official[16][17] | |
Result
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Charles Fern | unopposed | |||
| Registered electors | 7,806[a] | ||||
| Labour hold | |||||
See also
Notes
- Estimate based on a roll of 7,806 at the 1910 election.[19]