1997 Gippsland West state by-election

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.

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. At the time, his seat was the second-safest for the Liberals in Victoria.

Susan Davies, who contested Gippsland West for the Labor Party at the 1996 state election, nominated as an independent candidate after Labor chose not to contest. 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.

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). 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.