1968 Western Australian state election
23 March 1968 (1968-03-23)
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
  First party Second party
 
Leader David Brand John Tonkin
Party Liberal/Country coalition Labor
Leader since 1 March 1957 1 January 1967
Leader's seat Greenough Melville
Last election 29 seats 21 seats
Seats won 28 seats 23 seats
Seat change Decrease1 Increase2
Percentage 49.25% 45.35%
Swing Decrease4.16 Increase2.71
Premier before election

David Brand
Liberal/Country coalition

 Elected Premier

David Brand
Liberal/Country coalition

Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 23 March 1968 to elect all 51 members to the Legislative Assembly and 15 members to the 30-seat Legislative Council. The Liberal-Country coalition government, led by Premier Sir David Brand, won a record fourth term in office against the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader John Tonkin.

Results

Legislative Assembly

Western Australian state election, 23 March 1968
Legislative Assembly
<< 1965–1971 >>

Enrolled voters 359,790[1]
Votes cast 331,325 Turnout 92.09% –0.24%
Informal votes 10,255 Informal 3.10% –0.01%
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes  % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 145,605 45.35% +2.71% 23 + 2
  Liberal and Country 141,271 44.00% –4.54% 19 – 2
  Country 16,879 5.25% +0.38% 9 + 1
  Democratic Labor 10,456 3.26% +2.32% 0 ± 0
  Democratic 2,216 0.69% +0.69% 0 ± 0
  Communist 1,694 0.53% +0.44% 0 ± 0
  Independent 2,949 0.92% –1.98% 0 ± 0
Total 321,070     51  
1 449,122 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 14 seats (27.45% of the total) were uncontested—five Liberal seats representing 32,810 enrolled voters, five Country seats representing 29,746 enrolled voters, and four Labor seats representing 26,776 enrolled voters.

Legislative Council

Western Australian state election, 23 March 1968
Legislative Council

Enrolled voters 208,417[1]
Votes cast 192,342 Turnout 92.29% +0.15%
Informal votes 8,631 Informal 4.49% +0.22%
Summary of votes by party
Party Primary votes  % Swing Seats Change
  Labor 85,674 46.64% 6 10
  Liberal and Country 67,977 37.00% 4 12
  Country 21,228 11.56% 5 8
  Democratic Labor 4,502 2.45% 0 0
  Independent 4,330 2.36% 0 0
Total 183,711     15 30
1 449,122 electors were enrolled to vote at the election, but 9 seats (60% of the total) were uncontested—three Liberal seats representing 99,137 enrolled voters, three Country seats representing 53,847 enrolled voters, and three Labor seats representing 86,198 enrolled voters.

Post-election pendulum

LCL/Country seats (28)
Marginal
Subiaco Hugh Guthrie LCL 0.4%
Kimberley Alan Ridge LCL 2.2%
Moore Edgar Lewis CP 2.3% v IND
Mirrabooka Doug Cash LCL 2.8%
Merredin-Yilgarn Jack Stewart LCL 2.9%
Murray Ewart Runciman LCL 3.8%
Blackwood Ron Kitney CP 4.6% v LCL
Toodyay James Craig CP 4.7%
Bunbury Maurice Williams LCL 5.7%
Fairly safe
Roe Bill Young CP 9.7% v LCL
Safe
Cottesloe Ross Hutchinson LCL 10.0%
Mount Lawley Ray O'Connor LCL 10.0%
Floreat Andrew Mensaros LCL 14.6%
Dale Cyril Rushton LCL 15.4%
Darling Range Ken Dunn LCL 16.2%
Nedlands Charles Court LCL 26.6%
South Perth Bill Grayden LCL 28.6% v DLP
East Melville Des O'Neil LCL 30.3% v COM
Avon Harry Gayfer CP unopp.
Greenough David Brand LCL unopp.
Katanning Crawford Nalder CP unopp.
Mount Marshall Ray McPharlin CP unopp.
Murchison-Eyre Richard Burt LCL unopp.
Narrogin William Manning CP unopp.
Stirling Clayton Mitchell CP unopp.
Vasse Stewart Bovell LCL unopp.
Wellington Iven Manning LCL unopp.
Wembley Guy Henn LCL unopp.
Labor seats (23)
Marginal
Canning Tom Bateman ALP 0.5%
Clontarf Donald May ALP 2.2%
Maylands John Harman ALP 3.0%
Northam Ken McIver ALP 3.6%
Mount Hawthorn Ron Bertram ALP 4.2%
Karrinyup Stan Lapham ALP 4.3%
Albany Jack Hall ALP 5.4%
Fairly safe
Geraldton Bill Sewell ALP 6.2%
Perth Terry Burke ALP 6.2%
Collie Tom Jones ALP 6.6%
Warren David Evans ALP 8.8%
Safe
Ascot Merv Toms ALP 13.2%
Balcatta Herb Graham ALP 13.4%
Gascoyne Daniel Norton ALP 14.1%
Belmont Colin Jamieson ALP 14.5%
Melville John Tonkin ALP 17.5%
Cockburn Don Taylor ALP 18.6%
Swan Bill Haigh ALP 21.0%
Fremantle Harry Fletcher ALP 23.5% v DLP
Boulder-Dundas Arthur Moir ALP unopp.
Kalgoorlie Tom Evans ALP unopp.
Pilbara Arthur Bickerton ALP unopp.
Victoria Park Ron Davies ALP unopp.

See also

References

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