1914 Western Australian state election explained

Election Name:1914 Western Australian state election
Country:Western Australia
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1911 Western Australian state election
Previous Year:1911
Next Election:1917 Western Australian state election
Next Year:1917
Seats For Election:All 50 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Election Date:21 October 1914
Leader1:John Scaddan
Leader Since1:3 August 1910
Party1:Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
Leaders Seat1:Brown Hill-Ivanhoe
Percentage1:42.12%
Swing1:10.42
Last Election1:34 seats
Seats1:26 seats
Seat Change1:8
Leader2:Frank Wilson
Leader Since2:16 September 1910
Party2:Western Australian Liberal Party (1911–1917)
Leaders Seat2:Sussex
Percentage2:43.91%
Swing2:0.89
Last Election2:16 seats
Seats2:16 seats
Seat Change2:0
Leader3:James Gardiner
Leader Since3:21 October 1914
Party3:Country
Color3:0A6645
Leaders Seat3:Irwin
Percentage3:13.98%
Swing3:13.98
Last Election3:0 seats
Seats3:8 seats
Seat Change3:8
Premier
Before Election:John Scaddan
Before Party:Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
After Election:John Scaddan
After Party:Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 21 October 1914 to elect 50 members to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly. The Labor party, led by Premier John Scaddan, retained government against the opposition conservative Liberal Party led by Opposition Leader Frank Wilson, though with only the barest of majorities. The election also saw the emergence of the Western Australian Country Party, which had been formed at a conference of the Farmers and Settlers Association the previous year to fight for rural interests, and won eight seats at the election.

The fragility of the Labor Party's majority was demonstrated when, a year later, Labor member Joseph Gardiner's seat was declared vacant on account of his non-attendance and a Liberal was elected in his stead, and Labor became a minority government when on 18 December 1915, Bertie Johnston resigned from the Labor Party and became an independent. On 27 July 1916, the Scaddan Ministry was defeated and Wilson became the new Premier.

Key dates

DateEvent
29 September 1914The Parliament was dissolved.
30 September 1914Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.
21 October 1914Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
4 November 1914Polling day in the seats of Pilbara and Gascoyne.
11 November 1914Polling day in the seats of Roebourne and Kimberley.
23 November 1914The Scaddan Ministry was reconstituted.
3 December 1914The new session of Parliament was convened.

Results

See also: Results of the Western Australian state election, 1914.

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Notes:

The Labor Party's total of 26 seats includes 12 which were uncontested, representing 39,731 of the 214,741 enrolled voters. The Liberal and Country parties won one seat each uncontested—the Liberal member (Arthur Male, Kimberley) representing 1,663 enrolled voters, and the Country member (Alfred Piesse, Electoral district of Toodyay) representing 4,801 enrolled voters.

See also