New South Wales state election, 1950
Encyclopedia
The 1950 New South Wales State state election was held on 17 June 1950. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting
and was held on boundaries created at a 1949 redistribution. The election was for all of the 94 seats in the Legislative Assembly
, which was an increase of 4 seats since the previous election.
At the time of the election, Labor had been in power for 9 years, James McGirr
had been the Premier for 3 years and Labor had lost power federally to the Liberal Party of Robert Menzies
6 months earlier. The NSW Labor Government, under McGirr, was beginning to show signs of age. Severe divisions had appeared in the party at the beginning of 1950 when the state executive expelled 4 members of the Assembly James Geraghty
(North Sydney
), John Seiffert
(Monaro
), Roy Heferen
(Barwon) and Fred Stanley
(Lakemba
) from the parliamentary party for breaking party solidarity during an indirect election of the Legislative Council
. They had voted for the businessman Asher Joel
instead of the endorsed Labor candidates. All four served out the remainder of their terms as independents and stood in the election as Independent Labor candidates. An attempt by the caucus to overturn the expulsions led to resentment among party branch members which was reflected in the defeat of four members who were standing for pre-selection; Baden Powell, Bob Gorman
, Mary Quirk
and Kevin Dwyer
. Two members of Lang Labor
: James Lang
(Auburn) and Lillian Fowler (Newtown
) were still in the Assembly and they both stood for re-election.
In contrast, the Liberal Party
which had been founded by in 1945, continued to consolidate its position as the pre-eminent conservative party. It had been led by Vernon Treatt
and presented a solid front to the electorate. The Country Party
was led by Michael Bruxner
and remained closely aligned to the Liberals.
The result of the election was a hung parliament
:
The balance of power lay with the two re-elected Independent Labor members, James Geraghty and John Seiffert, who had been expelled from the party for disloyalty during the previous parliament. Under a legalistic interpretation of the ALP rules, Seiffert was readmitted to the party and, together with the support of Geraghty, McGirr and Labor were able to stay in power. Labor gained the two Lang Labor
seats and re-gained the Independent Labor seat of Lakemba
at the election. It lost the remaining seat held by an Independent Labor member (Barwon) to the Country Party. Labor also lost Hawkesbury
, Ryde
and Kogarah
to the Liberal Party and Mudgee
and Dubbo
to the Country Party. The sitting Independent members for South Coast
and Gloucester
changed their allegiance to the Liberal Party and the Country Party respectively at this election. During the parliament there were 4 by-elections with the result of a net gain to Labor of 1 seat (Ashfield
).
The near loss of the election weakened McGirr's position and he was replaced as premier by Joseph Cahill
in April 1952. Treatt remained the Leader of the Opposition
during the period of this parliament and Bruxner continued as the Leader of the Country Party, a position he had held since 1932.
The final 2pp result was labor 51% to Coalition at 49%.
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...
and was held on boundaries created at a 1949 redistribution. The election was for all of the 94 seats in the Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
, which was an increase of 4 seats since the previous election.
At the time of the election, Labor had been in power for 9 years, James McGirr
James McGirr
James McGirr was the Labor Premier of New South Wales from 6 February 1947 to 3 April 1952.A Catholic, McGirr was the seventh son of John Patrick McGirr, farmer and Irish immigrant, and Mary McGirr, whose maiden name was O'Sullivan. Born in Parkes, New South Wales, he grew up on a dairy farm near...
had been the Premier for 3 years and Labor had lost power federally to the Liberal Party of Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
6 months earlier. The NSW Labor Government, under McGirr, was beginning to show signs of age. Severe divisions had appeared in the party at the beginning of 1950 when the state executive expelled 4 members of the Assembly James Geraghty
James Geraghty
James Leo Geraghty was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 until 1953. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party until 1950 and then sat as an Independent Labor member .-Early life:Geraghty was born in Parramatta, New South Wales...
(North Sydney
Electoral district of North Sydney
North Sydney was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. Created in 1927, it replaced part of the multi-member electorate of North Shore, and was named after and included the Sydney suburb of North Sydney. It was abolished in 1962 and partly...
), John Seiffert
John Seiffert
John Wesley Seiffert was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 until his death in 1965...
(Monaro
Electoral district of Monaro
Monaro is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by John Barilaro of the National Party of Australia....
), Roy Heferen
Roy Heferen
Stephen Roy Heferen was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1941 until 1950. During his parliamentary career he was a member of the Australian Labor Party but sat as an Independent Labor member between March and May 1950.-Early life:Heferen...
(Barwon) and Fred Stanley
Fred Stanley (politician)
Fred Stanley was an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1927 until 1950...
(Lakemba
Electoral district of Lakemba
Lakemba is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's Inner West. It has been held by the Australian Labor Party since its creation in 1927...
) from the parliamentary party for breaking party solidarity during an indirect election of the Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
. They had voted for the businessman Asher Joel
Asher Joel
Sir Asher Alexander Joel KBE, AO was an Australian public figure and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council for 20 years...
instead of the endorsed Labor candidates. All four served out the remainder of their terms as independents and stood in the election as Independent Labor candidates. An attempt by the caucus to overturn the expulsions led to resentment among party branch members which was reflected in the defeat of four members who were standing for pre-selection; Baden Powell, Bob Gorman
Bob Gorman
Robert Douglas Gorman was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1933 and 1950...
, Mary Quirk
Mary Quirk
Mary Lily May Quirk was an Australian politician.Born in Coonamble in New South Wales to farmer Julius Deal and his wife Emma Margaretta White, she was educated at Rozelle before commencing work as a domestic servant. She was later employed as a shop assistant with Grace Brothers, leading to her...
and Kevin Dwyer
Kevin Dwyer (politician)
Kevin Dwyer was an Australian politician and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for 7 months in 1949-50. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party.-Early life:...
. Two members of 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:...
: James Lang
James Lang
James Lang may refer to:*James Lang , American basketball player*James Lang , Scottish footballer*James Lang , Australian politician...
(Auburn) and Lillian Fowler (Newtown
Electoral district of Newtown-Annandale
Newtown-Annandale was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was created in 1950, mainly succeeding Newtown and Annandale. It was abolished in 1953.-Members for Newtown-Annandale:...
) were still in the Assembly and they both stood for re-election.
In contrast, the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
which had been founded by in 1945, continued to consolidate its position as the pre-eminent conservative party. It had been led by Vernon Treatt
Vernon Treatt
Sir Vernon Haddon Treatt KBE, MM, QC was an Australian lawyer, soldier, Rhodes Scholar and politician. Born in Singleton, New South Wales and educated at Shore School, Treatt interrupted his studies at the University of Sydney to enlist at the outbreak of the First World War...
and presented a solid front to the electorate. The Country Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
was led by Michael Bruxner
Michael Bruxner
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Michael Frederick Bruxner KBE, DSO, JP was an Australian politician and soldier, serving for many years as Leader of the Country Party and its predecessors...
and remained closely aligned to the Liberals.
The result of the election was a hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
:
- Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor PartyThe 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...
46 seats - Independent Labor 2 seat
- LiberalLiberal Party of AustraliaThe Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
29 seats - Country PartyNational Party of AustraliaThe National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
17 seats
The balance of power lay with the two re-elected Independent Labor members, James Geraghty and John Seiffert, who had been expelled from the party for disloyalty during the previous parliament. Under a legalistic interpretation of the ALP rules, Seiffert was readmitted to the party and, together with the support of Geraghty, McGirr and Labor were able to stay in power. Labor gained the two 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:...
seats and re-gained the Independent Labor seat of Lakemba
Electoral district of Lakemba
Lakemba is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's Inner West. It has been held by the Australian Labor Party since its creation in 1927...
at the election. It lost the remaining seat held by an Independent Labor member (Barwon) to the Country Party. Labor also lost Hawkesbury
Electoral district of Hawkesbury
Hawkesbury is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It was represented by Steven Pringle, formerly of the Liberal Party of Australia, who contested the 2007 election as an independent but was defeated by Ray Williams of the Liberal Party of...
, Ryde
Electoral district of Ryde
Ryde is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It includes the suburbs and localities of Denistone, Denistone East, Denistone West, Macquarie Park, Marsfield, Meadowbank, Melrose Park, Ryde, North Ryde, West Ryde; and part of Eastwood.It is...
and Kogarah
Electoral district of Kogarah
Kogarah is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales in Sydney's St George district. It is represented by Cherie Burton of the Australian Labor Party.-History:...
to the Liberal Party and Mudgee
Electoral district of Mudgee
Mudgee was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales first created in 1859, partly replacing Wellington and Bligh and named after and including Mudgee. Following the abolition of Goldfields West in 1880, it elected three members simultaneously,...
and Dubbo
Electoral district of Dubbo
Dubbo is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Troy Grant of the National Party of Australia....
to the Country Party. The sitting Independent members for South Coast
Electoral district of South Coast
South Coast is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Shelley Hancock of the Liberal Party of Australia.-Members for South Coast:-Election results:...
and Gloucester
Electoral district of Gloucester
Gloucester was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, originally created in 1880, partly replacing Williams, and named after Gloucester or Gloucester County . In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into...
changed their allegiance to the Liberal Party and the Country Party respectively at this election. During the parliament there were 4 by-elections with the result of a net gain to Labor of 1 seat (Ashfield
Electoral district of Ashfield
Ashfield was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, first created in 1894 with the abolition of multi-member electoral districts from part of Canterbury, and named after the Sydney suburb of Ashfield. It was abolished in 1920, with the...
).
The near loss of the election weakened McGirr's position and he was replaced as premier by Joseph Cahill
Joseph Cahill
John Joseph Cahill was Premier of New South Wales in Australia from 1952 to 1959. He is best remembered as the Premier who approved construction on the Sydney Opera House, and for his work increasing the authority of local government in the state.-Early years:Joe Cahill, as he was popularly known,...
in April 1952. Treatt remained the Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (New South Wales)
The role of the Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in New South Wales is a title held by the leader of the largest minority party in the state lower house, the New South Wales Legislative Assembly...
during the period of this parliament and Bruxner continued as the Leader of the Country Party, a position he had held since 1932.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 22 May 1950 | The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. |
| 22 May 1950 | Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon. |
| 17 June 1950 | Polling day. |
| 19 July 1950 | Last day for the writs to be returned and the results formally declared. |
| 12 July 1950 | Opening of 36th Parliament. |
Results
|}The final 2pp result was labor 51% to Coalition at 49%.
- There were 1,768,801 enrolled voters in 86 contested electorates and 150,878 were enrolled in 8 uncontested electorates (5 Country, 2 Liberal and 1 Labor).
See also
- Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1950–1953Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1950–1953This is a list of members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1950 to 1953, as elected at the 1950 state election:** James McGirr ** Joseph Cahill...
- Candidates of the New South Wales state election, 1950Candidates of the New South Wales state election, 1950This is a list of candidates of the 1950 New South Wales state election. The election was held on 17 June 1950.-Labor:*Bill Dunn MLA *Kevin Dwyer MLA — lost preselection...