A by-election for the seat of Swan in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia was held on 29 April 1944. It was triggered by the death of the sitting member, Richard Sampson of the Country Party, on 16 February 1944. The election was won by Ray Owen, who finished with 60.0 of the two-candidate-preferred vote standing as an "Independent Country" candidate. The runner-up was Howard Sampson, a brother of the deceased member.
A member of the Country Party, Richard Sampson had held Swan since the 1921 state election, and briefly served as a minister under James Mitchell. He died in office on 16 February 1944, aged 66. [1] After his death, the writ for the by-election was issued on 21 March, with the close of nominations on 3 April. Polling day was on 29 April, with the writ returned on 18 May. [2]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labor | Owen Hanlon | 1,488 | 28.8 | –8.5 | |
Independent Country | Ray Owen | 1,377 | 26.6 | +26.6 | |
Independent Country | Howard Sampson | 988 | 19.1 | +19.1 | |
Country | Hurtle Prater | 563 | 10.9 | –51.8 | |
Independent | John Thomas | 465 | 9.0 | +9.0 | |
Nationalist | Herbert Yelland | 288 | 5.6 | +5.6 | |
Total formal votes | 5,169 | 96.9 | +0.5 | ||
Informal votes | 165 | 3.1 | –0.5 | ||
Turnout | 5,334 | 80.4 | –12.6 | ||
Two-candidate-preferred result | |||||
Independent Country | Ray Owen | 3,099 | 60.0 | +60.0 | |
Independent Country | Howard Sampson | 2,070 | 40.0 | +40.0 | |
Independent Country gain from Country | Swing | n/a |
Owen joined three other independents in parliament (Horace Berry, Lionel Kelly, and Harry Shearn), although Labor's comfortable majority meant they had little influence. At the 1947 state election, Owen was narrowly defeated by Gerald Wild of the Liberal Party. He joined the Country Party in 1949, and at the 1950 state election won the seat of Darling Range, which he would hold until 1962. [3]
This is a list of members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly between the 1943 election and the 1947 election, together known as the 18th Parliament. In January 1945, the Nationalists, officially known as the National Party of Western Australia, reformed as the Liberal Party under the leadership of Robert McDonald, and all Nationalist MLAs' allegiances changed accordingly.
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 8 April 1933 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The one-term Nationalist-Country coalition government, led by Premier Sir James Mitchell, was defeated by the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Philip Collier.
This is a list of electoral district results of the 1947 Western Australian election.
Thomas Hamlet Harrison was an Australian politician who was a Country Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1914 to 1924. He was the leader of the Country Party from 1919 to 1922.
Frank Tyndall Broun was an Australian politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1911 to 1914 and again from 1917 to 1924. He was a minister in the first government of Sir James Mitchell.
Richard Stanley Sampson was an Australian politician who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1921 until his death, representing the seat of Swan. He was a minister in the first government of Sir James Mitchell.
Lindsay Thorn was an Australian politician who was a Country Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 1930 to 1959, representing the seat of Toodyay. He was a minister in the government of Sir Ross McLarty.
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