[6] Captain Robert Scoggins (37) ran as an independent, backed by the Association for the Abolition of the Means Test, who had campaigned on social welfare issues.
[1] As a safe Liberal seat, Labor did not expect to win, but Opposition Leader Gough Whitlam predicted a large swing against the government.
[9][10] The Canberra press gallery correspondent of the West Australian, Geoffrey Paddick, believed the three by-elections would be a key test of Prime Minister John Gorton's leadership, amidst allegations about his personal conduct and "one-man-bandmanship", and Whitlam's greater experience and energy in campaigning.
Opposition leader Gough Whitlam commented: "Curtin has been among the half dozen most undeviatingly conservative electorates in Australia.
"[8] In declaring victory, Garland said he believed the result was satisfactory and that the anti-government swing had been anticipated, expecting that the vote would return at the general election.
[12] (There is no way to verify this claim, as under the Electoral Act at the time, preferences were not formally reported if the leading candidate won over 50% of the primary vote—the below calculation by Adam Carr and Malcolm MacKerras assumes a 50-50 split electorate-wide.