1959 Western Australian state election
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1959 Western Australian state election
| country = Western Australia
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1956 Western Australian state election
| previous_year = 1956
| next_election = 1962 Western Australian state election
| next_year = 1962
| seats_for_election = All 50 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
26 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
| election_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1959|03|21}}
| image1 = 150x150px
| leader1 = David Brand
| leader_since1 = 1 March 1957
| party1 = Liberal/Country coalition
| leaders_seat1 = Greenough
| popular_vote1 =
| percentage1 = 44.03%
| swing1 = {{increase}}5.65
| last_election1 = 19 seats
| seats1 = 25 seats
| seat_change1 = {{increase}}6
| image2 = 150x150px
| leader2 = Albert Hawke
| leader_since2 = 3 July 1951
| party2 = Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
| leaders_seat2 = Northam
| popular_vote2 =
| percentage2 = 44.92%
| swing2 = {{decrease}}4.78
| last_election2 = 29 seats
| seats2 = 23 seats
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}}6
| title = Premier
| posttitle = Resulting Premier
| before_election = Albert Hawke
| before_party = Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
| after_election = David Brand
| after_party = Liberal/Country coalition
}}Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 21 March 1959 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The result was a hung parliament—the two-term Labor government, led by Premier Albert Hawke, was defeated with an average swing against it of about 7 per cent, but the Liberal-Country Party coalition, led by Opposition Leader David Brand, won exactly half of the seats, and needed the support of at least one of the two Independent Liberal members to obtain a majority in the Assembly. The situation remained precarious throughout the term—while Bill Grayden joined the LCL the following year, giving the Coalition a one-seat majority, the other Independent Liberal, Edward Oldfield, joined the Labor Party.
Results
{{see also|Results of the Western Australian state election, 1959 (Legislative Assembly)}}
{{Australian elections/Title row
| title = Western Australian state election, 21 March 1959
| house = Legislative Assembly
| series = Western Australian state election
| back = 1956
| forward = 1962
| enrolled = 292,596{{ref label|cont|1|1}}
| total_votes = 269,322
| turnout % = 92.05%
| turnout chg = –0.13%
| informal = 6,937
| informal % = 2.58%
| informal chg = –0.26%
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Labor WA
|votes = 117,861
|votes % = 44.92%
|votes chg = –4.78%
|seats = 23
|seats chg = – 6
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|government = yes
|party_id = LCL WA
|votes = 98,335
|votes % = 37.48%
|votes chg = +4.34%
|seats = 17
|seats chg = + 6
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|government = yes
|party_id = WA Country
|votes = 17,179
|votes % = 6.55%
|votes chg = +1.31%
|seats = 8
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = dlp
|votes = 13,436
|votes % = 5.12%
|votes chg = +5.12%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Nationalist
|party = Ind. Lib.
|votes = 10,008
|votes % = 3.81%
|votes chg = –2.92%
|seats = 2
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Communist
|votes = 2,216
|votes % = 0.84%
|votes chg = +0.35%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Independent
|votes = 3,350
|votes % = 1.28%
|votes chg = –3.42%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Total row |
|total_votes = 262,385
|total_seats = 50
}}
|}
:{{note label|cont|1|1}} 362,629 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 11 seats (22% of the total) were uncontested—2 Labor seats (three less than 1956) representing 16,115 enrolled voters, 5 LCL seats (the same as 1956) representing 33,484 enrolled voters, and 4 Country seats (two less than 1956) representing 20,434 enrolled voters.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Western Australian elections}}
Category:Elections in Western Australia