1968 Western Australian state election

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1968 Western Australian state election
Flag of Western Australia.svg
  1965 23 March 1968 (1968-03-23) 1971  

All 51 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
and 15 (of the 30) seats to the Western Australian Legislative Council
26 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  DavidBrand1963.jpg JohnTonkin1964crop.jpg
Leader David Brand John Tonkin
Party Liberal/Country coalition Labor
Leader since1 March 19571 January 1967
Leader's seat Greenough Melville
Last election29 seats21 seats
Seats won28 seats23 seats
Seat changeDecrease2.svg1Increase2.svg2
Percentage49.25%45.35%
SwingDecrease2.svg4.16Increase2.svg2.71

Premier before election

David Brand
Liberal/Country coalition

Elected Premier

David Brand
Liberal/Country coalition

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 23 March 1968 to elect all 51 members to the Legislative Assembly and 15 members to the 30-seat Legislative Council. The Liberal-Country coalition government, led by Premier Sir David Brand, won a record fourth term in office against the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader John Tonkin.

Contents

Results

Legislative Assembly

Western Australian state election, 23 March 1968
Legislative Assembly
<< 19651971 >>

Enrolled voters359,790 [1]
Votes cast331,325 Turnout 92.09%–0.24%
Informal votes10,255Informal3.10%–0.01%
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeatsChange
  Labor 145,60545.35%+2.71%23+ 2
  Liberal and Country 141,27144.00%–4.54%19– 2
  Country 16,8795.25%+0.38%9+ 1
  Democratic Labor 10,4563.26%+2.32%0± 0
 Democratic2,2160.69%+0.69%0± 0
  Communist 1,6940.53%+0.44%0± 0
  Independent 2,9490.92%–1.98%0± 0
Total321,070  51 
1 449,122 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 14 seats (27.45% of the total) were uncontested—five Liberal seats representing 32,810 enrolled voters, five Country seats representing 29,746 enrolled voters, and four Labor seats representing 26,776 enrolled voters.

Legislative Council

Western Australian state election, 23 March 1968
Legislative Council

Enrolled voters208,417 [1]
Votes cast192,342 Turnout 92.29%+0.15%
Informal votes8,631Informal4.49%+0.22%
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeatsChange
  Labor 85,67446.64%610
  Liberal and Country 67,97737.00%412
  Country 21,22811.56%58
  Democratic Labor 4,5022.45%00
  Independent 4,3302.36%00
Total183,711  1530
1 449,122 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 9 seats (60% of the total) were uncontested—three Liberal seats representing 99,137 enrolled voters, three Country seats representing 53,847 enrolled voters, and three Labor seats representing 86,198 enrolled voters.

Post-election pendulum

LCL/Country seats (28)
Marginal
Subiaco Hugh Guthrie LCL0.4%
Kimberley Alan Ridge LCL2.2%
Moore Edgar Lewis CP2.3% v IND
Mirrabooka Doug Cash LCL2.8%
Merredin-Yilgarn Jack Stewart LCL2.9%
Murray Ewart Runciman LCL3.8%
Blackwood Ron Kitney CP4.6% v LCL
Toodyay James Craig CP4.7%
Bunbury Maurice Williams LCL5.7%
Fairly safe
Roe Bill Young CP9.7% v LCL
Safe
Cottesloe Ross Hutchinson LCL10.0%
Mount Lawley Ray O'Connor LCL10.0%
Floreat Andrew Mensaros LCL14.6%
Dale Cyril Rushton LCL15.4%
Darling Range Ken Dunn LCL16.2%
Nedlands Charles Court LCL26.6%
South Perth Bill Grayden LCL28.6% v DLP
East Melville Des O'Neil LCL30.3% v COM
Avon Harry Gayfer CPunopp.
Greenough David Brand LCLunopp.
Katanning Crawford Nalder CPunopp.
Mount Marshall Ray McPharlin CPunopp.
Murchison-Eyre Richard Burt LCLunopp.
Narrogin William Manning CPunopp.
Stirling Clayton Mitchell CPunopp.
Vasse Stewart Bovell LCLunopp.
Wellington Iven Manning LCLunopp.
Wembley Guy Henn LCLunopp.
Labor seats (23)
Marginal
Canning Tom Bateman ALP0.5%
Clontarf Donald May ALP2.2%
Maylands John Harman ALP3.0%
Northam Ken McIver ALP3.6%
Mount Hawthorn Ron Bertram ALP4.2%
Karrinyup Stan Lapham ALP4.3%
Albany Jack Hall ALP5.4%
Fairly safe
Geraldton Bill Sewell ALP6.2%
Perth Terry Burke ALP6.2%
Collie Tom Jones ALP6.6%
Warren David Evans ALP8.8%
Safe
Ascot Merv Toms ALP13.2%
Balcatta Herb Graham ALP13.4%
Gascoyne Daniel Norton ALP14.1%
Belmont Colin Jamieson ALP14.5%
Melville John Tonkin ALP17.5%
Cockburn Don Taylor ALP18.6%
Swan Bill Haigh ALP21.0%
Fremantle Harry Fletcher ALP23.5% v DLP
Boulder-Dundas Arthur Moir ALPunopp.
Kalgoorlie Tom Evans ALPunopp.
Pilbara Arthur Bickerton ALPunopp.
Victoria Park Ron Davies ALPunopp.

See also

References