We can be very proud of the votes for the Revolutionary Socialist Party candidates, Van Rudd in Lalor (Vic) with 457 votes, and Hamish Chitts in Griffith (Qld) with 485.
Our main aim in standing was to win a greater hearing for revolutionary socialist views, which we succeeded in doing extremely well (see other articles in this issue). We had a consistent message that we need a workers’ government, not that we will win parliament to implement socialist solutions.
Results for left groups were slightly up on 2007. Even though our party name didn’t appear on the ballot, and we are a new party, the RSP votes were comparable with other left groups, some of whom were considerably better resourced, and had an electoralist perspective for many years. These are the results on the Australian Electoral Commission website as of August 28.
Senate
Overall votes nation-wide: Socialist Alliance (SA) 26,928 (at 0.26% of the total vote); Socialist Equality Party (SEP) 10,422 (at 0.1%); Communist Alliance (CA) 5544 (at 0.05%)
In NSW: SA 18,785 (0.56 in the state) (benefiting from the donkey vote); SEP 2856 (0.09%); CA 5544 (0.17%).
In Victoria: SA 2406 (at 0.09% in the state); SEP 7566 (at 0.29%).
In Queensland: SA 4010 (0.20% in the state).
In Western Australia: SA 935 (0.1% in the state).
In South Australia: SA 792 (0.1% in the state).
Lower house
Included is the percentage swing, and the comparison with the 2007 election percentage, and in some electorates the percentages where SA candidates previously stood but didn’t this time around.
Adelaide (SA): Gemma Weedall (SA) 645 (0.89%) (+0.89%) – with a donkey vote.
Blaxland (NSW): Richard Phillips SEP 1652 (2.66%) (+2.66%) – with a donkey vote; Ron Poulsen (Communist League) 218 (0.35%) (+0.35%); SA (from 2007) (-0.36%).
Brisbane (Queensland): Ewan Saunders (SA) 650 (0.88%) (+0.36%).
Calwell (Victoria): Peter Byrne (SEP) 994 (1.26%) (+0.94%).
Corio (Victoria): Sue Bull (SA) 841 (1.13%) (+0.73%).
Cunningham (NSW): Jess Moore (SA) 1208 (1.46%) (+0.68%).
Denison (Tasmania): Mel Barnes (SA) 847 (1.32%) (+0.56%).
Fowler (NSW): Mike Head (SEP) 2274 (3.36%) (+3.36%) – with a donkey vote. SA in 2007 (0.15%).
Fremantle (WA): Sanna Andrews (SA) 599 (0.82%) (+0.37%).
Gellibrand (Victoria): Ben Courtice (SA) 434 (0.62%) (-0.97%); Tania Baptist (SEP) 380 (0.54%0 (+0.54%).
Grayndler (NSW): Pip Hinman (SA) 892 (1.23%) (-0.43%); James Cogan (SEP) 874 (1.20%) (+0.81%) – with a donkey vote.
Griffith (Queensland): Hamish Chitts (Revolutionary Socialist Party) 485 (0.70%) (+0.70%). SA (from 2007) (-0.35%).
Kingsford-Smith (NSW): Zac Hambides (SEP) 479 (0.68%) (-0.58%).
Lalor (Victoria): Van Rudd (Revolutionary Socialist Party) 457 (0.48%) (+0.48%).
Newcastle (NSW): Zane Alcorn (SA) 709 (1.02%) (+0.63%); Noel Holt (SEP) 547 (0.78%) (+0.45%).
Parramatta (NSW): Duncan Roden (SA) 290 (0.41%) (-0.15%); Chris Gordon (SEP) 1034 (1.47%) (+1.31%) – with a donkey vote.
Perth (WA): Alex Bainbridge (SA) 499 (0.74%) (+0.19%).
Reid (NSW): Carolyn Kennett (SEP) 779 (1.08%) (+1.08%).
Swan (WA): Joe Lopez (SEP) 323 (0.46%) (+0.26%).
Sydney (NSW): Denis Doherty (CA) 486 (+0.83%).
Wills (Victoria): Trent Hawkins 609 (0.85%) (+0.13%).