1946 Australian federal election

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1946 Australian federal election
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
  1943 28 September 1946 1949  

All 75 [a] seats of the House of Representatives
38 seats were needed for a majority in the House
19 (of the 36) seats of the Senate
Registered4,739,853 (Increase2.svg 6.12%)
Turnout4,453,941 (93.97%)
(Decrease2.svg2.35 pp)
 First partySecond party
  Benchifley.jpg Portrait Menzies 1950s.jpg
Leader Ben Chifley Robert Menzies
Party Labor Liberal–Country Coalition
Leader since 13 July 1945 23 September 1943
Leader's seat Macquarie (NSW) Kooyong (Vic.)
Last election49 seats19 seats
Seats won43 seats29 seats
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 6Increase2.svg 10
Popular vote2,159,9531,896,349
Percentage49.71%43.65%
SwingDecrease2.svg 0.22Increase2.svg 13.20
TPP 54.10%45.90%
TPP swingDecrease2.svg 4.10Increase2.svg 4.10

 Third partyFourth party
  JackLang.jpg
IND
Leader Jack Lang N/A
Party Labor (Non-Communist) Independents
Leader sinceN/A
Leader's seat Reid (NSW)
(won seat)
N/A
Last election0 seats3 seats
Seats won1 seat2 seats
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 1
Popular vote69,13879,040
Percentage1.59%1.82%
SwingIncrease2.svg 0.87Decrease2.svg −10.34

1946 Australian federal election.svg
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.

Prime Minister before election

Ben Chifley
Labor

Subsequent Prime Minister

Ben Chifley
Labor

The 1946 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 28 September 1946. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Labor Party led by Prime Minister Ben Chifley defeated the opposition Liberal–Country coalition, led by Robert Menzies. It was the Liberal Party's first federal election since its creation. This was the first time the Labor party had won a second consecutive election. This was also the last time the Labor party would win a federal election until the 1972 election.

Contents

The election was held in conjunction with three referendum questions, one of which was carried.

Results

House of Representatives

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Labor: 43 seats
Liberal: 18 seats
Country: 11 seats
Lang Labor: 1 seat
Independent: 1 seat Australian Federal Election, 1946.svg
  Labor: 43 seats
  Liberal: 18 seats
  Country: 11 seats
  Lang Labor: 1 seat
  Independent: 1 seat
House of Reps (IRV) — 1946–49—Turnout 93.97% (CV) — Informal 2.45%
1946 Australian House.svg
PartyVotes %SwingSeatsChange
  Labor 2,159,95349.71−0.2243−6
  Liberal–Country coalition 1,896,34943.65+13.2029+6
  Liberal  1,431,68232.95+11.0518+4
  Country  464,66710.70+2.1611+2
  Labor (Non-Communist) 69,1381.59+0.871+1
  Communist 64,8111.49+1.4900
  Services 55,1401.27+1.2700
  Protestant People's 20,1110.46+0.4600
  Independents 79,0401.82−10.342 [b] -1
 Total4,344,542  75
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
  Labor Win54.10−4.1043−6
  Liberal–Country coalition 45.90+4.1029+6

Notes
Popular vote
Labor
49.71%
Liberal
32.95%
Country
10.70%
Lang Labor
1.59%
Independent/Other
1.83%
Two-party-preferred vote
Labor
54.10%
Coalition
45.90%
Parliament seats
Labor
58.11%
Coalition
35.14%

Senate

Senate (P BV) — 1946–49—Turnout 93.97% (CV) — Informal 8.01%
1946 Australian Senate.svg
PartyVotes %SwingSeats wonSeats heldChange
  Labor 2,133,27252.06−3.021633+11
  Liberal–Country coalition 1,775,02243.33+5.1833–11
 Liberal–Country joint ticket1,561,71838.12N/A3N/AN/A
  Liberal 213,3045.21N/A02–10
  Country N/AN/AN/A01–1
  Protestant People's 123,5413.02+3.02000
  Services 37,7240.92+0.92000
  Independents 27,7670.68–3.83000
 Total4,097,326  1936

Notes

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1946SwingPost-1946
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Bourke, Vic  Labor Bill Bryson 3.64.71.1 Doris Blackburn Independent 
Calare, NSW  Labor John Breen 9.911.71.8 John Howse Liberal 
Capricornia, Qld  Labor Frank Forde 5.98.82.9 Charles Davidson Country 
Franklin, Tas  Labor Charles Frost 9.910.00.1 Bill Falkinder Liberal 
Henty, Vic  Independent Arthur Coles 5.59.84.3 Jo Gullett Liberal 
Reid, NSW  Labor Charles Morgan N/A7.44.2 Jack Lang Lang Labor 
Swan, WA  Labor Don Mountjoy 3.03.20.2 Len Hamilton Country 
Wakefield, SA  Labor Albert Smith 1.23.92.7 Philip McBride Liberal 
Wilmot, Tas  Liberal Allan Guy 1.73.41.7 Gil Duthie Labor 

See also

Notes

  1. The Northern Territory had one seat, but members for the territories did not have full voting rights until 1966 and did not count toward government formation.
  2. Including Northern Territory

References