Arthur Watts (politician)

Western Australian Parliament
for Stirling
Western Australian Parliament; for Stirling
	In office; 25 March 1950 – 31 March 1962
Preceded by	New constituency
Succeeded by	Clayton Mitchell
Personal details
Born	26 May 1897; Country Party

Arthur Frederick Watts

CMG (26 May 1897 – 8 June 1970) was an Australian politician who served in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1935 to 1962, including as leader of the opposition (from 1942 to 1947) and deputy premier (from 1947 to 1953 and 1959 to 1962) of Western Australia

.

Born in

Country Party^{[note 1]} at a 1935 by-election, necessitated by the death of Arnold Piesse. He succeeded Charles Latham as leader of the Country Party and leader of the opposition in 1942, and was made deputy premier to Ross McLarty following the 1947 state election

.

Despite being Opposition leader, Watts did not become Premier with the change of government at the 1947 election as his party the Country Party won one less seat than its Coalition partner the Liberals resulting in Liberal leader McLarty becoming Premier instead.

It is one instance of an Opposition Leader who did not become Premier with an election producing a change of government.

The government was defeated at the 1953 election, but was re-elected at the six years, with Watts again serving as deputy premier under David Brand. He resigned as deputy premier in February 1962, and did not contest the state election the following month, having been appointed chairman of the State Licensing Courts. Watts died in Perth in June 1970.^[1]

Notes

^
National Party. In Western Australia, the party was variously known as the Country and Democratic League from 1946 to 1962, the Country Party from 1962 to 1973 (and prior to 1946), the National Alliance
from 1973 to 1974, and the National Country Party from 1974 to 1985.

References

^ Black, David. Watts, Arthur Frederick (1897–1970) – Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 3 April 2013.

[cpname-1] 
National Party. In Western Australia, the party was variously known as the Country and Democratic League from 1946 to 1962, the Country Party from 1962 to 1973 (and prior to 1946), the National Alliance
from 1973 to 1974, and the National Country Party from 1974 to 1985.

[2] Black, David. Watts, Arthur Frederick (1897–1970) – Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 3 April 2013.

[note 1]

[1]