Western Australian state election, 1974

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 30 March 1974 to elect all 51 members to the Legislative Assembly and 15 members to the 30-seat Legislative Council. The one-term Labor government, led by Premier John Tonkin, was defeated by the Liberal-Country Party coalition, led by Opposition Leader Charles Court.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Australian elections/Title row
title = Western Australian state election, 30 March 1974
house = Legislative Assembly
series = Western Australian state election
back = 1971
forward = 1977
enrolled = 597,335ref label|cont|1|1
total_votes = 538,365
turnout % = 90.13%
turnout chg = –1.18%
informal = 21,966
informal % = 4.08%
informal chg = +0.23%Australian elections/Party summary
government = yes
party_id = Liberal
votes = 208,288
votes % = 40.33%
votes chg = +10.67%
seats = 23
seats chg = + 6Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Labor
votes = 248,395
votes % = 48.10%
votes chg = –0.81%
seats = 22
seats chg = – 4Australian elections/Party summary
government = yes
party_id = Nationals
party = Alliance (CP/DLP)ref label|Nat|2|2
votes = 55,746
votes % = 10.80%
votes chg = –5.55%
seats = 6
seats chg = – 2Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Democrats
party = Australia Party
votes = 2,052
votes % = 0.40%
votes chg = +0.36%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Independent
votes = 1,918
votes % = 0.37%
votes chg = –2.91%
seats = 0
seats chg = ± 0Australian elections/Total row
total_votes = 516,399
total_seats = 51Australian elections/2PP summary
party id 1 = Liberal
party 1 = Liberal/NA
2pp votes 1 = 262,621
2pp % 1 = 50.17%
2pp chg 1 = +2.50%
party id 2 = Labor
2pp votes 2 = 260,805
2pp % 2 = 49.83%
2pp chg 2 = –2.50%

Notes::note label|cont|1|1 604,222 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but one seat, Mount Marshall, held by the National Alliance's Ray McPharlin and representing 6,887 electors, was uncontested.:note label|Nat|2|2 The Western Australian Country Party agreed to a trial merger with the Democratic Labor Party prior to the election, known as the "National Alliance". They contested 44 seats including many in the metropolitan area. The Alliance ceased to exist shortly after the 1974 election, and the National Country Party adopted a more traditional strategy for subsequent elections.

Legislative Council

Australian elections/Title row
title = Western Australian state election, 30 March 1974
house = Legislative Council
staggered = yes
enrolled = 581,784ref label|contLC|1|1
total_votes = 523,182
turnout % = 89.93%
turnout chg = –1.28%
informal = 25,072
informal % = 4.79%
informal chg = –0.33%Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Labor
votes = 235,271
votes % = 47.23%
votes chg = +0.45%
seats = 5
seats held = 9Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Liberal
votes = 226,288
votes % = 45.43%
votes chg = +18.07%
seats = 9
seats held = 18Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Nationals
party = Alliance (CP/DLP)
votes = 36,551
votes % = 7.34%
votes chg = –13.66%
seats = 1
seats held = 3Australian elections/Party summary
party_id = Independent
votes =
votes % =
votes chg = –5.86%
seats = 0
seats held = 0Australian elections/Total row
total_votes = 498,110
total_seats = 15
total_held = 30Australian elections/2PP summary
party id 1 = Liberal
party 1 = Liberal/NA
2pp votes 1 = 267,672
2pp % 1 = 51.90%
2pp chg 1 =
party id 2 = Labor
2pp votes 2 = 248,040
2pp % 2 = 48.10%
2pp chg 2 =

note label|contLC|1|1 604,222 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but one seat, Central Province, held by the National Alliance and representing 22,438 electors, was uncontested.

ee also

* Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1971–1974
* Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, 1974–1977

References