1929 Australian federal election

none April 2024 January 2023 1929 Australian federal election Australia parliamentary no Primary 1928 Australian federal election 1928 1931 Australian federal election 1931 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1928–1929 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1929–1931 3,539,120 2.74% 2,957,549 (94.85%)Turnout in contested seats(1.21 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 Australian House of Representatives38 seats were needed for a majority yes 1929 10 12 Image:James_Scullin_October_1928-02.jpg 190x190px James Scullin 26 April 1928 Australian Labor Party Yarra (Vic.) 56.70% 8.30% 31 seats 46 + NT 15 1,406,327 Image:Stanley Bruce 1930.jpg Stanley Bruce 9 February 1923 NationalistCountry Coalition Flinders (Vic.)(lost seat) 43.30% 8.30% 42 seats 24 18 1,271,619 Albert Dunstan (cropped).jpg 145 145 185 0 2 center Albert Dunstan April 1926 Country Progressive Country Progressive N/AAlbert Dunstan was the member for Korong and Eaglehawk in the Victorian Legislative Assembly and did not contest the federal election.Sir Albert Arthur Dunstan https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/albert-dunstan/ Parliament of Victoria 27 January 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250127014317/https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/albert-dunstan/ 27 January 2025 27,942 0.97% 0.64 1 seat 1 IND N/A N/A Independents N/A 173,362 6.02% 2.61 1 seats 4Including 3 incumbent Nationalist Party members who ran independently against the endorsed Nationalist candidate and won, retaining their seats at the election. 1 Independent politician Prime Minister Stanley Bruce Nationalist/Country coalition Subsequent Prime Minister James Scullin Australian Labor Party 1929 Australian federal election.svg Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory. The 1929 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 12 October 1929. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election, but there was no Senate election. The election was caused by the defeat of the Stanley Bruce-Earle Page Government in the House of Representatives over the Maritime Industries Bill, Bruce having declared that the vote on the bill would constitute a vote of confidence in his government. With senators having fixed six-year terms, the terms of those senators elected in 1926 were not due to expire until 1932. Under the Constitution of Australia, no election for their replacement could occur more than a year prior to their terms expiring, except in the case of a double dissolution; since the constitutional conditions for a double dissolution did not exist, it was not possible to hold a half-Senate election in 1929. This was the first Commonwealth election for the House of Representatives only. In the election, the incumbent Nationalist-Country Coalition, led by Bruce and Page, was defeated in a landslide by the opposition Labor Party under James Scullin. Labor ended 13 years in opposition, having lost government two years after its previous election victory in 1914. James Scullin became Australia's first Catholic prime minister.http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/scullin/fast-facts.aspx Fast facts – James Scullin – Fast facts – Australia's Prime Ministers Primeministers.naa.gov.au 31 July 2012 live https://web.archive.org/web/20120626022939/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/scullin/fast-facts.aspx 26 June 2012 Labor won what was then its largest-ever majority in the House, but held only a minority of Senate seats as a result of the House-only election. The Nationalists had been in power since 1917, and in Coalition with the Country Party since 1923. This was the first and only time the Nationalists lost, as they merged to form the United Australia Party in 1931. It was the only federal election in Australia's history at which no sitting members retired. It also saw the defeat of Prime Minister Stanley Bruce in his own seat of Flinders, the first time that an incumbent Prime Minister had been defeated for re-election in his own seat. That did not occur again until 2007, when John Howard lost his seat. Future Prime Minister Joseph Lyons entered parliament at this election. Although a non-Labor government was in office between 1932 and 1941, the 1929 election also marked the last time that a non-Labor government was voted out of office until 1972. Background Stanley Bruce Conflict over industrial relations had dominated Stanley Bruce's government in 1929. Strikes and unrest in Newcastle and Hunter Region coalfields were the most widespread and severe, but disturbances within the waterfront, sugar, transport and timber industries were also ongoing. Throughout 1928 and 1929 economic conditions in Australia and internationally had been declining, whilst Australian debt had grown and revenues had shrunk. Facing major challenges, Bruce had embarked upon extensive negotiations throughout 1929 to tighten federal control over finance and industrial relations and to implement ameliorating policies in concert with the states. Instead, the Nationalist premiers met separately and demanded that Bruce return control of industrial arbitration to the individual states.Radi Heather Stanley Melbourne Bruce Bruce, Stanley Melbourne (1883–1967) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bruce-stanley-melbourne-5400 Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography, Australian National University 25 November 2012 In August these issues came to a head. On 14 August, a motion of no-confidence was moved by Labor in response to Bruce's decision earlier in the year to drop prosecution of mine-owner John Brown for his part in the coalmine lock-outs in the Hunter Valley. The motion was defeated, but Billy Hughes and Edward Mann crossed the floor on the motion. Bruce subsequently excluded them from participating in party meetings. Bruce then introduced the Maritime Industries Bill, which would abolish the Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration and make arbitration the exclusive domain of the states. In concert, Earle Page brought down his seventh and most stringent budget, which introduced new taxes and spending cuts in an attempt to fight the ballooning deficit. Both moves were highly controversial.Souter Gavin Acts of Parliament : A Narrative History of the Senate and House of Representatives 1988 Melbourne University Press Carlton, Vic. 0522843670 249–252 Hughes and Mann joined the opposition in denouncing the bill, and were joined by rebelling Nationalist George Maxwell and independent Percy Stewart. At the second reading of the bill in September, it was apparent that it would narrowly pass. However, when the bill entered the committee stage, Hughes moved an amendment that the bill should not be proclaimed until submitted to the people, either by referendum or general election. Attorney-General John Latham noted that the Commonwealth had no power to call a referendum, making general election the only constitutionally valid result of the amendment. Bruce agreed, stating that the amendment would constitute a vote of confidence in his government.Souter Gavin Acts of Parliament: A Narrative History of the Senate and House of Representatives 1988 Melbourne University Press Carlton, Vic. 0522843670 249–252 The amendment had the support of the opposition, as well as the three Nationalist defectors. Independents Stewart and William McWilliams also indicated their support. The critical vote came down to Nationalist Walter Marks, who was known to be a supporter of the bill but unhappy with the government's handling of the movie industry, of which he was an ardent supporter. The new budget's "amusement tax" (which would harm film exhibitors) appeared to be the last straw, and Marks joined to defectors to vote for the amendment.Lloyd C.J. Marks, Walter Moffitt (1875–1951) Walter Moffitt Marks (1875–1951) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/marks-walter-moffitt-7492 Australian Dictionary of Biography National Centre of Biography, Australian National University 25 November 2012 With the vote now likely 35–34 in favour of the amendment, the Government was faced with a dilemma. The Chairman of Committees, Nationalist James Bayley, could not cast a deliberative vote in committee, only a casting vote if the numbers were tied. However, it was possible for the Speaker, Nationalist Sir Littleton Groom, to cast a deliberative vote in the committee (though not on the floor of the House, where the Speaker has only a casting vote). Bruce implored Groom to vote against the amendment in committee so that Bayley could defeat the measure with his tie-breaking vote. However, Groom was steadfast that he would follow the British House of Commons (though not Australian) precedent that the Speaker remain impartial and not vote in committee. There was also some suspicion of vengeance in his decision, as Groom had been demoted from Attorney-General to Speaker a few years previously, a move he had reputedly been unhappy about.Lee David Stanley Melbourne Bruce: Australian Internationalist 2010 Continuum London 978-0826445667 89–90 With Groom abstaining, the amendment passed by one vote as predicted. Treating the passage of the amendment as a defeat in a motion of no-confidence, Bruce announced to the House on 12 September that the Governor-General had accepted his advice to call an election,Dissolution Granted https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4037031 2018-12-06 The Argus 1929-09-13 despite some speculation a government led by John Latham, James Scullin, or Billy Hughes might be attempted. Results Results of the Australian federal election, 1929 (House of Representatives) thumb|#6495ED Nationalist: 14 seats #F00011 Labor: 46 seats #008000 Country: 10 seats #8DB600 Country Progressive: 1 seat #707070 Independent: 4 seats + House of Reps (IRV) – 1929–31—Turnout 94.85% (CV) – Informal 2.65%alt=|center|300x300px Party First preference votes % Swing Seats Change   Labor 1,406,327 48.84 +4.20 47Including Northern Territory +15   Nationalist–Country coalition 1,271,619 44.16 –5.40 24 –18   Nationalist100px 975,979 33.90 –5.20 14 –15   Country100px 295,640 10.27 –0.20 10 –3   Country Progressive 27,942 0.97 –0.64 1 0   Independents 173,362 6.02 +2.61 4 +3   Total 2,879,250     76 Two-party-preferred (estimated)   Labor Win 56.70 +8.30 46 +15   Nationalist–Country coalition 43.30 −8.30 24 –18 Notes Independents: Billy Hughes (North Sydney, NSW), George Maxwell (Fawkner, Vic.), Walter Marks (Wentworth, NSW), William McWilliams (Franklin, Tas.) Nine members were elected unopposed – six Labor and three Country. No separate Senate election was held – see here for Senate composition. First preference vote #ddd 650px 410px Labor Australian Labor Party 48.84 Nationalist #6495ED 33.90 Country National Party of Australia 10.27 Country Progressive #8DB600 0.97 Independent Independent (politician) 6.02 Two-party-preferred vote #ddd 650px 410px Labor Australian Labor Party 56.70 Coalition #6495ED 43.30 Parliament seats #ddd 650px 410px Labor Australian Labor Party 61.33 Coalition #6495ED 32.00 Country Progressive #8DB600 1.33 Independent Independent (politician) 5.33 Seats changing hands Seat Pre-1929 Swing Post-1929 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Angas, SA  Nationalist Walter Parsons 9.4 14.1 4.7 Moses Gabb Labor  Bass, Tas  Nationalist Syd Jackson 3.1 13.5 10.4 Allan Guy Labor  Bendigo, Vic  Nationalist Geoffry Hurry 3.1 8.2 5.1 Richard Keane Labor  Calare, NSW  Nationalist Neville Howse 10.7 12.3 1.6 George Gibbons Labor  Corangamite, Vic  Country William Gibson 3.0 5.1 2.1 Richard Crouch Labor  Corio, Vic  Nationalist John Lister 8.5 14.5 6.0 Arthur Lewis Labor  Eden-Monaro, NSW  Nationalist John Perkins 7.6 7.7 0.1 John Cusack Labor  Fawkner, Vic  Nationalist George Maxwell N/A 23.1 11.4 George Maxwell Ind. Nationalist  Flinders, Vic  Nationalist Stanley Bruce 10.7 10.9 0.2 Jack Holloway Labor  Gwydir, NSW  Country Aubrey Abbott 2.3 6.0 3.7 Lou Cunningham Labor  Kennedy, Qld  Nationalist Grosvenor Francis 2.4 5.5 3.1 Darby Riordan Labor  Martin, NSW  Nationalist Graham Pratten 6.9 13.3 6.4 John Eldridge Labor  North Sydney, NSW  Nationalist Billy Hughes N/A 32.3 16.1 Billy Hughes Ind. Nationalist  Parkes, NSW  Nationalist Charles Marr 7.4 15.2 7.8 Edward McTiernan Labor  Parramatta, NSW  Nationalist Eric Bowden 10.1 13.4 3.3 Albert Rowe Labor  Wakefield, SA  Country Maurice Collins 9.6 16.5 6.9 Charles Hawker Nationalist  Wannon, Vic  Nationalist Arthur Rodgers 2.8 4.8 2.0 John McNeill Labor  Wentworth, NSW  Nationalist Walter Marks 11.5 19.8 8.3 Walter Marks Ind. Nationalist  Wilmot, Tas  Nationalist Llewellyn Atkinson 4.6 N/A 2.9 Joseph Lyons Labor  See also Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1929 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1929-1931 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:1929 elections in Australia Category:October 1929 in Australia