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1946 Australian federal election

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1946 Australian federal election

← 1943 28 September 1946 1949 →
← outgoing memberselected members →

All 75 seats of the House of Representatives
38 seats were needed for a majority in the House
19 (of the 36) seats of the Senate
Registered4,739,853 Increase6.12%
Turnout4,453,941 (93.97%)
(Decrease2.35 pp)
  First party Second party
 
Leader Ben Chifley Robert Menzies
Party Labor Liberal/Country coalition
Leader since 13 July 1945 23 September 1943
Leader's seat Macquarie (NSW) Kooyong (Vic.)
Last election 49 seats 19 seats
Seats won 43 seats 29 seats
Seat change Decrease 6 Increase 10
Popular vote 2,159,953 1,896,349
Percentage 49.71% 43.65%
Swing Decrease 0.22 Increase 13.20
TPP 54.10% 45.90%
TPP swing Decrease 4.10 Increase 4.10

  Third party Fourth party
  IND
Leader Jack Lang N/A
Party Labor (Non-Communist) Independents
Leader since N/A
Leader's seat Reid (NSW)
(won seat)
N/A
Last election 0 seats 3 seats
Seats won 1 seat 2 seats
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1
Popular vote 69,138 79,040
Percentage 1.59% 1.82%
Swing Increase 0.87 Decrease −10.34

Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.

Prime Minister before election

Ben Chifley
Labor

Subsequent Prime Minister

Ben Chifley
Labor

The 1946 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 28 September 1946. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Labor Party led by Prime Minister Ben Chifley defeated the opposition Liberal–Country coalition, led by Robert Menzies. It was the Liberal Party's first federal election since its creation. This was the first time the Labor party had won a second consecutive election. This was also the last time the Labor party would win a federal election until the 1972 election.

The election was held in conjunction with three referendum questions, one of which was carried.

Results

House of Representatives

Main article: Results of the 1946 Australian federal election (House of Representatives)
  Labor: 43 seats   Liberal: 18 seats   Country: 11 seats   Lang Labor: 1 seat   Independent: 1 seat
House of Reps (IRV) — 1946–49—Turnout 93.97% (CV) — Informal 2.45%
Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 2,159,953 49.71 −0.22 43 −6
  Liberal–Country coalition 1,896,349 43.65 +13.20 29 +6
  Liberal  1,431,682 32.95 +11.05 18 +4
  Country  464,667 10.70 +2.16 11 +2
  Labor (Non-Communist) 69,138 1.59 +0.87 1 +1
  Communist 64,811 1.49 +1.49 0 0
  Services 55,140 1.27 +1.27 0 0
  Protestant People's 20,111 0.46 +0.46 0 0
  Independents 79,040 1.82 −10.34 2 -1
  Total 4,344,542     75
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
  Labor Win 54.10 −4.10 43 −6
  Liberal–Country coalition 45.90 +4.10 29 +6

Notes
Popular vote
Labor 49.71%
Liberal 32.95%
Country 10.70%
Lang Labor 1.59%
Independent/Other 1.83%
Two-party-preferred vote
Labor 54.10%
Coalition 45.90%
Parliament seats
Labor 58.11%
Coalition 35.14%

Senate

Senate (P BV) — 1946–49—Turnout 93.97% (CV) — Informal 8.01%
Party Votes % Swing Seats won Seats held Change
  Labor 2,133,272 52.06 −3.02 16 33 +11
  Liberal–Country coalition 1,775,022 43.33 +5.18 3 3 –11
  Liberal–Country joint ticket 1,561,718 38.12 N/A 3 N/A N/A
  Liberal 213,304 5.21 N/A 0 2 –10
  Country N/A N/A N/A 0 1 –1
  Protestant People's 123,541 3.02 +3.02 0 0 0
  Services 37,724 0.92 +0.92 0 0 0
  Independents 27,767 0.68 –3.83 0 0 0
  Total 4,097,326     19 36

Notes
  • Of the three senators elected on Liberal–Country joint tickets, two were Liberal Party members and one was a Country Party member.

Seats changing hands

Seat Pre-1946 Swing Post-1946
Party Member Margin Margin Member Party
Bourke, Vic   Labor Bill Bryson 3.6 4.7 1.1 Doris Blackburn Independent  
Calare, NSW   Labor John Breen 9.9 11.7 1.8 John Howse Liberal  
Capricornia, Qld   Labor Frank Forde 5.9 8.8 2.9 Charles Davidson Country  
Franklin, Tas   Labor Charles Frost 9.9 10.0 0.1 Bill Falkinder Liberal  
Henty, Vic   Independent Arthur Coles 5.5 9.8 4.3 Jo Gullett Liberal  
Reid, NSW   Labor Charles Morgan N/A 7.4 4.2 Jack Lang Lang Labor  
Swan, WA   Labor Don Mountjoy 3.0 3.2 0.2 Len Hamilton Country  
Wakefield, SA   Labor Albert Smith 1.2 3.9 2.7 Philip McBride Liberal  
Wilmot, Tas   Liberal Allan Guy 1.7 3.4 1.7 Gil Duthie Labor  
  • Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

See also

Notes

  1. The Northern Territory had one seat, but members for the territories did not have full voting rights until 1966 and did not count toward government formation.
  2. Including Northern Territory

References

Australia Federal elections and referendums in Australia
Federal elections
Constitutional Convention
Referendums
See also: By-elections
Categories: