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