The writ for the by-election was issued on 4 August, with the rolls closing on 8 August. Candidate nominations closed 14 August.[3] The by-election was contested on the same boundaries drawn for Lyne at the 2007 federal election. At that election, the National Party won the seat over the Labor Party by a two-party preferred margin of 58.58% to 41.42%.
Vaile first won the seat of Lyne at the 1993 election for the Nationals in a very close contest with the Liberal candidate. In ministerial positions since 1997, he became leader of the National Party and thus Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard government from 2005. At the 2007 federal election, the opposition Labor Party defeated the incumbent Liberal-Nationalcoalition government. This marked the first change of government in over 11 years. Following the coalition election defeat, Vaile announced on 19 July 2008 his intention to resign his seat, to take effect on 30 July 2008. This followed Peter McGauran in Gippsland and former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in Mayo.
Candidates
Neither the Labor Party nor the Liberal Party stood a candidate.[13][14]
Results
Oakeshott obtained a majority of votes in every polling booth, with the exception of Dyers Crossing, receiving about two-thirds of the primary vote and three-quarters of the two-candidate vote.[15]
^Vaile quits politics | Herald Sun Archived 21 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^"By-elections to be held on 6 September: The Age, 31 July 2008". News.theage.com.au. 31 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^"Lyne by-election Candidates". AEC. 8 June 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^"Nationals in danger of losing Vaile's seat: ABC News 5 August 2008". Abc.net.au. 5 August 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^Mclennan, David (6 August 2008). "Party 'jihad' to confront Independent at by-election: Canberra Times 6 August 2008". Canberratimes.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^"2008 Lyne By-election: Antony Green ABC". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^"Oakeshott likely to contest Lyne by-election: ABC News 3 August 2008". Abc.net.au. 3 August 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^"Oakeshott is a Labor patsy says Truss: The Age 5 August 2008". News.theage.com.au. 5 August 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^"Oakeshott rules out preference deal: ABC News 19 August 2008". Abc.net.au. 19 August 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^Matthew Clayfield (1 September 2008). "Nationals attack 'Labor stooge' in Lyne poll: The Australian 1/9/2008". Theaustralian.news.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^"Greens unanimously endorse Lyne candidate: ABC News 28 July 2008". Abc.net.au. 28 July 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^ a b"Nats name candidate for Lyne by-election". News.smh.com.au. 2 August 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
^"Liberals avoid Lyne by-election". ABC. 8 August 2008.
^"AEC Results: Lyne by-election 2008". Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
^"2008 Lyne by-election". Psephos Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 29 May 2022.