1947 Western Australian state election information
1947 Western Australian state election
← 1943
15 March 1947 (1947-03-15)
1950 →
All 50 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly 26 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
First party
Second party
Leader
Ross McLarty
Frank Wise
Party
Liberal/Country coalition
Labor
Leader since
14 December 1946
31 July 1945
Leader's seat
Murray-Wellington
Gascoyne
Last election
17 seats
30 seats
Seats won
25 seats
23 seats
Seat change
8
7
Percentage
51.40%
39.38%
Swing
14.70
3.90
Premier before election
Frank Wise
Labor
Resulting Premier
Ross McLarty
Liberal/Country coalition
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 15 March 1947 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The result was a hung parliament—the four-term Labor government, led by Premier Frank Wise, was defeated with a swing of approximately 7%. The Liberal-Country Coalition won exactly half of the seats, one short of a majority, needed the support of the Independent members Harry Shearn and William Read to govern.
The election was the Liberal Party's first major showing since its formation in 1944-1945 out of the former Nationalist Party. Coincidental with this, in 1944, was the significant change in the fortunes of the Country Party when the Primary Producers' Association, of which the Party had been the political wing, passed a motion during negotiations with the Wheatgrowers' Union deleting the rule which authorised the Party's existence and its use of PPA branches and funds for party purposes. A new organisation, was hastily set up by the Opposition Leader Arthur Watts and the member for Pingelly, Harrie Seward, who were very active in setting up branches to endorse local candidates and obtaining donations on which to run the 1947 campaign.
Despite leading the Opposition prior to the election Country Party leader Watts did not become Premier with the change of government. The Country Party had been the senior partner in the non-Labor Coalition for most of the 1930s and 1940s. However, the election saw the Country Party win one fewer seat than the Liberals. As a result, Liberal leader Ross McLarty became Premier, with Watts as his deputy. It is one instance in which an Opposition leader did not become Premier with an election producing a change of government. This was the start of a significant decline in the Country Party's fortunes over the ensuing decades; the party, now the WA Nationals, has never won more than nine seats at an election since.
and 22 Related for: 1947 Western Australian state election information
Elections were held in the state of WesternAustralia on 15 March 1947 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The result was a hung parliament—the...
The 1947WesternAustralianstateelection was held on 15 March 1947. Arthur Wilson (MLA) (Collie) John Willcock (MLA) (Geraldton) Harry Millington (MLA)...
The 1947 Victorian stateelection was held in the Australianstate of Victoria on Saturday 8 November 1947 to elect 65 members of the state's Legislative...
the 1950 WesternAustralianstateelection Members of the WesternAustralian Legislative Assembly, 1947–1950 Members of the WesternAustralian Legislative...
Stateelections were held in South Australia on 8 March 1947. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent...
the WesternAustralian Legislative Assembly, 1947–1950 Members of the WesternAustralian Legislative Assembly, 1950–1953 1950 WesternAustralianstate election...
the WesternAustralian Legislative Assembly, 1939–1943 Members of the WesternAustralian Legislative Assembly, 1943–1947 1943 WesternAustralianstate election...
Elections were held in the state of WesternAustralia on 20 November 1943 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The Labor Party, led by...
The WesternAustralian Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of WesternAustralia, an Australianstate. The...
Elections were held in the state of WesternAustralia on 8 April 1933 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The one-term Nationalist-Country...
The premier of WesternAustralia is the head of government of the state of WesternAustralia. The role of premier at a state level is similar to the role...
The WesternAustralian Liberal Party, officially known as the Liberal Party of Australia (WesternAustralian Division), is the division of the Liberal...
The WesternAustralian Legislative Assembly is elected from 59 single-member electoral districts. These districts are often referred to as electorates...
McGirr as its leader and the new Premier. 15 March – A stateelection is held in WesternAustralia. The Labor government of Frank Wise is defeated by the...
2013 WesternAustralianElection". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 21 March 2013. Green, Antony (7 February 2013). "2013 WA Election Preview". Australian Broadcasting...
James Stirling in WesternAustralia. London: Oxford University Press. p. 24. WesternAustralian Year Book (PDF). Perth: Australian Bureau of Statistics...
Stateelections were held in South Australia on 29 April 1944. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent...
Victoria, and WesternAustralia. Australia also has ten federal territories, out of which three are internal territories: the Australian Capital Territory...
summary of results for elections to the WesternAustralian Legislative Assembly, the lower house in WesternAustralia's bicameral state legislative body, the...
The WesternAustralian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of WesternAustralia, a state of Australia. It is regarded as a house of...