1981 MacDonnell by-election

A by-election for the seat of MacDonnell in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was held on 28 March 1981. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labor Party member Neville Perkins, the first indigenous person in Australia to hold a shadow ministry in an Australian parliament. The seat had been held by Perkins since 1977.

The CLP selected Aboriginal film activist Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, as its candidate. The Labor candidate was Neil Bell.

Results[]

MacDonnell by-election, 1981^[1]^[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Neil Bell	1,047	67.7	+10.1
	Country Liberal	Rosalie Kunoth-Monks	499	32.3	-10.1
Total formal votes			1,546	95.6	-0.2
Informal votes			71	4.4	+0.2
Turnout			1,617	66.6	+5.6
	Labor hold		Swing	+10.1

References[]

^ "1981 MacDonnell by-election resutls" (PDF). Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
^ Northern Territory Electoral Atlas 1974-1984, Dean Jaensch & Deborah Wade-Marshall, Australian National University

[1] "1981 MacDonnell by-election resutls" (PDF). Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 August 2020.

[2] Northern Territory Electoral Atlas 1974-1984, Dean Jaensch & Deborah Wade-Marshall, Australian National University

[1]

[2]