1946 Australian federal election

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.

1946 Australian federal election

28 September 1946
All 74 seats of the House of Representatives 38 seats were needed for a majority in the House 19 (of the 36) seats of the Senate
First party Second party   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 election 49 seats 19 seats Seats won 43 seats 26 seats Seat change 6 7 Percentage 54.10% 45.90% Swing 4.10% 4.10%
Popular vote by state with graphs indicating the number of seats won. As this is an IRV election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote by state but instead via results in each electorate.
Prime Minister before election Ben Chifley Labor Subsequent Prime Minister Ben Chifley Labor

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

Results

House of Representatives

  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%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor		2,159,953	49.71	−0.22	43	−6
	Liberal–Country coalition		1,896,349	43.65	+13.20	29	+6
		Liberal	1,431,682	32.95	+11.05	18	+4
		Country	464,667	10.70	+2.16	11	+2
	Lang Labor		69,138	1.59	+0.87	1	+1
	Communist		64,811	1.49	+1.49	0	0
	Services		55,140	1.27	+1.27	0	0
	Protestant People's		20,111	0.46	+0.46	0	0
	Independents		79,040	1.82	−10.34	1	-1
	Total		4,344,542			74
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
	Labor		WIN	54.10	−4.10	43	−6
	Liberal–Country coalition			45.90	+4.10	29	+6

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Notes

• Independent: Doris Blackburn (Bourke, Vic.)
• In South Australia, the Liberal Party was known as the Liberal and Country League.

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%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats Won	Seats Held	Change
	Labor		2,133,272	52.06	−3.02	16	33	+11
	Liberal–Country coalition		1,775,022	43.33	N/A	3	3	–11
		Liberal–Country joint ticket	1,561,718	38.12	N/A	3	N/A	N/A
		Liberal	213,304	5.21	N/A	0	2	–10
		Country	N/A	N/A	N/A	0	1	–1
	Protestant People's		123,541	3.02	+3.02	0	0	0
	Services		37,724	0.92	+0.92	0	0	0
	Independents		27,767	0.68	–3.83	0	0	0
	Total		4,097,326			19	36

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Notes

• Of the three senators elected on Liberal–Country joint tickets, two were Liberal Party members and one was a Country Party member.

Seats changing hands

Seat	Pre-1946				Swing	Post-1946
	Party		Member	Margin		Margin	Member	Party
Bourke, Vic		Labor	Bill Bryson	3.6	4.7	1.1	Doris Blackburn	Independent
Calare, NSW		Labor	John Breen	9.9	11.7	1.8	John Howse	Liberal
Capricornia, Qld		Labor	Frank Forde	5.9	8.8	2.9	Charles Davidson	Liberal
Franklin, Tas		Labor	Charles Frost	9.9	10.0	0.1	Bill Falkinder	Liberal
Henty, Vic		Independent	Arthur Coles	5.5	9.8	4.3	Jo Gullett	Liberal
Reid, NSW		Labor	Charles Morgan	N/A	7.4	4.2	Jack Lang	Lang Labor
Swan, WA		Labor	Don Mountjoy	3.0	3.2	0.2	Len Hamilton	Country
Wakefield, SA		Labor	Albert Smith	1.2	3.9	2.7	Philip McBride	Liberal
Wilmot, Tas		Liberal	Allan Guy	1.7	3.4	1.7	Gil Duthie	Labor

• Members in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

See also

• Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1946
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1946–1949
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1947–1950

References

• University of WA election results in Australia since 1890
• Two-party-preferred vote since 1937