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 Increase50.15pp Decrease14.46pp
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

References

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