The 1917 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 5 May 1917. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist Party, led by Prime Minister Billy Hughes, defeated the opposition Labor Party led by Frank Tudor in a landslide.

Hughes, at the time a member of the ALP, had become prime minister when Andrew Fisher retired in 1915. The Australian Labor Party split of 1916 over the conscription issue had led Hughes and 24 other pro-conscription Labor MPs to split off as the National Labor Party, which was able to form a minority government supported by the Commonwealth Liberal Party under Joseph Cook. Later that year, National Labor and the Liberals merged to form the Nationalist Party, with Hughes as leader and Cook as deputy leader. The election was fought in the aftermath of the 1916 plebiscite on conscription, which had been narrowly defeated. The Nationalists won a decisive victory, securing the largest majority government since Federation. The ALP suffered a large electoral swing against it, losing almost seven percentage points of its vote share compared with 1914. The swing was magnified by the large number of former Labor MPs who followed Hughes out of the party. This election would be the last federal election using the first past the post election system as Australia switched to the preferential voting system in 1919.

Background Labor split and aftermath

In November 1916 the ALP formally split over the issue of conscription, following the referendum defeat of the government's proposal to require conscript soldiers to serve overseas. Hughes and his supporters were expelled from the ALP and formed a separate National Labor Party (NLP), continuing to govern in minority with the support of the Liberal Party despite holding only 16 out of 75 seats in the House. The remnant ALP, now led by Frank Tudor, retained its Senate majority, making the passage of legislation difficult.

Discussions around an alliance between the NLP and the Liberals began shortly after the split. Although Hughes would have preferred a national unity government of all parties, the ALP was unwilling to co-operate and by mid-December 1916 Hughes had accepted the principle that Liberals would have to join his cabinet. Negotiations between Hughes and Liberal leader Joseph Cook lasted for a couple of months, with terms finally agreed by Hughes on 31 January 1917 and approved by the Liberal Party. A new coalition ministry was sworn in on 17 February, with Cook taking the second rank in cabinet and the Liberals gaining five out of the nine portfolios.

Attempted postponement Hughes had initially planned to call an election for April or May 1917 to allow him to attend the Imperial War Cabinet and Imperial War Conference in London. However, at the urging of the Liberals, a plan was instead developed to postpone the election – "until October 1918 or six months after the end of the war, whichever was sooner". As this would have violated section 28 of the constitution, the government sought to prolong the parliament by petitioning the British government to directly amend the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 and thereby circumvent the standard referendum process for constitutional amendments. This mechanism was viewed by some in Australia as legally permissible prior to the adoption of the Statute of Westminster 1931.

Hughes received advice from the British government that a joint resolution of the Australian parliament would be necessary before the British parliament could consider the matter. He succeeded in passing a resolution through the House, but faced difficulties in the Senate where the ALP still held a majority. Hughes was accused by some opponents of improperly influencing ALP senators to miss the vote – as with James Guy, James Long, and David Watson – or resign from the Senate altogether, as with Rudolph Ready. The postponement of the election was ultimately thwarted when Liberal senators Thomas Bakhap and John Keating crossed the floor to vote against the resolution.

Hughes eventually advised Governor-General Ronald Munro Ferguson to dissolve parliament on 23 March 1917 with the election date set for 5 May. He was consequently unable to attend the Imperial War Cabinet.

Results House of Representatives

+House of Reps 1917–1919 (FPTP) – Turnout 78.30% (Non-CV) – Informal 2.64% Party Votes % Swing Seats Change  Nationalist 1,021,138 54.22 +7.01 53 +21  Labor 827,541 43.94 –6.96 22 –20  Independents 34,755 1.85 −0.05 0 –1 Total 1,883,434     75  NationalistWin 53 +21  Labor 22 −20 Notes Ten members were elected unopposed – seven Nationalist and three Labor. The changes recorded for the Nationalist Party are with regard to the Commonwealth Liberal Party's performance in 1914.

Senate

+Senate 1917–1919 (FPTP BV) – Turnout 77.69% (Non-CV) – Informal N/A Party Votes % Swing Seats won Seats held Change   Nationalist 3,516,354 55.37 +7.60 18 24 +18   Labor 2,776,648 43.72 −8.42 0 12 −18   Socialist Labor 32,692 0.51 +0.51 0 0 0   Independents 24,676 0.39 +0.39 0 0 0   Total 6,350,370     18 36

Notes The changes recorded for the Nationalist Party are with regard to the Commonwealth Liberal Party's performance in 1914.

Seats changing hands

Seat Pre-1917 Swing Post-1917 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Bass, Tas  Labor Jens Jensen 6.0 15.9 9.9 Jens Jensen Nationalist  Bendigo, Vic  Labor Alfred Hampson 0.9 12.5 7.4 Billy Hughes Nationalist  Boothby, SA  Labor George Dankel 5.3 19.8 14.5 William Story Nationalist  Corio, Vic  Labor Alfred Ozanne 1.2 8.5 7.3 John Lister Nationalist  Darwin, Tas  Labor King O'Malley 6.1 14.9 8.8 Charles Howroyd Nationalist  Denison, Tas  Labor William Laird Smith 5.9 12.2 6.3 William Laird Smith Nationalist  Fawkner, Vic  Labor Joseph Hannan 9.3 10.7 N/A George Maxwell Nationalist  Fremantle, WA  Labor Reginald Burchell 6.3 25.2 18.9 Reginald Burchell Nationalist  Gippsland, Vic  Independent George Wise 1.0 24.7 22.7 George Wise Nationalist  Grey, SA  Labor Alexander Poynton 4.0 11.7 7.7 Alexander Poynton Nationalist  Gwydir, NSW  Labor William Webster 3.8 10.3 6.5 William Webster Nationalist  Herbert, Qld  Labor Fred Bamford 14.4 15.7 1.3 Fred Bamford Nationalist  Hindmarsh, SA  Labor William Archibald 24.4 30.2 5.8 William Archibald Nationalist  Illawarra, NSW  Labor George Burns 4.2 8.5 4.3 Hector Lamond Nationalist  Indi, Vic  Labor Parker Moloney 1.0 7.2 6.2 John Leckie Nationalist  Kalgoorlie, WA  Labor Hugh Mahon 100.0 51.3 1.3 Edward Heitmann Nationalist  Oxley, Qld  Labor James Sharpe 6.8 9.6 2.3 James Bayley Nationalist  Werriwa, NSW  Labor John Lynch 0.0 2.8 2.8 John Lynch Nationalist  Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

Post-election pendulum

Government seatsNationalist PartyMarginalMoreton (Qld)Hugh SinclairNAT00.1Angas (SA)Paddy GlynnNAT00.8Kalgoorlie (WA)Edward HeitmannNAT01.3Herbert (Qld)Fred BamfordNAT01.3Fawkner (Vic)George MaxwellNAT01.4Calare (NSW)Henry PigottNAT01.8Hume (NSW)Franc FalkinerNAT01.9Werriwa (NSW)John LynchNAT02.8Oxley (Qld)James BayleyNAT02.8Wide Bay (Qld)Edward CorserNAT02.9Illawarra (NSW)Hector LamondNAT04.3Wannon (Vic)Arthur RodgersNAT04.8Hindmarsh (SA)William ArchibaldNAT05.8Fairly safeDarling Downs (Qld)Littleton GroomNAT06.1Robertson (NSW)William FlemingNAT06.2Wakefield (SA)Richard FosterNAT06.2Indi (Vic)John LeckieNAT06.2Denison (Tas)William Laird SmithNAT06.3Gwydir (NSW)William WebsterNAT06.5Grampians (Vic)Carty SalmonNAT07.0Eden-Monaro (NSW)Austin ChapmanNAT07.2Corio (Vic)John ListerNAT07.3Bendigo (Vic)Billy HughesNAT07.4Grey (SA)Alexander PoyntonNAT07.7Darwin (Tas)Charles HowroydNAT08.8Riverina (NSW)John ChanterNAT09.2 vs INDBass (Tas)Alexander PoyntonNAT09.9SafeCorangamite (Vic)Chester ManifoldNAT10.4Lang (NSW)Elliot JohnsonNAT10.4Nepean (NSW)Richard OrchardNAT10.5Echuca (Vic)Albert PalmerNAT10.7Flinders (Vic)William IrvineNAT11.2Lilley (Qld)George MackayNAT12.7Barker (SA)John LivingstonNAT13.9Wilmot (Tas)Llewellyn AtkinsonNAT14.2Boothby (SA)William StoryNAT14.5Parkes (NSW)Bruce SmithNAT15.4Balaclava (Vic)William WattNAT16.6Wentworth (NSW)Willie KellyNAT18.5Fremantle (WA)Reginald BurchellNAT18.9Perth (WA)James FowlerNAT19.5Very safeHenty (Vic)James BoydNAT20.6Dampier (WA)Henry GregoryNAT21.4Gippsland (Vic)George WiseNAT22.7Parramatta (NSW)Joseph CookNAT23.8 vs INDRichmond (NSW)Walter Massy-GreeneNAT25.2Cowper (NSW)John ThomsonNATunopposedFranklin (Tas)William McWilliamsNATunopposedKooyong (Vic)Robert BestNATunopposedNew England (NSW)Percy AbbottNATunopposedNorth Sydney (NSW)Granville RyrieNATunopposedSwan (WA)John ForrestNATunopposedWimmera (Vic)Sydney SampsonNATunopposed Non-government seatsAustralian Labor PartyMarginalMacquarie (NSW)Samuel NichollsALP00.0Brisbane (Qld)William FinlaysonALP00.0Maribyrnong (Vic)James FentonALP02.2Capricornia (Qld)William HiggsALP02.3Barrier (NSW)Michael ConsidineALP02.5 vs INDDarling (NSW)Arthur BlakeleyALP03.3Hunter (NSW)Matthew CharltonALP03.4Dalley (NSW)William MahonyALP04.0Bourke (Vic)Frank AnsteyALP04.5Maranoa (Qld)Jim PageALP04.8Fairly safeNewcastle (NSW)David WatkinsALP08.0SafeMelbourne (Vic)William MaloneyALP10.3Batman (Vic)Frank BrennanALP10.9Kennedy (Qld)Charles McDonaldALP12.8South Sydney (NSW)Edward RileyALP13.3Cook (NSW)James CattsALP14.4Melbourne Ports (Vic)James MathewsALP16.3West Sydney (NSW)Con WallaceALP16.5Very safeYarra (Vic)Frank TudorALP21.3Adelaide (SA)George Edwin YatesALPunopposedBallaarat (Vic)Charles McGrathALPunopposedEast Sydney (NSW)John WestALPunopposed

See also Candidates of the 1917 Australian federal election Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1917–1919 Members of the Australian Senate, 1917–1920

Notes

References

External links University of WA election results in Australia since 1890