Alannah MacTiernan was first elected to the seat of
Armadale at the
1996 state election. At the
February 2001 state election, where the Labor party won government, MacTiernan became Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, a portfolio which included Transport, in the new
Gallop Ministry. She held this position until Labor's defeat at the
August 2008 state election, and was best known for overseeing of the construction of the
Mandurah railway line, which she had championed from opposition. In early 2010, she announced her plans to contest the
Liberal-held federal seat of
Canning, which included her state seat, and on 26 February 2010 resigned from the shadow ministry. On 13 August 2010, the
Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly issued a writ directing the Electoral Commissioner to proceed with an election in the district. Tony Buti, a law professor at the
University of Western Australia and chairman of the Armadale Redevelopment Authority, won the Labor preselection unopposed. The Liberals opted not to field a candidate. The seat of Armadale, first established in 1983, is considered to be a safe seat for the Labor Party, with just two other members since its creation—former Minister for Transport and Minister for Environment
Bob Pearce until 1993, then former Minister for Education and Deputy Opposition Leader
Kay Hallahan until 1996. Commentators viewed the by-election as a non-event, and the
Liberal Party, in minority government in
Western Australia since 2008, opted not to contest the seat — they had never polled well in the seat, and did not run a candidate in the 2001 election either. == Timeline ==