A federal election was held in Australia on 28 September 1946. All 74 seats in the House of Representatives and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Labor Party led by Prime Minister Ben Chifley defeated the opposition Liberal–Country coalition, led by Robert Menzies. It was the Liberal Party's first federal election since its creation. This was the first time the Labor party had won a second consecutive election. This was also the last time the Labor party would win a federal election until the 1972 election.

The election was held in conjunction with three referendum questions, one of which was carried.

Results House of Representatives

+ House of Reps (IRV) — 1946–49—Turnout 93.97% (CV) — Informal 2.45% Party First preference votes % Swing Seats Change   Labor 2,159,953 49.71 −0.22 43 −6   Liberal–Country coalition 1,896,349 43.65 +13.20 29 +6   Liberal 1,431,682 32.95 +11.05 18 +4   Country 464,667 10.70 +2.16 11 +2   Labor (Non-Communist) 69,138 1.59 +0.87 1 +1   Communist 64,811 1.49 +1.49 0 0   Services 55,140 1.27 +1.27 0 0   Protestant People's 20,111 0.46 +0.46 0 0   Independents 79,040 1.82 −10.34 2 -1   Total 4,344,542     75 Two-party-preferred   Labor Win 54.10 −4.10 43 −6   Liberal–Country coalition 45.90 +4.10 29 +6

Notes Independent: Doris Blackburn (Bourke, Vic.) In South Australia, the Liberal Party was known as the Liberal and Country League.

Senate + Senate (P BV) — 1946–49—Turnout 93.97% (CV) — Informal 8.01% Party First preference votes % Swing Seats won Seats held Change   Labor 2,133,272 52.06 −3.02 16 33 +11   Liberal–Country coalition 1,775,022 43.33 +5.18 3 3 –11   Liberal–Country joint ticket 1,561,718 38.12 N/A 3 N/A N/A   Liberal 213,304 5.21 N/A 0 2 –10   Country N/A N/A N/A 0 1 –1   Protestant People's 123,541 3.02 +3.02 0 0 0   Services 37,724 0.92 +0.92 0 0 0   Independents 27,767 0.68 –3.83 0 0 0   Total 4,097,326     19 36

Notes Of the three senators elected on Liberal–Country joint tickets, two were Liberal Party members and one was a Country Party member.

Seats changing hands

Seat Pre-1946 Swing Post-1946 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Bourke, Vic  Labor Bill Bryson 3.6 4.7 1.1 Doris Blackburn Independent  Calare, NSW  Labor John Breen 9.9 11.7 1.8 John Howse Liberal  Capricornia, Qld  Labor Frank Forde 5.9 8.8 2.9 Charles Davidson Country  Franklin, Tas  Labor Charles Frost 9.9 10.0 0.1 Bill Falkinder Liberal  Henty, Vic  Independent Arthur Coles 5.5 9.8 4.3 Jo Gullett Liberal  Reid, NSW  Labor Charles Morgan N/A 7.4 4.2 Jack Lang Lang Labor  Swan, WA  Labor Don Mountjoy 3.0 3.2 0.2 Len Hamilton Country  Wakefield, SA  Labor Albert Smith 1.2 3.9 2.7 Philip McBride Liberal  Wilmot, Tas  Liberal Allan Guy 1.7 3.4 1.7 Gil Duthie Labor  Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

See also Candidates of the 1946 Australian federal election Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1946–1949 Members of the Australian Senate, 1947–1950

Notes

References University of WA election results in Australia since 1890 Two-party-preferred vote since 1937