1959 Tasmanian state election

1959 Tasmanian state election

2 May 1959
All 35 seats to the House of Assembly
First party Second party   Leader Eric Reece Tim Jackson Party Labor Liberal Leader since 26 August 1958 26 June 1956 Leader's seat Braddon Franklin Last election 15 seats 15 seats Seats won 17 seats 16 seats Seat change 2 1 Percentage 44.5% 41.05% Swing 5.77 2.54
Results of the election
Premier before election Eric Reece Labor Resulting Premier Eric Reece Labor

The 1959 Tasmanian state election was held on 2 May 1959 in the Australian state of Tasmania to elect 35 members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. The number of members were increased from this election from 30 to 35. The election used the Hare-Clark proportional representation system — seven members were elected from each of five electorates.

The two previous elections had resulted in a parliamentary deadlock due to an even number of seats (30) in the House of Assembly. Prior to the 1959 election, the number of seats was increased to 35.

Robert Cosgrove had retired as Premier of Tasmania, and had been replaced by Eric Reece on 26 August 1958.

Results

See also: Results of the Tasmanian state election, 1959

The Labor Party won the most seats in the newly expanded House of Assembly, but not enough to govern in a majority as two seats were won by Independents. The 1959 election was the last occasion in which an ungrouped independent (Bill Wedd) won a seat in Tasmania.

Former Labor Treasurer Dr Reg Turnbull won two quotas in his own right as an independent in Bass, representing 5.64% of the statewide result.

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats	+/–
	Labor	71,535	44.50	5.77	17	2
	Liberal	66,005	41.06	2.54	16	1
	Independents	14,549	9.05	6.45	2	2
	Democratic Labor	8,510	5.29	1.82	0
	Communist	144	0.09	0.03	0
Total		160,743	100.00	–	35	–
Valid votes		160,743	94.24
Invalid/blank votes		9,816	5.76	1.57
Total votes		170,559	100.00	–
Registered voters/turnout		180,344	94.57	0.65

Popular vote Labor   44.50% Liberal   41.05% Democratic Labor   5.29% Communist   0.09% Independents   9.05%

Seats Labor   48.57% Liberal   45.71% Independents   5.71%

Distribution of votes

Primary vote by division

	Bass	Braddon	Denison	Franklin	Wilmot
Labor Party	31.6%	52.2%	39.5%	46.3%	53.5%
Liberal Party	36.3%	42.4%	39.8%	43.8%	43.2%
Other	32.1%	5.4%	20.7%	10.0%	3.4%

Distribution of seats

Electorate	Seats won
Bass
Braddon
Denison
Franklin
Wilmot

	Labor
	Liberal
	Independent

See also

• Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, 1959–1964
• Candidates of the 1959 Tasmanian state election

External links

• Assembly Election Results, 1959, Parliament of Tasmania.
• Report on Parliamentary Elections, 1959, Tasmanian Electoral Commission.