1966 Australian federal election explained

Election Name:1966 Australian federal election
Country:Australia
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1963 Australian federal election
Previous Year:1963
Next Election:1969 Australian federal election
Next Year:1969
Outgoing Members:Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1963–1966
Elected Members:Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1966–1969
Registered:6,193,881
Turnout:5,892,327 (95.13%)
(0.60 pp)
Seats For Election:All 124 seats of the Australian House of Representatives
63 seats were needed for a majority
Election Date:26 November 1966
Leader1:Harold Holt
Leader Since1:20 January 1966
Party1:Liberal/Country coalition
Leaders Seat1:Higgins (Vic.)
Last Election1:72 seats
Seats1:82 seats
Seat Change1: 10
Popular Vote1:2,853,890
Percentage1:49.98%
Swing1: 3.94
1Data1:56.90%
2Data1: 4.30
Leader2:Arthur Calwell
Leader Since2:7 March 1960
Party2:Australian Labor Party
Leaders Seat2:Melbourne (Vic.)
Last Election2:50 seats
Seats2:41 seats
Seat Change2: 9
Popular Vote2:2,282,834
Percentage2:39.98%
Swing2: 5.49
1Data2:43.10%
2Data2: 4.30
1Blank:TPP
2Blank:TPP swing
Map Size:350px
Prime Minister
Before Election:Harold Holt
Before Party:Liberal/Country coalition
Posttitle:Subsequent Prime Minister
After Election:Harold Holt
After Party:Liberal/Country coalition

The 1966 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 26 November 1966. All 124 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. The incumbent Liberal–Country coalition government, led by Prime Minister Harold Holt, won an increased majority over the opposition Labor Party, led by Arthur Calwell, in a landslide.[1] This was the first and only time that a Federal Government won an eighth consecutive term in office.

This was the first federal election since Australia was decimalised on the 14th of February in the same year.

Issues

Sir Robert Menzies had retired from politics in January; his successor, former Treasurer Harold Holt, was stylish, debonair and popular with the electorate, contrasting sharply with the much rougher figure of Opposition Leader Arthur Calwell, who had already lost two elections.

Calwell also came across poorly on television compared to Holt, looking and sounding older than his 70 years. It did not help that also held to the beliefs that had been central to the previous Labor Government of 1941–1949, many of which were seen as being long outdated in 1966; for example, he still defended the White Australia policy and nationalisation, and also strongly supported socialism.

These factors, along with a strong economy and initial enthusiasm for Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, virtually guaranteed the Coalition another term. The Coalition campaigned with the slogan "Keep Australia secure and prosperous – play it safe".[2]

The election was a landslide win for the Coalition, which won twice as many seats as Labor. The Liberals arrived two seats short of a majority in their own right, the closest that the major non-Labor party had come to governing in its own right since adopting of the Liberal banner. Holt's victory was also larger than any of Menzies' eight victories, and resulted in the largest majority government in Australian history at the time. It was later seen as the electoral high point of both Holt's Prime Ministership and the 23 years of continuous Coalition rule.

Calwell retired to the backbench a month after the crushing election loss, and was succeeded by his deputy, Gough Whitlam.

Results

See main article: Results of the 1966 Australian federal election (House of Representatives).

Party! style="width:70px"
Votes%SwingSeatsChange
 Liberal–Country coalition2,853,89049.98+3.9482+10
 Liberal2,291,96440.14+3.0561+9
 Country561,9269.84+0.9021+1
 Labor2,282,83439.98–5.4941–9
 Democratic Labor417,4117.31–0.1300
 Liberal Reform49,6100.87+0.8700
 Communist23,0560.40–0.1900
 Independents82,9481.45+0.981+1
 Total5,709,749  124+2
 Liberal–Country coalitionWin56.90+4.3082+10
 Labor43.10-4.3041-9
Independents: Sam Benson

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1966SwingPost-1966
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Adelaide, SA LaborJoe Sexton7.210.02.8Andrew JonesLiberal 
Barton, NSW LaborLen Reynolds0.72.92.2Bill ArthurLiberal 
Batman, Vic LaborSam BensonN/A8.77.8Sam BensonIndependent 
Eden-Monaro, NSW LaborAllan Fraser2.73.40.7Dugald MunroLiberal 
Grey, SA LaborJack Mortimer4.87.83.0Don JessopLiberal 
Griffith, Qld LaborWilfred Coutts5.86.91.1Don CameronLiberal 
Herbert, Qld LaborTed Harding3.24.31.1Robert BonnettLiberal 
Hughes, NSW LaborLes Johnson2.74.72.0Don DobieLiberal 
Kennedy, Qld LaborBill Riordan13.515.01.5Bob KatterCountry 
Kingston, SA LaborPat Galvin4.512.78.2Kay BrownbillLiberal 
Lalor, Vic LaborReg Pollard7.07.70.7Mervyn LeeLiberal 
Northern Territory, NT LaborJock Nelson100.051.71.7Sam CalderCountry 

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/holts-1966-landslide-election-victory
  2. Young. Sally. 2006. Australian election slogans, 1949-2004. Australian Journal of Communication. 33. 1. 2022-08-09.