1914 Victorian state election explained

Election Name:1914 Victorian state election
Country:Victoria
Flag Year:1901
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1911 Victorian state election
Previous Year:1911
Next Election:1917 Victorian state election
Next Year:1917
Seats For Election:49 (of the 65) seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Leader1:Alexander Peacock
Leader Since1:June 1914
Party1:Liberal Party
Colour1:8CB4D2
Leaders Seat1:Allandale
Percentage1:56.89%
Swing1: 4.86
Last Election1:43 seats
Seats1:43 seats
Seat Change1: 0
Leader2:George Elmslie
Leader Since2:September 1913
Party2:Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch)
Leaders Seat2:Albert Park
Percentage2:39.29%
Swing2: 3.48
Last Election2:20 seats
Seats2:22 seats
Seat Change2: 2
Premier
Before Election:Alexander Peacock
Before Party:Liberal Party
After Election:Alexander Peacock
After Party:Liberal Party

The 1914 Victorian state election was held in the Australian state of Victoria on Thursday, 26 November 1914 to elect 49 of the 65 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.[1]

Background

Politics in the state of Victoria in the previous decade had been a 3-way contest between the Conservative, Liberal and Labor parties. Following the example of the federal party, the Conservative and Liberal factions in Victoria united to form the Liberal Party. This new party dominated politics in the state, forming government with a majority of 43 of 65 seats in the previous election, although a new divide formed between city and rural based MPs.

This divide resulted in a no confidence motion being passed to the government of William Watt, when the rural based Liberal MPs and the opposition Labor MPs defeated the government in December 1913. To much surprise, Governor John Madden appointed the opposition Labor party under George Elmslie to government, although it was impossible to retain its position due to its minority in numbers, and that the law at the time stated that new ministers had to recontest their seats at by-elections.

Watt returned as Premier on 22 December 1913, and remained until he resigned in June 1914 to enter Federal politics. He was replaced by former Premier Alexander Peacock. A month later, World War I broke out. Peacock's administration enthusiastically contributed to the war, and was seeking reelection on this basis.

Results

Legislative Assembly

See also: Results of the 1914 Victorian state election (Legislative Assembly).

|}Notes:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Colin A Hughes, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890–1964, Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968 .