1936 Western Australian state election

Summary

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 15 February 1936 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The Labor Party, led by Premier Philip Collier, won a second term in office against the Country and Nationalist parties, led by Opposition Leader Charles Latham and Norbert Keenan respectively.

1936 Western Australian state election

← 1933 15 February 1936 1939 →

All 50 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Philip Collier Charles Latham Norbert Keenan
Party Labor Country Nationalist
Leader since 16 April 1917 12 April 1930 24 April 1933
Leader's seat Boulder York Nedlands
Last election 30 seats 12 seats 8 seats
Seats won 26 seats 13 seats 8 seats
Seat change Decrease4 Increase1 Steady0
Percentage 42.33% 14.60% 32.36%
Swing Decrease3.15 Increase0.32 Increase1.83

Premier before election

Philip Collier
Labor

Elected Premier

Philip Collier
Labor

The only member to retire at the election was Labor member for Kalgoorlie James Cunningham, who transferred to the Australian Senate the following year.

Results edit

At the election, 5 sitting members (four Labor and one Nationalist) were defeated—three of them by independents. In Maylands, one-term MLA Robert Clothier (Labor) was defeated by independent Nationalist Harry Shearn, who won with preferences from two endorsed nationalists. In East Perth, Minister for Employment and Labour James Kenneally was defeated by former Labor member Thomas Hughes, and the Nationalist member for Nelson, John Henry Smith, was defeated by independent Clarence Doust. The remaining seats, Subiaco and Albany, were lost by Labor to the Nationalist and Country parties respectively.

Western Australian state election, 15 February 1936
Legislative Assembly
<< 19331939 >>

Enrolled voters 194,354[1]
Votes cast 136,309 Turnout 70.13% –20.47%
Informal votes 1,518 Informal 1.11% –1.12%
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 57,055 42.33% –3.15% 26 – 4
  Nationalist 43,619 32.36% +1.83% 8 ± 0
  Country 19,685 14.60% +0.32% 13 + 1
  Ind. Nat. 3,418 2.54% +1.33% 1 + 1
  Social Credit 1,385 1.03% +1.03% 0 ± 0
  Communist 118 0.09% –0.16% 0 ± 0
  Independent 9,431 7.00% –1.21% 2 + 2
Total 134,791     50  
1 247,465 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 15 of the 50 seats were uncontested—10 Labor seats representing 33,038 enrolled voters, 1 Nationalist seat representing 3,933 voters and 4 Country seats representing 16,284 voters.

See also edit

References edit