[1] This was triggered by the resignation of National Party MP Mark Vaile.

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-National coalition government.

This followed Peter McGauran in Gippsland and former Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in Mayo.