Residents Rally - 1989 ACT General Election

1989 ACT General Election

In 1989, the Australian Capital Territory was granted self-government, and elections were called for the new Legislative Assembly. While a number of local parties announced their intention to contest the elections, Residents Rally quickly emerged as one of the leading contenders. Collaery recruited eight other local identities, and while not the largest ticket, they ultimately received 9.62% of the vote. This was enough to elect four members to the Assembly - Collaery, Norm Jensen, Michael Moore and Dr Hector Kinloch, although the complex counting system meant that it took an added two months before Kinloch was confirmed as the Assembly's final member. This left them with the same numbers in the Assembly as the Liberal Party, and only one seat behind Labor. While they had not preferenced any other party, Residents Rally agreed to support a Labor government after negotiations with both major federal parties, and Labor leader Rosemary Follett became the ACT's first Chief Minister.

The four Residents Rally members were vocal in the first Assembly, and insisted that they be consulted on most issues. They set out full policies in many areas, as opposed to several of the other small parties in the ACT at the time, and attempted to build themselves into a political force. While their power in the Assembly suffered a blow when Moore clashed with Collaery and quit the party to sit as an independent in October 1989, Residents Rally still saw themselves as a player in ACT politics, and decided to make this clear.