1940 Australian federal election

1940 Australian federal election

← 1937 21 September 1940 1943 →
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 Robert Menzies John Curtin Party UAP/Country coalition Labor Leader since 26 April 1939 1 October 1935 Leader's seat Kooyong (Vic.) Fremantle (WA) Last election 44 seats 29 seats Seats won 36 seats 32 seats Seat change 8 3 Percentage 49.70% 50.30% Swing 0.90% 0.90%
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 Robert Menzies UAP/Country coalition Subsequent Prime Minister Robert Menzies UAP/Country coalition

The 1940 Australian federal election was 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 Robert Menzies and the Country Party led by Archie Cameron, defeated the opposition Labor Party under John Curtin despite losing the overall popular vote.

The Coalition had won 36 seats, two short of a majority, but formed a government on 28 October 1940 with the support of both independent crossbenchers, Alexander Wilson and Arthur Coles. The four MPs elected to Lang Labor's successor, the Australian Labor Party (Non-Communist), officially re-joined the ALP just months after the election in February 1941, bringing the ALP seat tally up to 36. The UAP–Country minority government lasted only until October 1941, when the two independents crossed the floor and allowed the ALP to form a minority government with Curtin as prime minister. It remains the only time since the 1910 introduction of an elected two-party system where the government changed as the result of a parliamentary confidence vote.

Future opposition leaders H.V. Evatt and Arthur Calwell both entered parliament at this election.

Background[]

The 15th parliament elected in the 1937 election first sat on 30 November 1937.^[1] Under the constitution, the parliament would expire in November 1940 and a general election would have to held by January 1941.^[2][3] Throughout 1940, there were debates on whether the general election should be held or postponed in the midst of a world war.^[4] Throughout July and August 1940, Prime Minister Robert Menzies contemplated the prospect of an early election.^[5] The loss of three Cabinet ministers in the 1940 Canberra air disaster on 13 August also meant that three by-elections would have been required, followed within a few short months by a general election.

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".^[6]

Results[]

House of Representatives[]

Australian Federal Election, 1940

House of Reps (IRV) — 1940–43—Turnout 94.82% (CV) — Informal 2.56%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	UAP–Country coalition		1,703,185	43.93	–4.65	36	–8
		United Australia	1,171,788	30.22	–3.49	23	–5
		Country	531,397	13.71	–1.84	13	–3
	Labor		1,556,941	40.16	−3.01	32	+3
	Lang Labor		202,721	5.23	+5.23	4	+4
	State Labor		101,191	2.61	+2.61	0	0
	Defence Movement		15,313	0.40	+0.40	0	0
	Protestant Labor		8,300	0.21	+0.21	0	0
	Independents		289,335	7.46	+1.90	2	0
	Total		3,876,986			74
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
	UAP–Country coalition			49.70	−0.90	36	−8
	Labor			50.30	+0.90	32	+3

Notes

• Independents: Arthur Coles (Henty, Vic) (see below), Alexander Wilson (Wimmera, Vic)
• The Country Party in Victoria was split over membership of the Coalition, with the state party opposing its members taking office. The official United Country Party elected two members, one of whom, George Rankin, sat in the federal Country Party room and the other, Alexander Wilson, sat as an Independent. A breakaway faction, the Liberal Country Party, was formed to support sitting ministers and elected two members, John McEwen and Thomas Paterson, who both sat in the federal Country Party room.

Senate[]

Senate (P BV) — 1940–43—Turnout 94.75% (CV) — Informal 9.56%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Seats held	Change
	UAP–Country coalition		1,831,138	50.41	+3.70	16	19	–1
		UAP–Country joint ticket	1,649,241	45.40	+16.72	10	N/A	N/A
		United Australia	181,897	5.01	–11.12	6	15	–1
		Country	N/A	N/A	N/A	0	4	0
	Labor		1,363,072	37.52	–10.96	3	17	+1
	Non-Communist Labor		274,861	7.57	+7.57	0	0	0
	State Labor		70,091	1.93	+1.93	0	0	0
	Defence Movement		9,536	0.26	+0.26	0	0	0
	Independents		84,119	2.32	–1.07	0	0	0
	Total		3,632,817			19	36

Notes

• Of the ten senators elected on UAP–Country joint tickets, seven were UAP members and three were Country Party members.

Seats changing hands[]

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

See also[]

• Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1940
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1940–1943
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1941–1944

Notes[]

References[]

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