1940 Australian federal election explained

Election Name:1940 Australian federal election
Country:Australia
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1937 Australian federal election
Previous Year:1937
Next Election:1943 Australian federal election
Next Year:1943
Outgoing Members:Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1937–1940
Elected Members:Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1940–1943
Registered:4,239,346
Turnout:3,979,009 (94.82%)
(1.31 pp)
Seats For Election: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
Election Date:21 September 1940
Leader1:Robert Menzies
Leader Since1:26 April 1939
Party1:UAP/Country coalition
Leaders Seat1:Kooyong (Vic.)
Last Election1:44 seats
Seats1:36
Seat Change1:8
Percentage1:43.93%
Swing1: 4.65
1Data1:49.70%
2Data1: 0.90
Leader2:John Curtin
Leader Since2:1 October 1935
Party2:Australian Labor Party
Leaders Seat2:Fremantle (WA)
Last Election2:29 seats
Seats2:32
Seat Change2:3
Percentage2:40.16%
Swing2: 3.01
1Data2:50.30%
2Data2: 0.90
1Blank:TPP
2Blank:TPP swing
Leader3:Jack Lang
Leader Since3:1940
Colour3:E2725B
Party3:Lang Labor
Leaders Seat3:Did not run
Last Election3:new party
Seats3:4
Seat Change3:4
Popular Vote3:-->
Prime Minister
Before Election:Robert Menzies
Before Party:UAP/Country coalition
Posttitle:Subsequent Prime Minister
After Election:Robert Menzies
After Party:UAP/Country coalition

The 1940 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 21 September 1940. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Coalition, consisting of the United Australia Party led by Prime Minister Robert Menzies and the Country Party led by Archie Cameron, defeated the opposition Labor Party under John Curtin despite losing the overall popular vote.

The Coalition won 36 seats, two short of a majority, but formed a government on 28 October 1940 with the support of both independent crossbenchers, Alexander Wilson and Arthur Coles. The four MPs elected to Lang Labor's successor, the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist), officially re-joined the ALP just months after the election in February 1941, bringing the ALP to 36 seats. The UAP–Country minority government lasted only until October 1941, when the two independents crossed the floor and allowed the ALP to form a minority government with Curtin as prime minister. It remains the only time since the 1910 introduction of the two-party system where the government has changed as the result of a parliamentary confidence vote.

Future opposition leaders H.V. Evatt and Arthur Calwell both entered parliament at this election.

Background

The 15th parliament elected in the 1937 election first sat on 30 November 1937.[1] Under the constitution, the parliament would expire in November 1940 and a general election would have to held by January 1941.[2] [3] Throughout 1940, there were debates on whether the general election should be held or postponed in the midst of a world war.[4] Throughout July and August 1940, Prime Minister Robert Menzies contemplated the prospect of an early election.[5] The loss of three Cabinet ministers in the 1940 Canberra air disaster on 13 August also meant that three by-elections would have been required, followed within a few short months by a general election.

Both the Coalition and Labor supported Australia's ongoing participation in World War II. The Coalition's advertisements asked Australians to "Cast Your Vote for Unity and an All-in War Effort / Back the Government that's Backing Churchill", with a large picture of the British Prime Minister. Labor promised "A New Deal / for the Soldier / for the Soldier's wife / Widows, the Aged and Infirm / the Taxpayer / the Working Man / the Primary Producer".[6]

Results

House of Representatives

See main article: Results of the 1940 Australian federal election (House of Representatives).

Party! style="width:70px"
Votes%SwingSeatsChange
 UAP–Country coalition1,703,18543.93–4.6536–8
 United Australia1,171,78830.22–3.4923–5
 Country531,39713.71–1.8413–3
 Labor1,556,94140.16-3.0132+3
 Labor (Non-Communist)202,7215.23+5.234+4
 State Labor101,1912.61+2.6100
 Defence Movement15,3130.40+0.4000
 Protestant Labor8,3000.21+0.2100
 Independents289,3357.46+1.9030
 Total3,876,986  75
 UAP–Country coalition49.70−0.9036-8
 Labor50.30+0.9032+3
----
Notes

Senate

Party! style="width:70px"
Votes%SwingSeats wonSeats heldChange
 UAP–Country coalition1,831,13850.41+3.701619–1
 UAP–Country joint ticket1,649,24145.40+16.7210N/AN/A
 United Australia181,8975.01–11.12615–1
 CountryN/AN/AN/A040
 Labor1,363,07237.52–10.96317+1
 Non-Communist Labor274,8617.57+7.57000
 State Labor70,0911.93+1.93000
 Defence Movement9,5360.26+0.26000
 Independents84,1192.32–1.07000
 Total3,632,817  1936
----
Notes

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1940SwingPost-1940
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Barton, NSW United AustraliaAlbert Lane1.813.912.1H. V. EvattLabor 
Calare, NSW CountryHarold Thorby2.25.63.4John BreenLabor 
Cook, NSW LaborTom SheehanN/A33.913.6Tom SheehanLabor (N-C) 
Dalley, NSW LaborSol RosevearN/A14.97.2Sol RosevearLabor (N-C) 
Denison, Tas LaborGerald Mahoney3.95.01.1Arthur BeckUnited Australia 
Henty, Vic United AustraliaHenry GullettN/A3.213.5Arthur ColesIndependent 
Lang, NSW LaborDan MulcahyN/A13.416.0Dan MulcahyLabor (N-C) 
Macquarie, NSW United AustraliaJohn Lawson2.110.28.1Ben ChifleyLabor 
Maranoa, Qld CountryJames Hunter4.35.91.6Frank BakerLabor 
Riverina, NSW CountryHorace Nock7.28.81.6Joe LangtryLabor 
Wakefield, SA LaborSydney McHugh6.710.03.4Jack Duncan-HughesUnited Australia 
Wannon, Vic United AustraliaThomas Scholfield1.35.03.7Don McLeodLabor 
Warringah, NSW IndependentPercy Spender1.923.625.5Percy SpenderUnited Australia 
Watson, NSW United AustraliaJohn Jennings3.85.82.0Max FalsteinLabor 
West Sydney, NSW LaborJack Beasley100.064.314.3Jack BeasleyLabor (N-C) 
Wilmot, Tas LaborLancelot Spurr0.25.25.0Allan GuyUnited Australia 

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Parliament. 16 November 1937. The Canberra Times. Trove. 15 October 2020.
  2. Web site: War Time Elections. 19 August 1940. The Daily News. Trove. 15 October 2020.
  3. Web site: Election during the war. 9 July 1940. The Daily News. Trove. 15 October 2020.
  4. Web site: Federal Election Question. 10 July 1940. The Advocate. Trove. 15 October 2020.
  5. Web site: A forced election. 12 August 1940. The Advertiser. Adelaide. Trove. 15 October 2020.
  6. Book: Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 4 – Civil – Volume 1, The Government and the People, 1939–1941 . Australian War Memorial . Hasluck, Paul . 1965 . Canberra . 256–263.