1939 United Australia Party leadership election
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Turnout | 95.45% (Third ballot) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The
Background and results
Following the death of Prime Minister and United Australia Party (UAP) leader Joseph Lyons on 7 April 1939, the United Australia Party was to hold a leadership election eleven days later to decide whom the next UAP leader and Prime Minister would be.[3] After the death of Lyons, de facto Deputy Prime Minister of the Lyons government and Country Party leader, Earle Page, formed a caretaker government that would remain in government until the conclusion of the UAP leadership election.[4] George Fairbanks, in the Australian Quarterly, wrote of the lead-up to the leadership contest: “The next fortnight witnessed one of the most dramatic episodes in Australian politics; there was "fierce lobbying" by aspirants to the leadership, while a small group organised by Page and Casey tried desperately to stop the succession of Menzies.”[5]
Page was given the assurance of then-Leader of the Opposition John Curtin (Labor) to continue with the government until the next federal election 1 year and 156 days away.[5] However, Page rejected the offer.[6][5] Both Casey and Page was strongly opposed to Menzies becoming leader and lobbied ardently for Stanley Bruce, Page from 12 April onward.[5] However, Bruce was not a member of parliament and had not been so for 5 years and 194 days before the election.
Candidate | First ballot[7] | Second ballot[7] | Third ballot[7][1][2] | ||||
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Caucus | % | Caucus | % | Caucus | ± | % | |
Robert Menzies | No ballot | 22 | 50 | 23 | 1 | 54.8 | |
Billy Hughes | No ballot | 22 | 50 | 19 | 3 | 45.2 | |
Richard Casey | Withdrew | Eliminated | |||||
Thomas White | Withdrew | Eliminated | |||||
Caucus votes | — | 44 | 100 | 42 | –2 | 95.5 | |
Abstentions
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— | 0 | 0 | 2 | –2 | 4.5 | |
Caucus | — | 44 | 100 | 44 | –2 | 100 |
Newspaper endorsements
The press took a keen interest in the leadership contest, which was one of the first in which a party chose a new prime minister in an open fashion with multiple viable candidates. In Melbourne, The Age endorsed Menzies as the new prime minister on 8 April, only a day after Lyons' death.[8] The Argus endorsed Casey, arguing that he had remained loyal to Lyons and the government where Menzies had not.[9] The Herald on 12 April stated a slight preference for Bruce, but observed that it would probably be too difficult to recall him from London and that Menzies was the only other alternative. It gave a more enthusiastic endorsement of Menzies two days later.[10] In Sydney, The Daily Telegraph supported Casey,[9] while The Sydney Morning Herald was an "earnest advocate of recalling Bruce".[11]
See also
- Menzies Government (1939–41)
- 1939 Country Party of Australia leadership election
- Other leadership ballots held following the death of a prime minister:
References
- ^ Victoria, Australia. 19 April 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 2 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b "Mr. Menzies to be Prime Minister". The Advertiser. South Australia, Australia. 19 April 1939. p. 23. Retrieved 2 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Federal Moves". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 31, 598. New South Wales, Australia. 10 April 1939. p. 9. Retrieved 2 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Page 1963, p. 269.
- ^ doi:10.2307/20634197.
- ^ Page 1963, pp. 270–278.
- ^ a b c Page 1963, p. 274.
- ^ Martin 1993, p. 267.
- ^ a b Hudson 1986, p. 106.
- ^ Martin 1993, p. 268.
- ^ Martin 1993, p. 272.
Sources
- Henderson, Anne (2011). Joseph Lyons: The People's Prime Minister. NewSouth Books. ISBN 9781742231426.
- Hudson, William James (1986). Casey. ISBN 0195547306.
- Martin, Allan (1993). Robert Menzies: A Life. Vol. 1 (1894–1943). ISBN 0522844421.
- Page, Earle (1963). Truant Surgeon: The Inside Story of Forty Years of Australian Political Life. Angus & Robertson.