1973 New South Wales state election

Last updated

1973 New South Wales state election
Flag of New South Wales.svg
  1971 17 November 1973 (1973-11-17) 1976  

All 99 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
50 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond party
  Robert Askin 1973.jpg Pat Hills.jpg
Leader Robert Askin Pat Hills
Party Liberal/Country coalition Labor
Leader since17 July 19592 December 1968
Leader's seat Pittwater Phillip
Last election49 seats45 seats
Seats won5244 seats
Seat changeIncrease2.svg3Decrease2.svg1
Percentage44.33%42.93%
SwingDecrease2.svg0.06Decrease2.svg2.09

1973 New South Wales state election.svg
Two-candidate-preferred margin by electorate

Premier before election

Robert Askin
Liberal/Country coalition

Elected Premier

Robert Askin
Liberal/Country coalition

Elections for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 17 November 1973. The result was a win for the Liberal-Country Party coalition under Sir Robert Askin, which had been in office since 1965. As of 2023, this was the first and only time the Coalition won a fourth-term in New South Wales.

Contents

Issues

The Legislative Assembly had been enlarged by three members to 99 adding the seats of Woronora, Penrith and Ku-ring-gai.

The election was held just eleven months after the Liberal/Country coalition lost the federal election after 23 years in power. Askin called an early election to take advantage of the increasing economic issues which had been attributed to the Whitlam Labor government.

Leader of the Legislative Council Neville Wran, who would become Premier at the next election moved from the unelected Legislative Council to the Legislative Assembly after the late retirement of Clarrie Earl in the seat of Bass Hill.

Key dates

DateEvent
19 October 1973The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. [1]
25 October 1973Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon.
17 November 1973Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
3 December 1973The sixth Askin-Cutler ministry was constituted.
4 December 1973Parliament resumed for business.
7 December 1973The writ was returned and the results formally declared.

Results

The Democratic Labor Party won its only lower house seat at the 1973 election following the Liberal Party's incumbent for the northern Sydney seat of GordonHarry Jago failed to nominate in time. Conservative voters were urged to vote for the DLP candidate, Kevin Harrold.

New South Wales state election, 17 November 1973 [1] [2]
Legislative Assembly
<< 19711976 >>

Enrolled voters2,767,876 [lower-alpha 1]
Votes cast2,560,653 Turnout 92.51-0.75
Informal votes69,225Informal2.70+0.36
Summary of votes by party
PartyPrimary votes %SwingSeatsChange
  Labor 1,069,61442.93–2.0944– 1
  Liberal 843,32533.85–1.8934+ 2
  Country 261,50410.48+1.8318+ 1
  Democratic Labor 148,3785.96+2.791+ 1
  Australia 104,8214.21+3.150± 0
  Communist 8380.03–0.060± 0
  Independent 63,3582.54–3.242± 0
Total2,491,428  99 

Popular vote
Labor
42.93%
Liberal
33.85%
Country
10.48%
Democratic Labor
5.96%
Australia
4.21%
Independents
2.54%
Communist
0.03%
Parliamentary seats
Labor
44
Liberal
34
Country
18
Independents
2
Democratic Labor
1

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1973SwingPost-1973
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Burrendong  Labor Leo Nott 1.8-5.63.8 Roger Wotton Country 
Gordon  Liberal Harry Jago *N/AN/A29.4 Kevin Harrold Democratic Labor 
South Coast  Liberal Jack Beale 0.9-2.31.7 John Hatton Independent 

Redistribution affected seats

Seat1971 election1973 redistributionSwing1973 election
PartyMemberMarginPartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Gosford  Labor Keith O'Connell 2.6 LiberalNotional1.1+4.65.7 Malcolm Brooks Liberal 
Nepean  Labor Ron Mulock 1.6 LiberalNotional1.9+1.43.3 Ron Rofe Liberal 

Post-election pendulum

Liberal/Country seats (51)
Marginal
Murray Mary Meillon LIB2.7% v IND
Hurstville Tom Mead LIB3.1%
Nepean Ron Rofe LIB3.3%
Ashfield David Hunter LIB3.6%
Burrendong Roger Wotton CP3.8%
Cronulla Ian Griffith LIB4.7%
Fuller Peter Coleman LIB5.3%
Gosford Malcolm Brooks LIB5.7%
Fairly safe
Miranda Tim Walker LIB6.4%
Earlwood Eric Willis LIB6.7%
Monaro Steve Mauger LIB7.3%
Yaralla Lerryn Mutton LIB9.8%
Safe
Young George Freudenstein CP10.4%
Wakehurst Allan Viney LIB11.4%
Wollondilly Tom Lewis LIB12.0%
Burwood John Jackett LIB12.4%
Bathurst Clive Osborne CP12.8%
Armidale David Leitch CP13.0%
Manly Douglas Darby LIB13.0%
Albury Gordon Mackie LIB13.4%
Tamworth Noel Park CP13.6%
Upper Hunter Col Fisher CP13.8%
Byron Jack Boyd CP14.3%
Kirribilli John Waddy LIB14.3%
Dubbo John Mason LIB15.0%
Hornsby Neil Pickard LIB15.4%
Hawkesbury Kevin Rozzoli LIB16.5%
Eastwood Jim Clough LIB17.4% v AP
Goulburn Ron Brewer CP17.9%
Clarence Matt Singleton CP18.1%
Raleigh Jim Brown CP18.4%
Tenterfield Tim Bruxner CP18.6%
Vaucluse Keith Doyle LIB18.8% v AP
Davidson Dick Healey LIB19.0%
Pittwater Robert Askin LIB19.2%
Lane Cove Ken McCaw LIB19.3%
Willoughby Laurie McGinty LIB19.3%
Maitland Milton Morris LIB19.6%
Wagga Wagga Wal Fife LIB19.7%
Orange Charles Cutler CP20.1%
The Hills Max Ruddock LIB20.2%
Northcott Jim Cameron LIB20.4% v AP
Temora Jim Taylor CP20.5%
Sturt Tim Fischer CP21.7%
Oxley Bruce Cowan CP22.6%
Lismore Bruce Duncan CP24.8%
Gloucester Leon Punch CP25.2%
Barwon Geoff Crawford CP25.5% v AP
Bligh John Barraclough LIB30.0% v AP
Mosman David Arblaster LIB30.0% v AP
Ku-ring-gai John Maddison LIB31.2%
Labor seats (45)
Marginal
Coogee Michael Cleary ALP0.1%*
Drummoyne Michael Maher ALP0.7%
Georges River Frank Walker ALP0.7%
Casino Don Day ALP1.0%
Castlereagh Jack Renshaw ALP1.3%
Murrumbidgee Lin Gordon ALP1.7%
Burrinjuck Terry Sheahan ALP2.0%
Woronora Maurie Keane ALP2.2%
Kogarah Bill Crabtree ALP5.1%
Campbelltown Cliff Mallam ALP5.6%
Fairly safe
Waverley Syd Einfeld ALP6.4%
Parramatta Dan Mahoney ALP6.6%
Peats Keith O'Connell ALP7.3%
Charlestown Richard Face ALP8.4%
Lakemba Vince Durick ALP9.7%
Canterbury Kevin Stewart ALP9.9%
Maroubra Bill Haigh ALP9.9%
Penrith Ron Mulock ALP9.9%
Safe
Wentworthville Ernie Quinn ALP10.1%
Bass Hill Neville Wran ALP10.7%
East Hills Pat Rogan ALP11.1%
Merrylands Jack Ferguson ALP11.9%
Wollongong Eric Ramsay ALP12.4%
Blacktown Gordon Barnier ALP12.7%
Bankstown Nick Kearns ALP12.8%
Newcastle Arthur Wade ALP12.9%
Mount Druitt Tony Johnson ALP13.3%
Rockdale Brian Bannon ALP13.4%
Auburn Peter Cox ALP14.1%
Munmorah Harry Jensen ALP14.6%
Corrimal Laurie Kelly ALP14.8%
Heathcote Rex Jackson ALP15.5%
Granville Pat Flaherty ALP17.5%
Marrickville Tom Cahill ALP17.7%
Fairfield Eric Bedford ALP17.8%
Liverpool George Paciullo ALP18.0%
Illawarra George Petersen ALP22.7% v DLP
Lake Macquarie Merv Hunter ALP23.2% v IND
Heffron Laurie Brereton ALP23.8% v DLP
Phillip Pat Hills ALP24.9%
Balmain Roger Degen ALP26.5% v DLP
Wallsend Ken Booth ALP26.5% v DLP
Waratah Sam Jones ALP26.6% v DLP
Cessnock George Neilly ALP28.1% v DLP
Broken Hill Lew Johnstone ALPunopp.
Crossbench seats (3)
South Coast John Hatton IND1.7% v LIB
Blue Mountains Harold Coates IND6.5% v ALP
Gordon Kevin Harrold DLP29.4% v ALP

See also

Notes

  1. There were 2,788,733 enrolled voters but 20,857 were enrolled in Broken Hill (Labor) which was uncontested at the election. [1]

Related Research Articles

Arnold Henry Jago, was a Liberal member of the New South Wales parliament representing the seat Gordon and a Minister of the Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 South Australian state election</span>

State elections were held in South Australia on 17 September 1977. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan won a fourth term in government, defeating the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the Opposition David Tonkin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 New South Wales state election</span> State election for New South Wales, Australia in March 1999

The 1999 New South Wales state election was held on Saturday, 27 March. All seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and half the seats in the New South Wales Legislative Council was up for election. The Incumbent New South Wales Premier Bob Carr won a second term with a 7% swing of vote against the Liberal National Party led by Kerry Chikarovski. The poll was the first to be held after two key changes to the electoral system. In 1997, the number of electoral districts was reduced from 99 to 93. In 1995, fixed four-year terms were introduced. As of 2023, this is the most recent NSW election in which the leader of the winning party would complete a full term as premier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 New South Wales state election</span> State election for New South Wales, Australia in March 1988

Elections to the 49th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday 19 March 1988. All seats in the Legislative Assembly and a third of the seats in the Legislative Council were up for election. The Labor government of Premier Barrie Unsworth was defeated by the Liberal-National Coalition, led by Opposition Leader Nick Greiner, in a landslide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 New South Wales state election</span> State election for New South Wales, Australia in May 1976

A general election for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly was held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 1 May 1976. The result was a narrow win for the Labor Party under Neville Wran—the party's first in the state in more than a decade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 New South Wales state election</span> State election for New South Wales, Australia in October 1978

A general election was held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 7 October 1978. The result was a landslide victory for the Labor Party under Neville Wran, popularly known as the "Wranslide."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 New South Wales state election</span> State election for New South Wales, Australia in March 1981

Elections were held in the state of New South Wales, Australia, on Saturday 19 September 1981. The result was a second "Wranslide": a landslide victory for the Labor Party under Neville Wran. Labor increased its already sizeable majority, winning what is still its biggest-ever share of seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly–69 out of 99 seats, 69.7 percent of the chamber.

The Mackerras New South Wales election pendulum, 2005 shows the state of the major political parties ahead of the 2007 New South Wales state election. The table shows seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly arranged in the form of a Mackerras pendulum. The figures have been calculated on the basis of a redistribution completed in 2005.

Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who served in the 43rd parliament held their seats from 1971 to 1973. They were elected at the 1971 state election, and at by-elections. The Speaker was Sir Kevin Ellis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 New South Wales state election</span> Elections to the 55th parliament of New South Wales

The 2011 New South Wales state election held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year-incumbent Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal–National Coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.

Kevin Joseph Harrold was an Australian politician. He was the member for Gordon in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1973 to 1976, and was the only member of the Democratic Labor Party to win election to the New South Wales Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1959 New South Wales state election</span> State election for New South Wales, Australia in March 1959

The 1959 New South Wales state election was held on 21 March 1959. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1957 redistribution. The election was for all of the 94 seats in the Legislative Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 New South Wales state election</span> State election for New South Wales, Australia in March 1962

The 1962 New South Wales state election was held on 3 March 1962. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1961 redistribution. The election was for all of the 94 seats in the Legislative Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1968 New South Wales state election</span> State election for New South Wales, Australia in February 1968

The 1968 New South Wales state election was held on 24 February 1968. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1966 redistribution. The election was for all of the 94 seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Liberal Party, led by Premier Robert Askin, in Coalition with the Country Party of Deputy Premier Charles Cutler, was elected for a second term—the first time that a non-Labor government had been reelected since before World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1965 New South Wales state election</span> State election for New South Wales, Australia in May 1965

The 1965 New South Wales state election was held on 1 May 1965. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1961 redistribution. The election was for all of the 94 seats in the Legislative Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 Queensland state election</span>

Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 28 May 1966 to elect the 78 members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 Queensland state election</span>

Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 17 May 1969 to elect the 78 members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.

The Askin–Cutler ministry (1969–1971) or Third Askin ministry was the 64th ministry of the Government of New South Wales, and was led by the 32nd Premier, Bob Askin, of the Liberal Party in coalition with the Country Party, led by Charles Cutler. It was the third of six occasions when Askin was Premier; and when Cutler was Deputy Premier.

The Askin–Cutler ministry (1973) or Fifth Askin ministry was the 66th ministry of the government of New South Wales, and was led by the 32nd Premier, Sir Robert Askin, of the Liberal Party in coalition with the Country Party, led by Sir Charles Cutler. It was the fifth of six occasions when Askin was Premier and when Cutler was Deputy Premier.

The Askin–Cutler ministry (1973–1975) or Sixth Askin ministry was the 67th ministry of the government of New South Wales, and was led by the 32nd Premier, Sir Robert Askin, of the Liberal Party in coalition with the Country Party, led by Sir Charles Cutler. It was the sixth and final occasion when Askin was Premier; and when Cutler served as Deputy Premier to Askin.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Green, Antony. "1973 election totals". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  2. Hughes, Colin A. (1977). A handbook of Australian government and politics, 1965-1974. ANU Press. p.  108. ISBN   978-0-7081-1340-0.