1965 New South Wales state election

April 2022 State election for New South Wales, Australia in May 1965 June 2020 1965 New South Wales state election New South Wales parliamentary no 1962 New South Wales state election 1962 1968 New South Wales state election 1968 All 94 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly48 Assembly seats were needed for a majority yes 1965 05 01 150x150px Robert Askin 17 July 1959 Liberal/Country coalition Collaroy 49.82% 5.60 39 seats 47 8 150x150px Jack Renshaw 30 April 1964 Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) Castlereagh 43.31% 5.26 54 seats 45 9 1965 New South Wales state election.svg 400px Two-candidate-preferred margin by electorate Premier Jack Renshaw Australian Labor Party (New South Wales Branch) Bob Askin Liberal/Country coalition The 1965 New South Wales state election was held on 1 May 1965. It was conducted in single member constituencies with compulsory preferential voting and was held on boundaries created at a 1961 redistribution. The election was for all of the 94 seats in the Legislative Assembly. Issues In May 1965, Labor had been in power for 24 years and 56-year-old Jack Renshaw, who had been seen as a generational change for the party leadership, had been premier for one year. Yet Renshaw had difficulty adjusting to a televised campaign; and his manner, the result of spending much of his early life in remote New South Wales, had limited appeal to urban voters. The longevity of the government was an issue promoted by the opposition which described it as being composed of "tired old men"; indeed, six members of Renshaw's cabinet were 65 years old or older, and most of them had been in cabinet during Labor's entire 24-year run in government. Continuing cost overruns and construction delays at the Sydney Opera House made problematic the Renshaw government's claims of sound economic management. Causing further damage were accusations that the Speaker, Ray Maher, had indecently exposed himself to a staff member. This scandal disrupted the start of the government's campaign. Moreover the government's keynote policy of releasing large tracts of land in Sydney for residential development was leaked to the opposition, which then claimed the plan as its own policy. The ALP continued to have an ideological difficulty matching the Opposition's promises of state aid for non-government schools, and this was the most decisive issue in the election. Other government policies included increased high school bursaries, measures to reduce unfair trading, reduced power costs, increased sick leave and reform of Workers' Compensation schemes. Labor Policy offers 5,000 bursaries The Sydney Morning Herald 9 April 1965 1 In contrast to Renshaw, Robert Askin (who had been the leader of the conservative coalition since 1959) was skilled in his use of television and put forward a positive program. This included promises for non-government schools included free transport, library grants, low interest loans, textbook subsidies and bursaries. Askin accused Renshaw's administration of having allowed the transport infrastructure of the state to decay. Also, Askin pledged that if he won the election, he would order improvements to the Illawarra and Eastern Suburbs rail lines. He promised to integrate the state's bus and train fares and reduce suburban rail costs. Motor registry costs would be reduced and better rent control was to be introduced for pensioners. Askin, in addition, promised to recruit more police, and provide more resources for mental health and district hospitals.McMullin Ross The Light on the Hill: The Australian Labor Party 1891-1991 Oxford University Press 1991 0-19-554966-X Points from policy speech The Sydney Morning Herald 14 April 1965 1 Results Results of the 1965 New South Wales state election Prior to the election, Independent Frank Purdue had gained the seat of Waratah from the Labor Party at a by-election caused by the death of Edward Greaves. Sam Jones regained the seat for Labor at the general election. Despite a strong swing of more than 5% to the Coalition, the result of the election remained in doubt for two weeks. The effects of a long incumbency bolstered by the cumulative effects of a number of re-distributions limited Labor's losses to nine seats. In several of these the margin of defeat was less than 300 votes. In the final result the Coalition had 47 seats, one short of a majority. However, it could rely on the support of two conservative independents--Douglas Darby, a former Liberal who was subsequently readmitted to the party room, and Harold Coates, who had won the seat of Hartley. After providing a Speaker, the coalition was able to form a government with a three-seat majority in the Assembly, ending 24 years and eight terms of Labor government. Liberal 31 seats Independent Liberal 1 seat Country Party 16 seats Australian Labor Party 45 seats Independent 1 seat The DLP contested 28 seats and, while it gained less than 2.5% of the statewide primary vote, its preferences strongly favoured the coalition and were vital to its success. The Communist party was reduced to 13 candidates who received negligible support. Seats changing party representation This table lists changes in party representation since the 1965 election Seat Incumbent member Party New member PartyBlighTom Morey LaborMorton Cohen LiberalCoogeeLou Walsh LaborKevin Ellis LiberalGoulburnLaurie Tully LaborRon Brewer CountryHartleyJames Robson LaborHarold Coates IndependentHurstvilleBill Rigby LaborTom Mead LiberalLismoreKeith Compton LaborBruce Duncan CountryMonaroJohn Seiffert LaborSteve Mauger Liberal NepeanAlfred Bennett Labor Ron Dunbier Liberal Wollongong-Kembla Doug Porter Labor Jack Hough Liberal Key dates Date Event 31 March 1965 The Legislative Assembly was dissolved, and writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. 5 April 1965 Nominations for candidates for the election closed at noon. 1 May 1965 Polling day. 28 May 1965 Last day for the writs to be returned and the results formally declared. 26 May 1965 Opening of 41st Parliament. Results {{Australian elections/Title row | table style = float:right;clear:right;margin-left:1em; | title = New South Wales state election, 1 May 1965Green 1965 1965 election totals 1965 Totals 12 August 2019 | house = Legislative Assembly | series = New South Wales state election | back = 1962 | forward = 1968 | enrolled = 2,256,568There were 2,218,550 enrolled voters in 92 contested electorates and 38,018 were enrolled in 2 uncontested electorates (1 Labor, 1 Country).Green 1965 | total_votes = 2,083,361 | turnout % = 93.91 | turnout chg = −0.09 | informal = 42,571 | informal % = 2.04 | informal chg = +0.50 }} yes Liberal NSW 807,868 39.59 +4.74 31 +6 yes Country NSW 208,826 10.23 +0.86 16 +2 Labor NSW 883,824 43.31 −5.26 45 −9 Independent 63,680 3.12 −0.01 1 +1 dlp 43,109 2.11 −1.02 0 − Independent Liberal NSW 20,400 1.00 −0.95 1 0 Communist 13,082 0.64 +0.01 0 − 2,040,789 94 |} {{ bar box |float=right| title=Popular vote | titlebar=#ddd | width=600px | barwidth=410px | bars= Labor Australian Labor Party 43.31 Liberal Liberal Party of Australia 39.59 Country National Party of Australia – NSW 10.23 Independents Independent 4.12 Democratic Labor #008080 2.11 Communist #C00000 0.64 #ddd Parliamentary seats Labor Australian Labor Party 47.87 45 Liberal Liberal Party of Australia 32.98 31 Country National Party of Australia – NSW 17.02 16 Independents Independent 2.13 2 }} Aftermath Robert Askin and Charles Cutler became Premier and Deputy Premier in New South Wales' first conservative government for 24 years. Renshaw became Leader of the Opposition, a post he held throughout the term of the parliament. During this parliament there were 3 by-elections. These resulted in the Country party gaining one seat from Labor and one seat from the Liberal Party. See also Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, 1965–1968 Notes References Category:Elections in New South Wales New South Wales Category:1960s in New South Wales Category:May 1965 in Australia