Australian federal election, 1940

Australian federal election, 1940

21 September 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
First party Second party Third party   Leader Robert Menzies John Curtin Jack Lang Party UAP/Country coalition Labor Lang Labor Leader since 26 April 1939 1 October 1935 1940 Leader's seat Kooyong Fremantle Did not run Last election 44 seats 29 seats new party Seats won 36 seats 32 seats 4 Seat change 8 3 4 Percentage 49.70% 50.30% Swing 0.90 0.90
Prime Minister before election Robert Menzies UAP/Country coalition Subsequent 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 (ALP) led by John Curtin, but the minority government lasted only a year in the hung parliament.

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 two independents crossed the floor in October 1941, allowing the ALP to form a minority government with Curtin as Prime Minister. It remains the only time in the history of federation since the 1910 introduction of an elected two-party system where the government changed not as the result of an election but as the result of a parliamentary confidence vote.

Results

Australian Federal Election, 1940

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.

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

• Members 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

Elections and referendums in Australia
Federal elections	1901 1903 1906 1910 1913 1914 1917 1919 1922 1925 1928 1929 1931 1934 1937 1940 1943 1946 1949 1951 1953 1954 1955 1958 1961 1963 1964 1966 1967 1969 1970 1972 1974 1975 1977 1980 1983 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016 next by-elections
Referendums	1906 1910 1911 1913 1916 1917 1919 1926 1928 1937 1944 1946 1948 1951 1967 1973 1974 1977 1984 1988 1999 2017
Elections in: Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia