 Burke resigned in 1987 , and Labor 's Dr Ian Alexander , a City of Perth councillor and town planner from the party 's left faction , won the subsequent by @-@ election on 9 May 1987 . He spent much of his parliamentary time on Aboriginal issues , sustainability and the environment and the Northern Suburbs Transit System project . On 4 March 1991 , Ian Alexander resigned from the Labor party citing " frequent breaches of the party 's basic principles and platforms " , and sat as an independent until the 1993 election . Dr Alexander did not stand for election in 1993 , and Labor 's Diana Warnock , a former radio talk @-@ show host , won the seat with 50 @.@ 29 % of the two @-@ party @-@ preferred vote against the Liberals ' Hal G.P. Colebatch . 
