Victorian state election, 1950

Victorian state election, 1950

13 May 1950 (1950-05-13)

65 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly   First party Second party Third party   Leader Thomas Hollway John Cain John McDonald Party Liberal and Country Labor Country Leader since 3 December 1940 18 October 1937 22 November 1945 Leader's seat Ballarat Northcote Shepparton Last election 27 seats 17 seats 20 seats Seats before 30 seats 16 seats 16 seats Seats won 27 seats 24 seats 13 seats Seat change 3 8 3 Percentage 40.69% 45.29% 10.64% Swing 3.53 4.42 4.28

Premier before election Thomas Hollway Liberal and Country Elected Premier Thomas Hollway Liberal and Country

The 1950 Victorian state election was held in the Australian state of Victoria on Saturday 13 May 1950 to elect 65 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.

Background

The previous state election in May 1947 had resulted in the Liberal–Country coalition led by Thomas Hollway winning by a substantial majority. In late 1948, Country leader and Deputy Premier John McDonald criticised Hollway over his "lack of strength" in dealing with a long-running transport strike, and his conciliatory negotiations with the transport unions.^[1] Hollway responded by sacking McDonald as his deputy and dissolving the coalition. The Country Party became the official opposition (with three seats more than Labor in the assembly). Hollway formed a minority Liberal government, convincing four Country Party assembly members (Guye, Hedditch, Hipworth and Mibus) to defect to his party, which he provocatively renamed the Liberal and Country Party.^[2]

Despite lacking a majority, Hollway's government survived for nearly a year due to the support of two Country members (Bennett and Hyland) and the casting vote of the Speaker, Sir Thomas Maltby, in vital divisions. In February 1950, the LCP voted to expel two members of the parliamentary party—Fred Edmunds and John Lechte—for disloyalty, reducing the government's members to 30.^[3] On 12 April, the Governor of Victoria, Sir Dallas Brooks, summoned McDonald and Labor leader John Cain to gain their assurance that they would not form a joint ministry. Hollway was then summoned, and agreeing that the house had become unworkable and that there was no chance of the LCP and Country Party reconciling, was granted a dissolution of the assembly.^[1]

Labor had lost the seat of Geelong to the Liberals in a 1948 by-election following the death of Fanny Brownbill.^[4]

Former Premier and member for Korong, Sir Albert Dunstan, died suddenly on 14 April—the day after the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly and the issue of the election writs. Due to the proximity of the general election, no by-election was held for his seat.^[5]

Results

Legislative Assembly

See also

• Candidates of the Victorian state election, 1950
• Victorian Legislative Council election, 1949

References

Elections and referendums in Victoria General elections 1856 1859 1861 1864 1866 1868 1871 1874 1877 1880 (Feb) 1880 (Jul) 1883 1886 1889 1892 1894 1897 1900 1902 1904 1907 1908 1911 1914 1917 1920 1921 1924 1927 1929 1932 1935 1937 1940 1943 1945 1947 1950 1952 1955 1958 1961 1964 1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1992 1996 1999 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 by-elections Upper house elections 1851 1856 1858 1860 1864 1866 1868 1870 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1889 1890 1892 1894 1895 1896 1898 1900 1901 1902 1904 1907 1910 1913 1916 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1940 1943 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 Referendums 1898 1899