1944 Queensland state election

none June 2020 August 2019 1944 Queensland state election Queensland parliamentary no 1941 Queensland state election 1941 1947 Queensland state election 1947 Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1944–1947 Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1941–1944 655,984 3.3% All 62 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland 32 15 April 1944 78.17% ( 6.44) FAC, 1940s (cropped 2).jpg 140 120 160 0 8 Frank Arthur Cooper 9 September 1942 Queensland Labor Party Bremer 41 seats 40cairns1942 King O'Malley Labor gained Cairns from Labor at a by-election in 1942. 38 2 237,042 46.23% 3.51 Frank Nicklin.jpg 130 120 160 4 7 Frank Nicklin 18 June 1941 Murrumba Country 14 seats 18Seats of both the Country Party and the United Australia Party. Both parties merged in April 1941,http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44896396 UAP–CP Form New State Party The Courier-Mail 2386 Queensland, Australia 28 April 1941 13 October 2022 3 National Library of Australia following the fourth election loss in a row for the Country Party and the Non-Labor opposition. 12 6 88,608 17.28% 2.93 John Beals Chandler, 1945 (cropped) 2.jpg 150 120 160 2 18 J. B. Chandler 27 October 1943 Hamilton Queensland People's Party Did not exist 1 7 6 124,573 24.29% 24.29 Jack Henry - Grey.jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Jack Henry 3 April 1937 Communist Party of Australia – Queensland None 0 seats 0 1 1 12,467 2.43% 1.43 Lou_Barnes.jpg 120 120 160 40 0 Lou Barnes 1942 Cairns King O'Malley Labor Did not exist 1cairns1942 1 5,790 1.13% 1.13 Townsville politician Tom Aikens.jpg 140 120 160 6 10 Tom Aikens 1944 Mundingburra(won seat) Hermit Park Labor Hermit Park Labor Did not exist 0 1 5,790 1.13% 1.13 Premier Subsequent Premier Frank Arthur Cooper Queensland Labor Party Frank Arthur Cooper Queensland Labor Party The 1944 Queensland state election was held on 15 April 1944 to elect all 62 members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The Labor Party, led by premier Frank Cooper, was elected to a fifth term in office, albeit with a reduced majority. Prior to the election, the electoral system was changed from contingency voting to first-past-the-post.Bill To Abolish Contingent Voting Passed https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56133730 Morning Bulletin 1 June 2025 4 21 November 1942 The change was brought about by the state government three weeks after Labor lost the 1942 Cairns by-election, where it had led on primary votes but lost to King O'Malley Labor in the two-candidate-preferred count.DID CAIRNS BY-ELECTION CAUSE THIS? https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/212132780 The Evening Advocate 1 June 2025 1 20 November 1942 First-past-the-post was in place for Queensland state elections until full preferential voting was introduced by the Country−Liberal coalition in 1963.Candidates, Informal Voting and Optional Preferential Voting https://antonygreen.com.au/candidates-informal-voting-and-optional-preferential-voting/ Antony Green's Election Blog 1 June 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20240519234236/https://antonygreen.com.au/candidates-informal-voting-and-optional-preferential-voting/ 19 May 2024 22 December 2020 Background Key dates Date Event 23 February 1944 The Parliament was dissolved.162 489 A Proclamation 23 February 1944 24 February 1944 Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election.162 493 24 February 1944 3 March 1944 Close of nominations. 15 April 1944 Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. 27 April 1944 The Cooper Ministry was reconstituted.162 830 27 April 1944 29 May 1944 The writ was returned and the results formally declared. 1 August 1944 Parliament resumed for business.163 33 6 July 1944 Parties and independents Some ructions had developed between some sections of the Labor Party and the party's AWU-dominated executive, resulting in tiny splinter movements which were, however, locally effective. The Hermit Park branch in Townsville, which had dominated the Townsville City Council since 1939, was expelled from the ALP for alleged disloyalty in 1942,http://www.jcu.edu.au/old_library/Specials/Archives/murg.shtml JCU Library Archives - A.D. Murgatroyd Collection 20 December 2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20120225050843/http://www.jcu.edu.au/old_library/Specials/Archives/murg.shtml 25 February 2012 dead possibly due to association with Communists. Tom Aikens won the seat of Mundingburra at the election. Similar forces saw sitting left-wing members George Taylor (Enoggera) and George Marriott (Bulimba) expelled from the party; the former lost his seat to a QPP candidate, while the latter retained his at the 1944 and 1947 elections. Frank Barnes, a colourful identity who supported social credit theories popular since the Great Depression and declared himself opposed to the Labor government, retained his seat of Bundaberg. Various changes were taking place in conservative politics as well, with the dissolution of the United Australia Party and the formation of the Queensland People's Party (QPP), led by the mayor of Brisbane and member for Hamilton, John Beals Chandler. The two independent conservatives elected in 1941 were both out of parliament by the election — Bruce Pie had resigned to contest the 1943 federal election, whilst William Deacon had died. One of the former United Australia Party members, Louis Luckins (Maree), did not join the QPP originally and retained his seat in 1944 as an independent. Apart from the above, numerous independent candidates contested with a range of banners, including Democrat, Christian Socialist, Servicemen's Association, People's Party and Independent Country Party, none of them achieving more than a few hundred votes. Fred Paterson was elected in Bowen, the only member of the Communist Party of Australia to be elected to an Australian parliament. Candidates Candidates of the 1944 Queensland state election Results Results of the 1944 Queensland state election +Legislative Assembly (FPTP) – Turnout: 78.17%Hughes CA Graham BD 1974 Voting for the Queensland legislative assembly, 1890-1964 https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/210108/1/b14246545_Hughes_C_and_Graham_B.pdf Australia National University (ANU) 203–210 File:Qld parliament (1944), arch.svg Party Primary vote Seats Votes % Swing (pp percentage points) Seats Change   Labor 237,042 46.23 –3.51 38Includes George Marriott of Bulimba whom was listed as an Independent Labor candidate. 3   People's Party 124,573 24.29 +24.29 7 7  Country 88,608 17.28 –2.93 12 6  Communist 12,467 2.43 +1.43 1 1   King O'Malley Labor 5,790 1.13 +1.13 1 1  Hermit Park Labor 5,521 1.08 +1.08 1 1  Frank Barnes Labor 4,180 0.82 –0.2 1  Democratic 999 0.19 -1.75 0 2  All Services Association of Australia 325 0.06 +0.06 0  Christian Socialist 230 0.04 +0.04 0  Independent 23,680 4.62 +0.55 1 1 Total 512,768 100.00 62 Invalid/blank votes 9,352 1.82 –0.29 colspan=2 Turnout 512,768 78.17 –6.44 colspan=2 Registered voters 655,984 colspan=2 colspan=2 Popular vote #ddd 600px 410px Labor Australian Labor Party 46.23 People's Party #4169E1 24.29 Country National National Party of Australia – Queensland 17.28 Communist #C00000 2.43 King O'Malley Labor Australian Labor Party 1.13 Hermit Park Labor #CD5C5C 1.08 Andrew Fisher Labor Australian Labor Party 0.82 Democratic #6395ec 0.19 ASAA #ffcd78 0.06 Christian Socialist #002768 0.04 Independents Independent 4.62 Seats #ddd 600px 410px Labor Australian Labor Party 61.29 People's Party #4169E1 11.29 Country National National Party of Australia – Queensland 19.35 Communist #C00000 1.61 King O'Malley Labor Australian Labor Party 1.61 Hermit Park Labor #CD5C5C 1.61 Andrew Fisher Labor Australian Labor Party 1.61 Seats changing hands This table lists changes in party representation at the 1944 election. Seat Incumbent member Party New member PartyBowenErnest Riordan LaborFred Paterson CommunistBulimbaGeorge Marriott LaborGeorge Marriott Independent LaborCunninghamWilliam Deacon* Independent CountryMalcolm McIntyre CountryEnoggeraGeorge Taylor Independent LaborKenneth Morris People's PartyKeppelDavid Daniel CountryWalter Ingram LaborLoganJohn Brown LaborThomas Hiley People's PartyMareeLouis Luckins People's PartyLouis Luckins IndependentMundingburraJohn Dash LaborTom Aikens Hermit Park LaborSandgateEric Decker CountryEric Decker People's PartyWindsorHarry Moorhouse Independent DemocratBruce Pie People's PartyWynnumBill Dart IndependentBill Gunn Labor Members listed in italics did not recontest their seats. The sitting Independent Country member for Cunningham, William Deacon died in 1943. No by-election was held due to the proximity of the state election. In addition, Frank Barnes Labor held the seat of Cairns, which it had won from Labor at the 1942 by-election. See also Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1944–1947 Cooper Ministry Notes References Category:Elections in Queensland Queensland Queensland