1944 New South Wales state election

April 2022 State election for New South Wales, Australia in May 1944 the local government elections held in December 1944 New South Wales local elections June 2020 1944 New South Wales state election New South Wales parliamentary no 1941 New South Wales state election 1941 1947 New South Wales state election 1947 All 90 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly46 Assembly seats were needed for a majority yes 1944 05 27 150x150px William McKell 23 September 1939 Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) Redfern 45.20% 5.60 54 seats 56 2 150x150px Reginald Weaver 10 February 1944 Democratic Party (1943) Neutral Bay 18.91% 1.38 14 seats 12 2 150x150px Michael Bruxner 26 April 1932 Country 006644 Tenterfield 10.41% 0.64 12 seats 10 2 1944 New South Wales state election.svg 400px Two-candidate-preferred margin by electorate Premier William McKell Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) William McKell Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) The 1944 New South Wales state election was held on 27 May 1944. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1940 redistribution. The election was for all of the 90 seats in the Legislative Assembly. Issues The Labor government of William McKell faced its first challenge at a general election in May 1944. The campaign was overshadowed by the course of World War II and the Sydney Morning Herald noted that in such an uncertain environment it was difficult for any party to make extensive plans for the future. This was particularly the case as many of the responsibilities of the states had been usurped by the Commonwealth Government under emergency war powers. https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17908589 Today's election Sydney Morning Herald 27 May 1944 p2 27 May 1944 Australian National Library 2009-01-11 McKell's three years in government had enhanced his reputation as a moderate and cautious leader. Under his leadership the extreme left wing of the party had been expelled and had contested the 1941 as the State Labor Party. Its poor showing had resulted in its dissolution shortly after the election and most members then joined the Communist Party of Australia. However, Labor unity was again threatened by Jack Lang who had been expelled from the Labor Party in 1943 and had formed another version of the Lang Labor Party. On this occasion he received no support from the rest of the caucus and spent the rest of the term as the sole member. In comparison to the Labor Party, the urban conservative political forces were in complete disarray. The very poor results of the United Australia Party (UAP) under Billy Hughes at the 1943 federal election had increased the divisions within the party. The Democratic Party, which was a merger of the Commonwealth Party and UAP in November 1943, had emerged as the main conservative party in New South Wales state politics.https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17869825 "Democratic Party" Formed Sydney Morning Herald 25 November 1943 29 November 2019 It was led by Reginald Weaver and had the support of most of the former UAP members of parliament. However the Liberal Democratic Party, which had been founded by the Sydney timber merchant and businessman Ernest White (later Sir Ernest), attracted significant media attention and had a large and expensive advertising campaign. White claimed that the UAP and Democratic Party had been overly concerned with infighting and were no longer able to give coherence to conservative political aspirations. His party while supporting an extension of the welfare safety-net called for an increased effort to win the war including the mandatory deregistration of unions involved in unreasonable strike action. https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17907776 Liberal Democratic Policy: White attacks old parties Sydney Morning Herald 18 May 1944 p3 18 May 1944 Australian National Library 2009-01-11 The Sydney Morning Herald commented that the Liberal Democratic Party was "a mouse" attempting to "swallow the Democratic Party lion". https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17908235 Election prospects: Discord in opposition Sydney Morning Herald 24 May 1944 p2 24 May 1944 Australian National Library 2009-01-11 Key dates Date Event 24 April 1944 The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. 28 April 1944 Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon. 27 May 1944 Polling day.8 June 1944Second McKell ministry sworn in 22 June 1944 Last day for the writs to be returned and the results formally declared. 22 June 1944 Opening of 34th Parliament. Results Results of the 1944 New South Wales state election There was little change in the composition of parliament, with Labor retaining its large majority. At the election Lang's party won 2 of the 23 seats in which it stood candidates. Its total primary vote of 9.33%, which significantly reduced Labor's primary vote but made little difference to the distribution of seats. The Liberal Democratic Party did not fulfill pre-election predictions and gained less than 4% of the vote with no seats. {{Australian elections/Title row | table style = float:right;clear:right;margin-left:1em; | title = New South Wales state election, 27 May 19441944 election totals 1944 Totals 9 August 2019 | house = Legislative Assembly | series = New South Wales state election | back = 1941 | forward = 1947 | enrolled = 1,732,706There were 1,433,166 enrolled voters in 74 contested electorates and 299,540 were enrolled in 16 uncontested electorates (13 Labor, 1 Democrat, 1 Country and 1 Independent). | total_votes = 1,310,270 | turnout % = 91.42 | turnout chg = −1.10 | informal = 43,329 | informal % = 3.31 | informal chg = +0.78 }} yes Labor NSW 572,600 45.20 −5.60 56 +2 Democratic (NSW) 239,610 18.91 +1.38democratic Compared to United Australia Party at 1941 election 12 −2democratic Country NSW 131,950 10.41 −0.64 10 −2 Lang Labor 118,174 9.33 +9.33 2 +2 Independent 72,431 5.72 −0.41 5 +1 Liberal Democrat 49,325 3.89 +3.89 0 0 Independent Democrat 30,532 2.41 −0.84ind democrat Compared to Independent UAP at 1941 election 4 −1ind democrat Independent Labor NSW 22,697 1.79 −0.35 0 –1 Communist 21,982 1.74 +1.74 0 – Independent Country NSW 6,670 0.53 +0.53 1 +1 State Labor 0 0 −5.64 0 – All others 970 0.08 −0.62 0 – 1,266,941 90 |} Seats changing party representation This table lists changes in party representation since the 1941 election but does not include United Australia Party members who retained their seats as Democratic Party members Seat 1941 1944 Party Member Member Party Auburn  Labor NSW Jack Lang Australian politicianLang had been expelled from the Labor Party in 1943 Jack Lang Australian politician Lang Labor  Burwood   Independent UAP Gordon Jackett Gordon Jackett Democratic (NSW)  DubboClarrie Robertson (Labor NSW) won Dubbo from the Country Party at the 1942 by-election caused by the death of George Wilson  Country NSW Clarrie Robertson Labor NSW  LachlanJohn Chanter (Labor NSW) won Lachlan from the Country Party at the 1943 by-election caused by the death of Griffith Evans John Chanter John Courtenay Chanter Lane Cove   UAP Herbert FitzSimons Henry Woodward Australian politician Manly Alfred Reid Australian politician Alfred Reid Australian politician Independent Democrat  Murrumbidgee   Independent Labor NSW George Enticknap George Enticknap Labor NSW  Nepean   UAP Joseph Jackson Australian politician Joseph Jackson Australian politician Independent  Newtown   Labor NSW Frank Burke Australian politician Lilian Fowler Lang Labor Oxley   Independent George Mitchell Australian politician Les Jordan Independent Country NSW  Tamworth Independent UAP Bill Chaffey Bill Chaffey Independent Aftermath McKell remained premier until he was appointed Governor General in early 1947. Weaver became the leader of the United Democratic Party, formed from the urban conservative parties in late 1944. The Democratic Party became the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party of Australia in early 1945, with Weaver becoming its inaugural leader. However, he died in November that year and was succeeded by former Premier Alexander Mair, who was then succeeded by Vernon Treatt in March 1946. Michael Bruxner retained his leadership of the Country Party, which he had held since 1932, throughout the parliament. There were 9 by-elections during the parliament but the overall composition of the parties stayed intact. See also Candidates of the 1944 New South Wales state election Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1944–1947 Notes References Category:Elections in New South Wales NewSouthWalesstate Category:1940s in New South Wales New South Wales state election