1943 Victorian state election

The 1943 Victorian state election was held in the Australian state of Victoria on Saturday 12 June 1943 to elect 65 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.

1943 Victorian state election

12 June 1943
51 (of the 65) seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
Leader Albert Dunstan John Cain Thomas Hollway Party United Country Labor United Australia Leader since 14 March 1935 18 October 1937 3 December 1940 Leader's seat Korong and Eaglehawk Northcote Ballarat Last election 22 seats 22 seats 16 seats Seats won 25 seats 22 seats 13 seats Seat change 3 0 3 Percentage 14.39% 36.13% 23.07% Swing 0.23 2.96 12.34
Premier before election Albert Dunstan United Country Elected Premier Albert Dunstan United Country

Background

Country Party unity

At the time of the election, the Country Party was in the process of repairing a split which had taken place in December 1937 after federal MP John McEwen was expelled from the state branch of the party. The splinter group which supported McEwen had formed the Liberal Country Party on 30 March 1938, which contested the 1940 state election as a separate party. By April 1943, the United Country Party and the Liberal Country Party had formed a joint executive, which had unanimously agreed to reunite the parties. Members of the LCP at the time of the election were endorsed and counted as Victorian Country Party candidates separately from the United Country Party, but the unity agreements meant that their seats were counted for Dunstan's UCP.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Victorian state election, 12 June 1943[1][2] Legislative Assembly << 1940–1945 >>
Enrolled voters		1,015,750
Votes cast		883,679		Turnout	87.00	−6.41
Informal votes		22,876		Informal	2.59	+1.03
Summary of votes by party
Party		Primary votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor	311,051	36.13	+2.96	22	±0
	United Australia	198,582	23.07	−12.34	13	−3
	United Country	112,164	13.03	−1.13	18	−4
	Communist	38,802	4.51	+4.13	0	±0
	Victorian Country	11,738	1.36	−0.98	7	+6
	Independent	188,466	21.89	+7.36	5	+1
Total		860,803			65

Notes:

• Fourteen seats were uncontested at this election, and were retained by the incumbent parties:
  • Labor (7): Bendigo, Brunswick, Dundas, Flemington, Geelong, Northcote, Wonthaggi.
  • Victorian Country (6): Gippsland East, Goulburn Valley, Gunbower, Lowan, Mornington, Upper Goulburn
  • UAP (1): Kew

See also

• Candidates of the Victorian state election, 1943

References

1. Election held on 12 June 1943, Australian Politics and Elections Database (University of Western Australia).
2. Colin A Hughes, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968 (ISBN 0708102700).