1934 Tasmanian state election

The 1934 Tasmanian state election was held on 9 June 1934 in the Australian state of Tasmania to elect 30 members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The election used the Hare-Clark proportional representation system^[1] — six members were elected from each of five electorates.

1934 Tasmanian state election

← 1931 9 June 1934 1937 →
All 30 seats to the House of Assembly
First party Second party   Leader Albert Ogilvie Walter Lee Party Labor Nationalist Leader since October 1929 15 March 1934 Leader's seat Franklin Wilmot Last election 10 seats 19 seats Seats won 14 seats 13 seats Seat change 4 6 Percentage 45.78% 46.72% Swing 10.85 9.68
Results of the election
Premier before election Walter Lee Nationalist Resulting Premier Albert Ogilvie Labor

The Nationalist Party won a huge victory in the 1931 election, but Premier of Tasmania John McPhee had resigned due to health problems, and the Nationalists were led into the 1934 election by former Premier Walter Lee. The Labor Party were led by Albert Ogilvie, who had managed to heal some of the rifts in the Labor Party that had contributed to their election loss in 1931.^[2]

Labor regained much of their ground in the 1934 election, winning 14 seats compared to the Nationalists' 13 (although the Nationalists had received more votes), not enough to govern in a majority. Three seats were won by Independent candidates, and it was only through the support of one of these (George Carruthers, an ex-Labor man and proponent of the Douglasite Social Credit concept), that Labor was able to form government, with Ogilvie as Premier.^[2]

Labor began an uninterrupted 35 year rule over Tasmania until 1969, which marks the longest stretch of continuous Labor rule in any state or territory in its history.

Results

See also: Results of the Tasmanian state election, 1934

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Nationalist	54,549	46.72	-9.68	13	6
	Labor	53,454	45.78	+10.85	14	4
	Independents	8,764	7.51	-1.17	3	2
Total		116,767	100.00	–	30	–
Valid votes		116,767	96.78
Invalid/blank votes		3,885	3.22	-0.25
Total votes		120,652	100.00	–
Registered voters/turnout		127,681	94.49	-0.52

Popular vote Nationalist   46.72% Labor   45.78% Independents   7.51%

Seats Labor   46.67% Nationalist   43.33% Independents   10.00%

Distribution of votes

Primary vote by division

	Bass	Darwin	Denison	Franklin	Wilmot
Labor Party	50.8%	40.8%	48.7%	51.9%	35.8%
Nationalist	49.2%	52.8%	37.8%	37.8%	57.0%
Other	–	6.3%	13.5%	10.3%	7.3%

Distribution of seats

Electorate Seats won Bass             Darwin             Denison             Franklin             Wilmot

Labor   Nationalist   Independent

See also

• Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, 1934–1937
• Candidates of the 1934 Tasmanian state election