Queensland state election, 1944
Encyclopedia
Elections were held in the Australia
n state
of Queensland
on 15 April 1944 to elect the 62 members of the state's Legislative Assembly
.
The election was the first that Labor had contested under Premier Frank Cooper, who had been in office for 19 months by the time of the poll.
The election resulted in Labor receiving a fifth term in office, albeit with a reduced majority.
-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, 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
, Sir John Beals Chandler
. The two independent conservatives elected in 1941 were both out of parliament by the election — Arthur 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.
, as indicated in the table below. In net terms, Labor lost four seats, although it still had a healthy working majority.
|}
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
on 15 April 1944 to elect the 62 members of the state's Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
.
The election was the first that Labor had contested under Premier Frank Cooper, who had been in office for 19 months by the time of the poll.
The election resulted in Labor receiving a fifth term in office, albeit with a reduced majority.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 23 February 1944 | The Parliament was dissolved. |
| 24 February 1944 | Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election. |
| 3 March 1944 | Close of nominations. |
| 15 April 1944 | Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. |
| 27 April 1944 | The Cooper Ministry First Cooper Ministry The Cooper Ministry was a ministry of the Government of Queensland and was led by Labor Premier Frank Cooper. It succeeded the Forgan Smith Ministry on 16 September 1942 following Forgan Smith's resignation from the Ministry after over 10 years as Premier... was reconstituted. |
| 29 May 1944 | The writ was returned and the results formally declared. |
| 1 August 1944 | Parliament resumed for business. |
Parties and independents
Some ructions had developed between some sections of the Labor Party and the party's AWUAustralian Workers' Union
The Australian Workers' Union is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s, and currently has approximately 135,000 members...
-dominated executive, resulting in tiny splinter movements which were, however, locally effective. The Hermit Park
Hermit Park, Queensland
Hermit Park is a suburb and Residential enclave of Townsville, Queensland. It is a mixture of predominantly residential premises, ocmmercial and light-industrial businesses, as well as serving as a public services hub. The Mater Women's and Children's Hospital is a private hospital located in the...
branch in Townsville, which had dominated the Townsville City Council since 1939, was expelled from the ALP for alleged disloyalty in 1942, possibly due to association with Communists. Tom Aikens won the seat of Mundingburra
Electoral district of Mundingburra
The district of Mundingburra is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.- Overview :The seat is one of four within the Townsville urban area in North Queensland. Significant utilities within the Mundingburra electorate are the Townsville Hospital,...
at the election. Similar forces saw sitting left-wing members George Taylor (Enoggera) and George Marriott (Bulimba
Electoral district of Bulimba
-External links:*...
) 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
Social Credit
Social Credit is an economic philosophy developed by C. H. Douglas , a British engineer, who wrote a book by that name in 1924. Social Credit is described by Douglas as "the policy of a philosophy"; he called his philosophy "practical Christianity"...
theories popular since the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and declared himself opposed to the Labor government, retained his seat of Bundaberg
Electoral district of Bundaberg
The division of Bundaberg is an electoral district of the Queensland Legislative Assembly in central Queensland, Australia.It covers the city of Bundaberg, as well as the immediate surrounding area, hence its name....
.
Various changes were taking place in conservative politics as well, with the dissolution of the United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
and the formation of the Queensland People's Party
Queensland People's Party
The Queensland People's Party was a conservative political party in Queensland, Australia.Created in 1943 by Brisbane Lord Mayor John Beals Chandler, the Queensland People's Party contested elections in South East Queensland. In 1948, they became the Queensland branch of the Liberal Party of...
(QPP), led by the mayor of Brisbane
City of Brisbane
The City of Brisbane is the Local Government Area that has jurisdiction over the inner portion of the metropolitan area of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
and member for Hamilton
Electoral district of Hamilton (Queensland)
Hamilton was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland from 1932 to 1950.The district was based in the inner northeastern suburbs of Brisbane, and included the suburbs of Albion, Ascot, Eagle Farm, Hamilton and Hendra. It was a safe seat for the...
, Sir John Beals Chandler
John Beals Chandler
Sir John Beals Chandler was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 1940 to 1952, and the Member for the Queensland Legislative Assembly district of Hamilton from 1943 to 1947.-Personal life:...
. The two independent conservatives elected in 1941 were both out of parliament by the election — Arthur Bruce Pie
Arthur Bruce Pie
Arthur Bruce Pie was an Australian politician who served in the Queensland Legislative Assembly.He was born in Coburg, Victoria and attended Caulfield Grammar School...
had resigned to contest the 1943 federal election, whilst William Deacon had died. One of the former United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
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.
Results
The election saw a swing away from Labor based on the 1941 electionQueensland state election, 1941
Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on 29 March 1941 to elect the 62 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The Labor government of Premier William Forgan Smith was seeking a fourth term in office.-Key dates:-Results:...
, as indicated in the table below. In net terms, Labor lost four seats, although it still had a healthy working majority.
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- 655,984 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 7 seats (11.3% of the total) were uncontested—6 Labor seats (2 more than in 1941) representing 58,561 enrolled voters and one Country seat representing 11,696 enrolled voters.
- At the election, Frank Barnes and his brother Lou Barnes, both incumbents but the latter having gained the seat at a 1942 by-election, retained their seats. They contested later elections under the banner "Frank Barnes Labor".
See also
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1941–1944Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1941–1944This is a list of members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1941 to 1944, as elected at the 1941 state election.-References:* Waterson, D.B. Biographical register of the Queensland Parliament, 1930-1980 Canberra: ANU Press...
- Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1944–1947Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, 1944–1947This is a list of members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1944 to 1947, as elected at the 1944 state election.*Cooper Ministry *Hanlon Ministry -References:...
- Candidates of the Queensland state election, 1944Candidates of the Queensland state election, 1944This is a list of candidates who stood for the 1944 Queensland state election. The election was held on 15 April 1944.The main parties in the election were the Labor Party, led by Premier Frank Cooper, the Country Party, led by Leader of the Opposition Frank Nicklin, and the Queensland People's...
- Cooper MinistryFirst Cooper MinistryThe Cooper Ministry was a ministry of the Government of Queensland and was led by Labor Premier Frank Cooper. It succeeded the Forgan Smith Ministry on 16 September 1942 following Forgan Smith's resignation from the Ministry after over 10 years as Premier...