A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Pittwater on 31 May 1986. It was triggered by the resignation of sitting Liberal MP Max Smith.[1] The by-election was won by Liberal candidate Jim Longley.[2]
Labor did not stand a candidate in the by-election, and as a result, this election was almost won by professional surfer and former world surfing champion Nat Young, who ran on a largely environmental ticket.[3][4]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Jim Longley | 10,922 | 42.8 | -15.3 | |
Independent | Nat Young | 6,177 | 24.2 | +24.2 | |
Independent | Robert Grace | 5,006 | 19.6 | +19.6 | |
Call to Australia | Mark Donnelly | 1,451 | 5.7 | +5.7 | |
Democrats | Graeme MacLennan | 1,290 | 4.9 | +0.7 | |
Nuclear Disarmament | Virginia Rigney | 643 | 2.5 | +2.5 | |
Independent | Brett Monk | 62 | 0.2 | +0.2 | |
Total formal votes | 25,501 | 97.5 | −0.3 | ||
Informal votes | 649 | 2.5 | +0.3 | ||
Turnout | 26,105 | 78.0 [a] | |||
Two-party-preferred result | |||||
Liberal | Jim Longley | 13,000 | 53.1 | −12.4 | |
Independent | Nat Young | 11,468 | 46.9 | +46.9 | |
Liberal hold | Swing | −12.4 |