The 1928 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 17 November 1928. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist–Country coalition, led by Prime Minister Stanley Bruce won a record fifth consecutive election defeating the opposition Labor Party led by James Scullin.
The election was held in conjunction with a referendum on Commonwealth–State relations, which was carried.
Future Prime Ministers John Curtin and Ben Chifley both entered parliament at this election. Both then lost their seats in the 1931 election and did not re-enter parliament until 1934 and 1940 respectively.
Background Industrial troubles The lead-up to the 1928 election was marked by industrial tension, including a major strike of waterside workers beginning in December 1927. After a further strike of ship's cooks beginning in March 1928 and attempts by the Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia to repudiate an industrial award ruling, the government began to crack down on union activity in the sector. The Transport Workers Act 1928 passed two months before the election, giving the government the power to terminate the employment of waterside workers who engaged in unapproved union activity.
Country Party tensions The second term of the Bruce–Page government was marked by conflict between the federal parliamentary Country Party, which supported the alliance with the Nationalists, and state branches and farmers' organisations which "questioned the coalition strategy and demanded that the Country Party return to parliamentary and electoral independence". The government imposed multiple tariff hikes, which were unpopular with the Country Party's base of small farmers.
Many Country Party members considered the pact with the Nationalists to have compromised the party's independence, with "anti-pact" factions prominent in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. In 1926, former Country Party minister Percy Stewart left the party and formed a separate Country Progressive Party, sitting on the crossbench. The Nationalists and Country Party ultimately agreed to renew their electoral pact prior to the 1928 election, with the modification that both parties could stand candidates in a seat if the incumbent was not recontesting.
Campaign The Bruce–Page government fought its election campaign "almost exclusively on industrial peace". Bruce delivered his policy speech on 9 October, seeking a "further mandate to impose law and order in the trade unions" and proposing a joint conference of workers and employers to review federal industrial law. He also promised to cut back the government's migration schemes to combat rising unemployment. The government also "strongly promoted" its National Insurance scheme, which would have provided "sickness, old age, disability and maternity benefits, mainly paid for by compulsory contributions by workers and employers, along with smaller payments to parents of children under 16 and to orphans". The National Insurance Bill 1928 had been introduced in September 1928 but failed to pass before the dissolution of parliament.
Opposition leader James Scullin contested his first federal election as leader, having replaced Matthew Charlton as ALP leader in March 1928. He campaigned for higher tariffs, an expansion of the Commonwealth Bank, and for the Commonwealth Line to be kept in public ownership.
A referendum on a constitutional amendment allowing the federal government to assume state debts was held simultaneously with the federal election. Both the government and the opposition supported a "Yes" vote.
Results
House of Representatives
+ House of Reps (IRV) — 1928–29—Turnout 93.64% (CV) — Informal 4.90% Party First preference Votes % Swing Seats Change Nationalist–Country coalition 1,286,208 49.56 –3.64 42 –8 Nationalist 1,014,522 39.09 –3.37 29 –8 Country 271,686 10.47 –0.27 13 0 Labor 1,158,505 44.64 –0.40 32 +8 Country Progressive 41,713 1.61 +1.61 1 +1 Protestant Labor 20,212 0.78 +0.78 0 0 Independents 88,447 3.41 +1.65 1 –1 Total 2,595,085 76 Two-party-preferred Nationalist–Country coalition Win 51.60 −2.20 42 –8 Labor48.40+2.20 31 +8
Notes Independent: William McWilliams (Franklin, Tas.). Twelve members were elected unopposed – three Labor, five Nationalist, and four Country.
Senate
+ Senate (P BV) — 1928–31—Turnout 93.61% (CV) — Informal 9.88% Party First preference votes % Swing Seats won Seats held Change Nationalist–Country coalition 1,466,323 50.46 –4.35 12 29 +1 Nationalist 1,141,405 39.28 –6.07 10 24 0 Country 324,918 11.18 +1.73 2 5 +1 Labor 1,422,418 48.95 +3.93 7 7 –1 Independents 17,092 0.59 +0.42 0 0 0 Total 2,905,833 19 36
Seats changing hands
Seat Pre-1928 Swing Post-1928 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Barton, NSW Nationalist Thomas Ley 1.0 7.3 6.3 James Tully Labor Boothby, SA Nationalist Jack Duncan-Hughes 7.6 7.7 0.1 John Price Labor Denison, Tas Nationalist John Gellibrand 2.2 2.5 0.3 Charles Culley Labor Franklin, Tas Nationalist Alfred Seabrook N/A 7.2 1.6 William McWilliams Independent Fremantle, WA Independent William Watson 8.1 1.2 2.1 John Curtin Labor Herbert, Qld Nationalist Lewis Nott 0.3 0.5 0.2 George Martens Labor Indi, Vic Country Robert Cook 6.7 N/A (Unopposed) Paul Jones Labor Lang, NSW Nationalist Elliot Johnson 5.9 9.4 3.5 William Long Labor Macquarie, NSW Nationalist Arthur Manning 1.3 6.2 4.9 Ben Chifley Labor Wakefield, SA Nationalist Richard Foster 14.8 24.4 9.6 Maurice Collins Country Wilmot, Tas Country Llewellyn Atkinson 7.0 N/A 4.6 Llewellyn Atkinson Nationalist Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
In the Division of Indi, the sitting candidate Robert Cook lost his seat after forgetting to file nomination papers, resulting in Labor candidate Paul Jones winning the seat unopposed.
See also Candidates of the 1928 Australian federal election Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1928–1929 Members of the Australian Senate, 1929–1932
Notes
References
External links University of WA election results in Australia since 1890 Two-party-preferred vote since 1919