1945 Australian Labor Party leadership election

none April 2022 1945 Australian Labor Partyleadership election Australia ALP logo, pre-1980s.png presidential Caucus no 1935 Australian Labor Party leadership election 1935 1951 Australian Labor Party leadership election 1951 12 July 1945 First Ballot 150x150px Ben Chifley DC241F 45 (64.3%) 150x150px Frank Forde DC241F 16 (22.9%) 150x150px Norman Makin DC241F 7 (10.0%) 150x150px Herbert Evatt DC241F 2 (2.9%) Leader John Curtin† Frank Forde (Interim) Ben Chifley The Australian Labor Party held a leadership election on 12 July 1945, following the death of Prime Minister John Curtin. Treasurer Ben Chifley won an absolute majority on the first ballot, defeating three other candidates: deputy leader and interim prime minister Frank Forde, navy minister Norman Makin, and attorney-general Herbert Evatt. Background John Curtin, party leader since 1935 and prime minister since 1941, suffered a fatal heart attack at The Lodge on 5 July 1945, after months of ill health. His deputy, Frank Forde, was sworn in as interim prime minister the following day, with the understanding that he would resign if the Labor Party did not elect him as leader. Curtin's state funeral was held in Perth on 8 July.Australia's PMs > Francis Forde > In office https://web.archive.org/web/20130403215342/http://www.primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/forde/in-office.aspx 3 April 2013 , National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 7 January 2018. Forde, as acting leader, scheduled a leadership election for Thursday, 12 July, despite the objections of allies of H. V. Evatt – who was overseas – that this would leave him no time to return to Australia and campaign. On 10 July, Forde and Chifley both announced their intention to stand for the leadership.CAUCUS MEETS TOMORROW TO ELECT PRIME MINISTER, The Canberra Times, 11 July 1945. Norman Makin announced his candidacy the next day.FOUR CANDIDATES LIKELY IN BALLOT FOR LABOUR LEADER, The Canberra Times, 12 July 1945. All 70 members of the Labor caucus (including three who were absent and voted by proxy) participated in the ballot. Chifley won 45 votes, Forde won 16, Makin won seven, and Evatt won two. Forde was subsequently re-elected unopposed as deputy leader. Chifley was sworn in as prime minister the following day, 13 July.McMullin, Ross (1991). The Light on the Hill: The Australian Labor Party 1891–1991, Oxford University Press, pp. 234–235. Results The following table gives the ballot results: + ResultsCandidate Vote(s) V% Percentage of voteBen Chifley4564.2%Frank Forde16 22.9% Norman Makin7 10% Herbert Evatt2 2.9% 70Three Labor MPs were absent; these votes were via proxy. 100% See also Other leadership ballots held following the death of a prime minister: 1939 United Australia Party leadership election 1968 Liberal Party of Australia leadership election Chifley government 1946 Australian federal election References 30em Category:Australian Labor Party leadership spills Labor Party leadership election Labor Party leadership election Australian Labor Party leadership election