1971 Western Australian state election
{{Short description|1971 Western Australian election}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1971 Western Australian state election
| country = Western Australia
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1968 Western Australian state election
| previous_year = 1968
| next_election = 1974 Western Australian state election
| next_year = 1974
| seats_for_election = All 51 seats in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
and 15 (of the 30) seats to the Western Australian Legislative Council
26 Assembly seats were needed for a majority
| election_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1971|02|20}}
| image1 = 150x150px
| leader1 = John Tonkin
| leader_since1 = 1 January 1967
| party1 = Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
| leaders_seat1 = Melville
| popular_vote1 =
| percentage1 = 48.91%
| swing1 = {{increase}}3.56
| last_election1 = 23 seats
| seats1 = 26 seats
| seat_change1 = {{increase}}3
| image2 = 150x150px
| leader2 = David Brand
| leader_since2 = 1 March 1957
| party2 = Liberal/Country coalition
| leaders_seat2 = Greenough
| popular_vote2 =
| percentage2 = 35.30%
| swing2 = {{decrease}}13.95
| last_election2 = 28 seats
| seats2 = 25 seats
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}}3
| title = Premier
| before_election = David Brand
| before_party = Liberal/Country coalition
| after_election = John Tonkin
| after_party = Australian Labor Party (Western Australian Branch)
}}
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 20 February 1971 to elect all 51 members to the Legislative Assembly and 15 members to the 30-seat Legislative Council. The four-term Liberal-Country Party coalition government, led by Premier David Brand, was defeated by the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader John Tonkin.
This was the first election in which no seats were uncontested since the introduction of responsible government in 1890. This was partly due to the Democratic Labor Party deciding to contest every seat up for election in both Houses.
There was a large increase in the number of electors, because this was the first election after 18 year olds had been given the vote.{{cite news |title=Swing to Labor threatens WA Govt |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=22 February 1971 |page=1}}
Results
=Legislative Assembly=
{{see also|Results of the Western Australian state election, 1971 (Legislative Assembly)}}
{{Australian elections/Title row
| title = Western Australian state election, 20 February 1971
| house = Legislative Assembly
| series = Western Australian state election
| back = 1968
| forward = 1974
| enrolled = 537,122
| total_votes = 490,467
| turnout % = 91.31%
| turnout chg = +0.41%
| informal = 18,897
| informal % = 3.85%
| informal chg = +0.75%
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|government = yes
|party_id = Labor WA
|votes = 230,653
|votes % = 48.91%
|votes chg = +3.56%
|seats = 26
|seats chg = + 3
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Liberal WA
|votes = 139,865
|votes % = 29.66%
|votes chg = –14.34%
|seats = 17
|seats chg = – 2
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = WA Country
|votes = 26,604
|votes % = 5.64%
|votes chg = +0.39%
|seats = 8
|seats chg = – 1
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = DLP
|votes = 50,508
|votes % = 10.71%
|votes chg = +7.45%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party = United Farmers
|votes = 3,511
|votes % = 0.74%
|votes chg = +0.74%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Communist
|votes = 2,265
|votes % = 0.48%
|votes chg = –0.05%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party = Other parties
|votes = 2,687
|votes % = 0.57%
|votes chg = –0.12%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Independent
|votes = 15,477
|votes % = 3.28%
|votes chg = +2.36%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = ± 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Total row |
|total_votes = 471,570
|total_seats = 51
}}
|}
=Legislative Council=
{{see also|Results of the Western Australian state election, 1971 (Legislative Council)}}
{{Australian elections/Title row
| title = Western Australian state election, 20 February 1971
| house = Legislative Council
| staggered = yes
| enrolled = 537,122
| total_votes = 489,911
| turnout % = 91.21%
| turnout chg = –1.08%
| informal = 25,084
| informal % = 5.12%
| informal chg = +0.63%
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Labor WA
|votes = 217,465
|votes % = 46.78%
|votes chg = +0.12%
|seats = 4
|seats held = 10
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Liberal WA
|votes = 127,191
|votes % = 27.36%
|votes chg = –9.64%
|seats = 9
|seats chg = 13
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = WA Country
|votes = 25,035
|votes % = 5.39%
|votes chg = –6.19%
|seats = 2
|seats chg = 7
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = DLP
|votes = 67,891
|votes % = 14.61%
|votes chg = +12.17%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party = United Farmers
|votes = 5,782
|votes % = 1.24%
|votes chg = +1.24%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Party summary|
|party_id = Independent
|votes = 21,463
|votes % = 4.62%
|votes chg = +2.26%
|seats = 0
|seats chg = 0
}}
{{Australian elections/Total row |
|total_votes = 464,827
|total_seats = 15
|total_held = 30
}}
|}
Post-election pendulum
| class="toccolours" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="float:left; margin-right:.5em; margin-top:.4em; font-size:90%;" |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" |Labor seats (26) |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" |Marginal |
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" | Mirrabooka
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |Arthur Tonkin | align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FFCACA" |1.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" | Karrinyup
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |Stan Lapham | align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FFCACA" |2.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" | Merredin-Yilgarn
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |Jim Brown | align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FFCACA" |2.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" | Toodyay
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |James Moiler | align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FFCACA" |3.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" | Albany
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |Wyndham Cook | align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FFCACA" |5.1% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" | Clontarf
| align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |Donald May | align="left" bgcolor="FFCACA" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FFCACA" |5.5% |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" |Fairly safe |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Mount Hawthorn
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Ron Bertram | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |7.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Geraldton
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Bill Sewell | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |8.3% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Canning
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Tom Bateman | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |8.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Maylands
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |John Harman | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |9.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" | Perth
| align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |Terry Burke | align="left" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF8D8D" |9.9% |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="red" |Safe |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Northam
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Ken McIver | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |11.3% v IND |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Gascoyne
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Daniel Norton | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |11.8% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Pilbara
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Arthur Bickerton | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |13.5% v DLP |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Melville
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |John Tonkin | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |15.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Belmont
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Colin Jamieson | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |16.1% v IND |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Balcatta
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Herb Graham | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |16.6% v DLP |
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" | Fremantle
| align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |Harry Fletcher | align="left" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="FF6B6B" |17.3% |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Kalgoorlie
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Tom Evans | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |20.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Warren
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |David Evans | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |21.9% |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Victoria Park
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Ron Davies | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |25.2% v DLP |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Swan
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |John Brady | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |25.5% v DLP |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Ascot
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Merv Toms | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |25.8% v DLP |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Boulder-Dundas
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Tom Hartrey | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |28.5% v IND |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Collie
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Tom Jones | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |29.8% |
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Cockburn
| align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |Don Taylor | align="left" bgcolor="DF716D" |ALP | align="center" bgcolor="DF716D" |32.0% v DLP |
| class="toccolours" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="float:left; margin-right:.5em; margin-top:.4em; font-size:90%;" |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center"|Liberal/Country seats (25) |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="Blue" |Marginal |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Bunbury
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Maurice Williams | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |1.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Roe
| align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |Bill Young | align="left" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |CP | align="center" bgcolor="CCFFCC" |1.3% v IND |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Murchison-Eyre
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Peter Coyne | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |2.3% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Vasse
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Barry Blaikie | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |2.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Darling Range
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Ian Thompson | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |3.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Murray
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Ewart Runciman | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |3.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Subiaco
| align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |Tom Dadour | align="left" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="A6E7FF" |4.9% |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="Blue" |Fairly safe |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Dale
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Cyril Rushton | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |6.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Mount Lawley
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Ray O'Connor | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |6.8% |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Wellington
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Iven Manning | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |7.0% |
| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |Narrogin
| align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |William Manning | align="left" bgcolor="98FB98" |CP | align="center" bgcolor="98FB98" |7.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Cottesloe
| align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |Ross Hutchinson | align="left" bgcolor="80D8F9" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="80D8F9" |9.7% |
| COLSPAN=4 align="center" bgcolor="blue" |Safe |
| align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |Stirling
| align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |Matt Stephens | align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |CP | align="center" bgcolor="90EE90" |10.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |South Perth
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Bill Grayden | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |10.5% |
| align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |Blackwood
| align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |David Reid | align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |CP | align="center" bgcolor="90EE90" |11.6% v LIB |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Wembley
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Ray Young | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |11.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |Katanning
| align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |Crawford Nalder | align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |CP | align="center" bgcolor="90EE90" |11.7% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Floreat
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Andrew Mensaros | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |12.5% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Kimberley
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Alan Ridge | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |12.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |East Melville
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Des O'Neil | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |16.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |Moore
| align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |Edgar Lewis | align="left" bgcolor="90EE90" |CP | align="center" bgcolor="90EE90" |17.2% |
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |Greenough
| align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |David Brand | align="left" bgcolor="31C3FF" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="31C3FF" |18.4% |
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Mount Marshall
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Ray McPharlin | align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |CP | align="center" bgcolor="40C351" |22.6% |
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |Nedlands
| align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |Charles Court | align="left" bgcolor="44A6F1" |LIB | align="center" bgcolor="44A6F1" |24.9% |
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Avon
| align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |Harry Gayfer | align="left" bgcolor="40C351" |CP | align="center" bgcolor="40C351" |30.5% v IND |
{{Clear}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Western Australian elections}}
Category:Elections in Western Australia