1940 Australian federal election

Australian federal election, 1940
All 74 seats of the Australian House of Representatives; 38 seats were needed for a majority in the House ; 19 (of the 36) seats of the Australian Senate
Prime Minister before election; Robert Menzies; UAP/Country coalition	Resulting Prime Minister ; Robert Menzies; UAP/Country coalition

Federal elections were held in Australia on 21 September 1940. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Coalition, consisting of the United Australia Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Robert Menzies and the Country Party led by Archie Cameron, defeated the opposition Australian Labor Party led by John Curtin. The Coalition won 36 seats, two short of a majority, but formed a government on 28 October 1940 with the support of two independent MPs,^[1] Alex Wilson and Arthur Coles.

A year later in October 1941 the two independents switched their support to Labor, bringing Curtin to power.

Results

**House of Reps (IRV) — 1940–43—Turnout 94.82% (CV) — Informal 2.56%**
	Party	Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
style="border: solid thin" Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|	Australian Labor Party	1,556,941	40.16	−3.02	32	+3
style="border: solid thin" Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|	United Australia Party	1,171,788	30.22	−3.48	23	-5
style="border: solid thin" Template:Australian politics/party colours/Country\|	Country Party	531,397	13.71	−1.84	13	-3
style="border: solid thin" Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor (Non-Communist)\|	Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist)	202,721	5.23	*	4	+4
style="border: solid thin" Template:Australian politics/party colours/State Labor\|	State Labor Party	101,191	2.61	*	0	0
style="border: solid thin" Template:Australian politics/party colours/Independent\|	Independents	312,948	8.07	+3.89	2	+1
	Total	3,876,986			74
style="border: solid thin" Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|	UAP/Country coalition		49.70	−0.90	36	−8
style="border: solid thin" Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|	Australian Labor Party		50.30	+0.90	32	+3

Independents: Arthur Coles (Henty, Vic), Alexander Wilson (Wimmera, Vic)

Note that the Victorian Country Party at this election was split into two factions, the United Country Party, which was loyal to the state party, and the Liberal Country Party, loyal to the federal party and formed following John McEwen's expulsion from the UCP. The UCP elected one member and the LCP two.

Popular Vote

Labor			40.16%
United Australia			30.22%
Country			13.71%
ALP (Non-Communist)			5.23%
State Labor			2.61%
Independent			8.07%

Two Party Preferred Vote

Labor			50.30%
Coalition			49.70%

Parliament Seats

Coalition			48.64%
Labor			43.24%
ALP (Non-Communist)			5.41%
Independent			2.70%

**Senate (P BV) — 1940–43—Turnout 94.75% (CV) — Informal 9.56%**
	Party	Votes	%	Swing	Seats Won	Seats Held	Change
Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|	UAP/Country (Joint Ticket)	1,587,541	43.70	+15.02	10
Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor \|	Australian Labor Party	1,363,072	37.52	−10.96	3	17	+1
Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor (Non-Communist) \|	Non-Communist Labor Party	274,861	7.57	*	0	0	0
Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP \|	United Australia Party	243,597	6.71	−9.42	6	15	−1
Template:Australian politics/party colours/Country \|	Country Party	*	*	−1.90	0	4	0
Template:Australian politics/party colours/Independent \|	Independents	71,760	1.98	−1.41	0	0	0
	Other	91,986	2.53		0	0	0
	Total	4,097,326			19	36

Background

Until the 1940 Canberra air disaster on 13 August, Menzies was not planning an election so early, as it was not due until December 1940 or even as late as January 1941. However, the loss of three Cabinet ministers meant that three by-elections would have been required, followed within a few short months by a general election. Bringing the general election on earlier than planned was the preferred solution.

Both the Coalition and Labor supported Australia's ongoing participation in World War II. The Coalition's advertisements asked Australians to "Cast Your Vote for Unity and an All-in War Effort / Back the Government that's Backing Churchill", with a large picture of the British Prime Minister. Labor promised "A New Deal / for the Soldier / for the Soldier's wife / Widows, the Aged and Infirm / the Taxpayer / the Working Man / the Primary Producer".^[1]

Seats changing hands

Seat	Pre-1940				Swing	Post-1940
Seat	Party		Member	Margin	Swing	Margin	Member	Party
Barton, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|	United Australia	Albert Lane	1.8	13.9	12.1	H.V. Evatt	Labor	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|
Calare, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Nationals\|	Country	Harold Thorby	2.2	5.6	3.4	John Breen	Labor	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|
Cook, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|	Labor	Tom Sheehan	N/A	33.9	13.6	Tom Sheehan	Labor (N-C)	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Lang Labor\|
Dalley, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|	Labor	Sol Rosevear	N/A	14.9	7.2	Sol Rosevear	Labor (N-C)	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Lang Labor\|
Denison, Tas	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|	Labor	Gerald Mahoney	3.9	5.0	1.1	Arthur Beck	United Australia	Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|
Henty, Vic	Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|	United Australia	Henry Gullett	N/A	3.2	13.5	Arthur Coles	Independent	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Independent\|
Lang, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|	Labor	Dan Mulcahy	N/A	13.4	16.0	Dan Mulcahy	Labor (N-C)	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Lang Labor\|
Macquarie, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|	United Australia	John Lawson	2.1	10.2	8.1	Ben Chifley	Labor	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|
Maranoa, Qld	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Nationals\|	Country	James Hunter	4.3	5.9	1.6	Frank Baker	Labor	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|
Riverina, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Nationals\|	Country	Horace Nock	7.2	8.8	1.6	Joe Langtry	Labor	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|
Wakefield, SA	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|	Labor	Sydney McHugh	6.7	10.0	3.4	Jack Duncan-Hughes	United Australia	Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|
Wannon, Vic	Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|	United Australia	Thomas Scholfield	1.3	5.0	3.7	Don McLeod	Labor	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|
Warringah, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Independent\|	Independent	Percy Spender	1.9	23.6	25.5	Percy Spender	United Australia	Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|
Watson, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|	United Australia	John Jennings	3.8	5.8	2.0	Max Falstein	Labor	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|
West Sydney, NSW	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|	Labor	Jack Beasley	100.0	64.3	14.3	Jack Beasley	Labor (N-C)	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Lang Labor\|
Wilmot, Tas	Template:Australian politics/party colours/Labor\|	Labor	Lancelot Spurr	0.2	5.2	5.0	Allan Guy	United Australia	Template:Australian politics/party colours/UAP\|

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

Notes

^ ^a ^b Hasluck, Paul (1965). Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 4 – Civil - Volume 1, The Government and the People, 1939–1941. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. pp. 256–263.

References

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

[hasluck1965-1] Hasluck, Paul (1965). Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 4 – Civil - Volume 1, The Government and the People, 1939–1941. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. pp. 256–263.

[1]

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See also: By-elections

Results

Background

Seats changing hands

See also

Notes

References