Western Australian state election, 1959
Encyclopedia
Elections were held in the state
of Western Australia
on 21 March 1959 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly
. The result was a hung parliament
—the two-term Labor
government, led by Premier
Bert Hawke, was defeated with an average swing against it of about 7 per cent, but the Liberal
-Country Party
coalition, led by Opposition Leader
David Brand
, won exactly half of the seats, and needed the support of at least one of the two Independent Liberal members to obtain a majority in the Assembly. The situation remained precarious throughout the term—while Bill Grayden
joined the Liberal Party the following year, giving the Coalition a one-seat majority, the other Independent Liberal, Edward Oldfield
, joined the Labor Party.
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
on 21 March 1959 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
. The result 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...
—the two-term Labor
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...
government, led by Premier
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
Bert Hawke, was defeated with an average swing against it of about 7 per cent, but the Liberal
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...
-Country Party
National Party of Western Australia
The National Party of Western Australia is a political party in Western Australia. It is affiliated with the National Party of Australia but maintains a separate structure and identity....
coalition, led by Opposition Leader
Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)
The Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the Legislative Assembly...
David Brand
David Brand
Sir David Brand KCMG was the 19th and longest serving Premier of Western Australia and a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1945 to 1975.-Early life:...
, won exactly half of the seats, and needed the support of at least one of the two Independent Liberal members to obtain a majority in the Assembly. The situation remained precarious throughout the term—while Bill Grayden
Bill Grayden
William Leonard "Bill" Grayden AM was an Australian politician. Born in Perth, Western Australia, he was educated at state schools and then at Perth Technical College, becoming a mechanical engineer. He served in the military from 1940-1946...
joined the Liberal Party the following year, giving the Coalition a one-seat majority, the other Independent Liberal, Edward Oldfield
Edward Oldfield
Edward Peate Oldfield was an Australian politician, and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1951 until 1965 representing the seats of Maylands and Mount Lawley at different times.-Biography:...
, joined the Labor Party.
Results
|}- 362,629 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 11 seats (22% of the total) were uncontested—2 Labor seats (three less than 1956) representing 16,115 enrolled voters, 5 Liberal seats (the same as 1956) representing 33,484 enrolled voters, and 4 Country seats (two less than 1956) representing 20,434 enrolled voters.
See also
- Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1956–1959Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1956–1959This is a list of members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly between the 1956 election and the 1959 election, together known as the 22nd Parliament.-Notes:...
- Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1959–1962Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1959–1962This is a list of members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly between the 1959 election and the 1962 election, together known as the 23rd Parliament.-Notes:...