Alan Brown Liberal Susan Davies Independent The 1997 Gippsland West state by-election was held on 1 February 1997 to elect the member for Gippsland West in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, following the resignation of Liberal Party MP Alan Brown.

[1][2] Brown, who served as Liberal leader from 1989 until 1991, resigned on 31 December 1966 after being appointed by the Kennett government as the Agent General for Victoria.

[5] She won the seat after a 12.9% two-candidate-preferred vote swing against the Liberals, helped by the preferences of other independent and minor party voters.

[6][7] The result was a significant defeat for premier Jeff Kennett and his government, and was the first of two by-election losses it experienced in 1997 (the other being Mitcham in December).

[8][9] Davies was re-elected at the 1999 state election and subsequently played a decisive role in defeating the Kennett government by supporting a minority Labor government led by Steve Bracks.