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All 90 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly 46 Assembly seats were needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1941 New South Wales state election was held on 10 May 1941. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 33rd New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was conducted in single-member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting.
The replacement of Jack Lang by William McKell as leader of the Labor Party in 1939 reunited and rejuvenated the party. A small number of Labor party members continued to support the far-left-wing State Labor Party (Hughes-Evans) but that had minimal impact on the election results. The Labor Party moved away from Lang's populist, inflationary policies, which were seen as extremist by many voters in the middle ground of the political spectrum. McKell also improved the party's standing in rural electorates by personally selecting well-known local candidates.
By contrast, the internal party divisions and lack of policy direction affecting the United Australia Party (UAP) had resulted in Alexander Mair replacing Bertram Stevens as leader of the UAP and Premier in August 1939. The problems continued in the period prior to the election and throughout the course of the new parliament. These divisions were reflected federally in the forced resignation of Robert Menzies as the Prime Minister in August 1941, and the UAP disintegrated at a state level in 1943. The remnants of the UAP combined with the newly formed Commonwealth Party to form the Democratic Party in that year. Mair remained Leader of the Opposition until 10 February 1944 when he was replaced by Reginald Weaver.
The result of the election was a landslide victory for the Labor Party:
The Labor Party government of McKell had a majority of 18 and McKell remained Premier throughout the term of the Parliament. The Labor Party won two further seats from the Country Party at by-elections during the parliament. Jack Lang was expelled from the Labor Party in 1943, having persistently attacked the governments of McKell and Australian Prime minister John Curtin. Lang remained in parliament as the sole representative of Lang Labor.
This would be the first of NSW Labor's eight consecutive election victories.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 18 April 1941 | The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. |
| 22 April 1941 | Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon. |
| 10 May 1941 | Polling day. |
| 16 May 1941 | First McKell Ministry sworn in. |
| 17 June 1941 | Last day for the writs to be returned and the results formally declared. |
| 28 May 1941 | Opening of 33rd Parliament. |
New South Wales state election, 10 May 1941 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolled voters | 1,684,781 [lower-alpha 2] | |||||
| Votes cast | 1,389,896 | Turnout | 92.52 | −3.27 | ||
| Informal votes | 35,858 | Informal | 2.52 | −0.13 | ||
| Summary of votes by party | ||||||
| Party | Primary votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |
| Labor | 706,014 | 50.80 | +12.28 [lower-alpha 1] | 54 | + 24 | |
| United Australia | 281,982 | 20.29 | –15.57 | 14 | –23 | |
| Country | 153,639 | 11.05 | –2.81 | 12 | –10 | |
| State Labor | 78,363 | 5.64 | +5.64 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Ind. United Australia | 45,195 | 3.25 | +3.25 | 5 | +5 | |
| Independent Labor | 29,677 | 2.14 | +2.14 | 1 | +1 | |
| New Social Order | 8,906 | 0.64 | +0.64 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent Coalition | 925 | 0.07 | +0.07 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Independent | 85,195 | 6.13 | –4.75 | 4 | +3 | |
| Total | 1,389,896 | 90 | ||||
Sir William John McKell, was an Australian politician who served as the 12th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1947 to 1953. He had previously been Premier of New South Wales from 1941 to 1947, as leader of the Labor Party.
Lang Labor was a faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) consisting of the supporters of Jack Lang, who served two terms as Premier of New South Wales and was the party's state leader from 1923 to 1939. It controlled the New South Wales branch of the ALP throughout most of the 1920s and 1930s. The faction broke away to form separate parliamentary parties on several occasions and stood competing candidates against the ALP in state and federal elections.
Alexander Mair was an Australian politician who served as Premier of New South Wales from 5 August 1939 to 16 May 1941. Born in Melbourne, Mair worked in various businesses there before moving to Albury, New South Wales where he went on to be a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for fourteen years. In 1932, Mair was elected to the seat of Albury and was re-elected a further four times. He rose quickly through the cabinet of Bertram Stevens' United Australia Party government, becoming an Assistant Minister in April 1938, Minister for Labour and Industry in June and Colonial Treasurer in October.
Reginald Walter Darcy Weaver was an Australian conservative parliamentarian who served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for 28 years. Serving from 1917 in the backbenches, he entered the cabinet of Thomas Bavin in 1929 as Secretary for Mines and Minister for Forests until he returned to opposition in 1930. Following the success of the United Australia Party in the 1932 election, Weaver returned as the Secretary for Public Works and Minister for Health in the Stevens ministry.
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Michael Frederick Bruxner was an Australian politician and soldier, serving for many years as leader of the Country Party in New South Wales. Born in the north of the state, Bruxner was educated at The Armidale School and started studies at University of Sydney but later dropped out to take up employment as a grazier and station agent in Tenterfield. After serving in the Citizen Military Forces from 1911, Bruxner enlisted into the Australian Light Horse upon the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Serving with distinction in Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and awarded the Distinguished Service Order.
Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who served in the 33rd parliament held their seats from 1941 to 1944. They were elected at the 1941 state election, and at by-elections. During this term, the opposition United Australia Party merged with the new Commonwealth Party to form the Democratic Party in late 1943. The merger was only at a state level, however; the federal United Australia Party, however, remained intact during this period. The Speaker was Daniel Clyne.
Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who served in the 34th parliament held their seats from 1944 to 1947. They were elected at the 1944 state election, and at by-elections. The opposition Democratic Party merged into the nascent Liberal Party in late 1944, becoming the New South Wales branch of the new party. The Speaker was Daniel Clyne.
The Industrial Labor Party or Heffron Labor Party was a short-lived but influential political party active in New South Wales between 1936 and 1939. It was a splinter group of the Labor Party (ALP) and was formed by Bob Heffron after he and Carlo Lazzarini attempted to depose the party leader Jack Lang. Both Heffron and Lazzarini subsequently lost their party endorsements for the 1938 election.
Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who served in the 32nd parliament held their seats from 1938 to 1941. They were elected at the 1938 state election, and at by-elections. The Speaker was Reginald Weaver.
The 1932 New South Wales state election was held on 11 June 1932. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 30th New South Wales Legislative Assembly and it was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting. It was a landslide victory for the UAP/Country Party coalition of Bertram Stevens, which had a majority of 42 in the Assembly.
Sir Vernon Haddon Treatt was an Australian lawyer, soldier, Rhodes Scholar and politician. Born in Singleton, New South Wales and educated at Shore School, Treatt interrupted his studies at the University of Sydney to enlist at the outbreak of the First World War. Serving in the Royal Australian Artillery, Treatt served in France and was awarded the Military Medal. Upon returning to Australia he was awarded a Rhodes scholarship and further educated at New College, Oxford.
The 1935 New South Wales state election was held on 11 May 1935. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 31st New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting.
The 1938 New South Wales state election was held on 26 March 1938. This election was for all of the 90 seats in the 32nd New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting.
Christopher Augustus "Gus" Kelly was an Australian politician. He was a Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1925 to 1932 and again from 1935 until his death in 1967, representing the electorate of Bathurst. He held numerous ministerial positions between 1941 and 1965 in McKell Labor Government.
Hamilton Knight was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1927 until 1947. During his parliamentary career he was, at various times, a member of the Labor Party (ALP), the Australian Labor Party (NSW) and the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist). He was the Minister for Labour and Industry and Social Welfare for 6 years during the premiership of William McKell.
The 1947 New South Wales state election was held on 3 May 1947. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1940 redistribution. The election was for all of the 90 seats in the Legislative Assembly.
The 1944 New South Wales state election was held on 27 May 1944. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1940 redistribution. The election was for all of the 90 seats in the Legislative Assembly.
The Stevens–Bruxner ministry (1938–1939) or Third Stevens–Bruxner ministry or Third Stevens ministry was the 48th ministry of the New South Wales Government, and was led by the 25th Premier, Bertram Stevens, in a United Australia Party coalition with the Country Party, that was led by Michael Bruxner. The ministry was the third of three occasions when the Government was led by Stevens, as Premier; and third of four occasions where Bruxner served as Deputy Premier.
The McKell ministry (1944–1947) or Second McKell ministry was the 51st ministry of the New South Wales Government, and was led by the 27th Premier, William McKell, of the Labor Party. The ministry was the second of two occasions when the Government was led by McKell, as Premier.
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Tamworth on 10 August 1940 because of the death of Frank Chaffey.
