1928 Australian federal election

none April 2024 June 2023 1928 Australian federal election Australia parliamentary no Primary 1925 Australian federal election 1925 1929 Australian federal election 1929 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1925–1928 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1928–1929 3,444,769 4.32% 2,728,815 (93.64%)Turnout in contested seats(2.25 pp) All 76The Northern Territory had one seat, but members for the territories did not have full voting rights until 1966 and did not count toward government formation. seats in the House of Representatives 38 seats were needed for a majority in the House 19 (of the 36) seats in the Senate yes 1928 11 17 x170px James Scullin 26 April 1928 Australian Labor Party Yarra (Vic.) 23 seats 31 + NT 8 1,158,505 44.64% 0.40 x170px Stanley Bruce 9 February 1923 Nationalist Party of Australia Flinders (Vic.) 37 seats 29 8 1,014,522 39.09% 3.37% x170px Earle Page 5 April 1921 Country Party of Australia (1920) Cowper (NSW) 13 seats 13 271,686 10.47% 0.27% Prime Minister Subsequent Prime Minister Stanley Bruce Nationalist/Country coalition Stanley Bruce Nationalist/Country coalition 1928 Australian federal election.svg Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory. The 1928 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 17 November 1928. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist–Country coalition, led by Prime Minister Stanley Bruce won a record fifth consecutive election defeating the opposition Labor Party led by James Scullin. The election was held in conjunction with a referendum on Commonwealth–State relations, which was carried. Future Prime Ministers John Curtin and Ben Chifley both entered parliament at this election. Both then lost their seats in the 1931 election and did not re-enter parliament until 1934 and 1940 respectively. Background Industrial troubles The lead-up to the 1928 election was marked by industrial tension, including a major strike of waterside workers beginning in December 1927. After a further strike of ship's cooks beginning in March 1928 and attempts by the Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia to repudiate an industrial award ruling, the government began to crack down on union activity in the sector. Cumpston Ina Mary 1989 Lord Bruce of Melbourne Longman Cheshire Melbourne 0-582-71274-2 83 The Transport Workers Act 1928 passed two months before the election, giving the government the power to terminate the employment of waterside workers who engaged in unapproved union activity.Cumpston 1989 84 Country Party tensions The second term of the Bruce–Page government was marked by conflict between the federal parliamentary Country Party, which supported the alliance with the Nationalists, and state branches and farmers' organisations which "questioned the coalition strategy and demanded that the Country Party return to parliamentary and electoral independence".Cumpston 1989 85 The government imposed multiple tariff hikes, which were unpopular with the Country Party's base of small farmers.Davey Paul 2010 Ninety Not Out: The Nationals 1920-2010 UNSW Press 43 978-1742231662 Many Country Party members considered the pact with the Nationalists to have compromised the party's independence, with "anti-pact" factions prominent in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. In 1926, former Country Party minister Percy Stewart left the party and formed a separate Country Progressive Party, sitting on the crossbench.Davey 2010 37-38 The Nationalists and Country Party ultimately agreed to renew their electoral pact prior to the 1928 election, with the modification that both parties could stand candidates in a seat if the incumbent was not recontesting.Cumpston 1989 85 Campaign The Bruce–Page government fought its election campaign "almost exclusively on industrial peace". Bruce delivered his policy speech on 9 October, seeking a "further mandate to impose law and order in the trade unions" and proposing a joint conference of workers and employers to review federal industrial law.Cumpston 1989 84 He also promised to cut back the government's migration schemes to combat rising unemployment.Souter 1988 242 The government also "strongly promoted" its National Insurance scheme, which would have provided "sickness, old age, disability and maternity benefits, mainly paid for by compulsory contributions by workers and employers, along with smaller payments to parents of children under 16 and to orphans". The National Insurance Bill 1928 had been introduced in September 1928 but failed to pass before the dissolution of parliament.Stephen Wilks 2020 'Now is the Psychological Moment': Earle Page and the Imagining of Australia https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n6924/pdf/book.pdf ANU Press 9781760463687 175-176 Opposition leader James Scullin contested his first federal election as leader, having replaced Matthew Charlton as ALP leader in March 1928.Souter Gavin Acts of Parliament: A Narrative History of the Senate and House of Representatives 1988 Melbourne University Press Carlton, Vic. 0522843670 236 He campaigned for higher tariffs, an expansion of the Commonwealth Bank, and for the Commonwealth Line to be kept in public ownership.Souter 1988 242 A referendum on a constitutional amendment allowing the federal government to assume state debts was held simultaneously with the federal election. Both the government and the opposition supported a "Yes" vote.Souter 1988 242 Results thumb|#6495ED Nationalist: 29 seats #F00011 Labor: 31 seats #008000 Country: 13 seats #8DB600 Country Progressive: 1 seat #707070 Independent: 1 seat House of Representatives Results of the Australian federal election, 1928 (House of Representatives) + House of Reps (IRV) — 1928–29—Turnout 93.64% (CV) — Informal 4.90%alt=|center|300x300px Party First preference Votes % Swing Seats Change   Nationalist–Country coalition 1,286,208 49.56 –3.64 42 –8   Nationalist100px 1,014,522 39.09 –3.37 29 –8   Country100px 271,686 10.47 –0.27 13 0   Labor 1,158,505 44.64 –0.40 32Including Northern Territory +8   Country Progressive 41,713 1.61 +1.61 1 +1   Protestant Labor 20,212 0.78 +0.78 0 0   Independents 88,447 3.41 +1.65 1 –1  Total 2,595,085     76 Two-party-preferred (estimated)   Nationalist–Country coalition Win 51.60 −2.20 42 –8   Labor48.40+2.20 31 +8 Notes Independent: William McWilliams (Franklin, Tas.). Twelve members were elected unopposed – three Labor, five Nationalist, and four Country. First preference vote #ddd 650px 410px Labor Australian Labor Party 44.64 Nationalist #6495ED 39.09 Country National Party of Australia 10.47 Country Progressive #8DB600 1.61 Independent/Other Independent (politician) 4.19 Two-party-preferred vote #ddd 650px 410px Coalition #6495ED 51.60 Labor Australian Labor Party 48.40 Parliament seats #ddd 650px 410px Coalition #6495ED 56.00 Labor Australian Labor Party 41.33 Country Progressive #8DB600 1.33 Independent Independent (politician) 1.33 Senate 1928 Australian Senate election + Senate (P BV) — 1928–31—Turnout 93.61% (CV) — Informal 9.88%alt=|center|300x300px Party First preference votes % Swing Seats won Seats held Change   Nationalist–Country coalition 1,466,323 50.46 –4.35 12 29 +1   Nationalist100px 1,141,405 39.28 –6.07 10 24 0   Country100px 324,918 11.18 +1.73 2 5 +1   Labor 1,422,418 48.95 +3.93 7 7 –1   Independents 17,092 0.59 +0.42 0 0 0   Total 2,905,833     19 36 Seats changing hands Seat Pre-1928 Swing Post-1928 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Barton, NSW  Nationalist Thomas Ley 1.0 7.3 6.3 James Tully Labor  Boothby, SA  Nationalist Jack Duncan-Hughes 7.6 7.7 0.1 John Price Labor  Denison, Tas  Nationalist John Gellibrand 2.2 2.5 0.3 Charles Culley Labor  Franklin, Tas  Nationalist Alfred Seabrook N/A 7.2 1.6 William McWilliams Independent  Fremantle, WA  Independent William Watson 8.1 1.2 2.1 John Curtin Labor  Herbert, Qld  Nationalist Lewis Nott 0.3 0.5 0.2 George Martens Labor  Indi, Vic  Country Robert CookCook had mistaken the deadline for filing his application, therefore his seat went to Labor by default https://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080109b.htm.htm 6.7 N/A (Unopposed) Paul Jones Labor  Lang, NSW  Nationalist Elliot Johnson 5.9 9.4 3.5 William Long Labor  Macquarie, NSW  Nationalist Arthur Manning 1.3 6.2 4.9 Ben Chifley Labor  Wakefield, SA  Nationalist Richard Foster 14.8 24.4 9.6 Maurice Collins Country  Wilmot, Tas  Country Llewellyn Atkinson 7.0 N/A 4.6 Llewellyn Atkinson Nationalist  Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election. In the Division of Indi, the sitting candidate Robert Cook lost his seat after forgetting to file nomination papers, resulting in Labor candidate Paul Jones winning the seat unopposed. See also Candidates of the 1928 Australian federal election Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1928–1929 Members of the Australian Senate, 1929–1932 Notes References External links University of WA https://web.archive.org/web/20150118085343/http://elections.uwa.edu.au/ 18 January 2015 election results in Australia since 1890 Two-party-preferred vote since 1919 Category:Federal elections in Australia Category:1928 elections in Australia Category:November 1928 in Australia