New South Wales state election, 1927
Encyclopedia
The 1927 New South Wales state election to elect the 90 members of the 28th Legislative Assembly was held on 8 October 1927. During the previous parliament the voting system, which had been a form of proportional representation with multi-member seats and a single transferable vote (modified Hare-Clark
), was changed to single member constituencies with optional preferential voting
. Severe divisions occurred within the Australian Labor Party
caucus
in the four months prior to the election (see Lang Labor
) and a caretaker government
composed of the supporters of the Premier of New South Wales and party leader
, Jack Lang
was in power at the time of the election.
As a result of the election the Lang government was defeated and a Nationalist/Country Party coalition government led by Thomas Bavin and Ernest Buttenshaw
was formed with a parliamentary majority of 1 and the usual support of the 2 Nationalist independents. The Parliament first met on 3 November 1927, and ran its maximum term of 3 years. Lang remained the leader of the Labor Party throughout the Parliament.
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
), was changed to single member constituencies with optional preferential voting
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
. Severe divisions occurred within the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
in the four months prior to the election (see Lang Labor
Lang Labor
Lang Labor was the name commonly used to describe three successive break-away sections of the Australian Labor Party, all led by the New South Wales Labor leader Jack Lang premier of NSW .-Initial opposition to Lang's leadership:...
) and a caretaker government
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
composed of the supporters of the Premier of New South Wales and party leader
Leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales
The leader of the ALP in the New South Wales Parliament is elected from and by the members of the party caucus, comprising all party members in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. When the Labor party forms a government the leader is the Premier and when the party is in opposition...
, Jack Lang
Jack Lang (Australian politician)
John Thomas Lang , usually referred to as J.T. Lang during his career, and familiarly known as "Jack" and nicknamed "The Big Fella" was an Australian politician who was Premier of New South Wales for two terms...
was in power at the time of the election.
As a result of the election the Lang government was defeated and a Nationalist/Country Party coalition government led by Thomas Bavin and Ernest Buttenshaw
Ernest Buttenshaw
Ernest Albert Buttenshaw was an Australian politician and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1917 until 1932. He was a member of the Nationalist Party of Australia until 1920, when he helped to establish the Progressive Party. After 1925 he was a member of its successor, the...
was formed with a parliamentary majority of 1 and the usual support of the 2 Nationalist independents. The Parliament first met on 3 November 1927, and ran its maximum term of 3 years. Lang remained the leader of the Labor Party throughout the Parliament.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 7 September 1927 | The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. |
| 14 September 1927 | Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon. |
| 8 October 1927 | Polling day. |
| 29 October 1927 | The writs were returned and the results formally declared. |
| 3 November 1927 | Opening of 28th Parliament. |
Results
|}- There were 1,409,493 enrolled voters but 15,239 were enrolled in 1 uncontested Country Party electorate.
See also
Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1927–1930Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1927–1930
This is a list of members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly who served in the 28th parliament of New South Wales from 1927 to 1930. They were elected at the 1927 state election on 8 October 1927....