Murdoch by-election, 2008

The Murdoch state by-election, 2008 was a by-election held on 23 February 2008 for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Murdoch in the southern suburbs of Perth.

The by-election was triggered by the death of Liberal member Trevor Sprigg on 17 January 2008. Sprigg had held the seat since the 2005 state election. A former football star with East Fremantle Football Club, he was a popular local member, and served in Parliament as the Opposition Whip in the Legislative Assembly. On 17 January 2008, while returning from the Gold Coast to attend a Liberal leadership vote, Sprigg died of a heart attack aged 61. The leadership vote produced a victory for Troy Buswell, and members were to learn of Sprigg's death only after the vote had been taken.

On 24 January 2008, the Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly issued a writ directing the Electoral Commissioner to proceed with an election in the district.Christian Porter, a 37-year-old law lecturer at the University of Western Australia, won the Liberal preselection ballot on 30 January 2007 against former minister and member for neighbouring Riverton, Graham Kierath.

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