1928 Australian federal election

← 1925 17 November 1928 (1928-11-17) 1929 →
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All 76[b] seats in theHouse of Representatives 38 seats were needed for a majority in the House 19 (of the 36) seats in theSenate
Registered	3,444,7694.32%
Turnout	2,728,815(93.64%)[a] (2.25pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader James Scullin Stanley Bruce Earle Page Party Labor Nationalist Country Leader since 26 April 1928 9 February 1923 5 April 1921 Leader's seat Yarra (Vic.) Flinders (Vic.) Cowper (NSW) Last election 23 seats 37 seats 13 seats Seats won 31 +NT 29 13 Seat change 8 8 0 Primary vote 1,158,505 1,014,522 271,686 Percentage 44.64% 39.09% 10.47% Swing 0.40 3.37% 0.27%
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.
Prime Minister before election Stanley Bruce Nationalist/Country coalition Subsequent Prime Minister Stanley Bruce Nationalist/Country coalition

The1928 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 17 November 1928. All 75 seats in theHouse of Representatives and 19 of the 36 seats in theSenate were up for election. The incumbentNationalist–Country coalition, led by Prime MinisterStanley Bruce won a record fifth consecutive election defeating the oppositionLabor Party led byJames Scullin.

The election was held in conjunction with areferendum on Commonwealth–State relations, which was carried.

Future Prime MinistersJohn Curtin andBen Chifley both entered parliament at this election. Both then lost their seats in the1931 election and did not re-enter parliament until1934 and1940 respectively.

The lead-up to the 1928 election was marked by industrial tension, including a major strike of waterside workers beginning in December 1927. After a further strike of ship's cooks beginning in March 1928 and attempts by theWaterside Workers' Federation of Australia to repudiate anindustrial award ruling, the government began to crack down on union activity in the sector.^[1] TheTransport Workers Act 1928 passed two months before the election, giving the government the power to terminate the employment of waterside workers who engaged in unapproved union activity.^[2]

The second term of the Bruce–Page government was marked by conflict between the federal parliamentary Country Party, which supported the alliance with the Nationalists, and state branches and farmers' organisations which "questioned the coalition strategy and demanded that the Country Party return to parliamentary and electoral independence".^[3] The government imposed multiple tariff hikes, which were unpopular with the Country Party's base of small farmers.^[4] Many Country Party members considered the pact with the Nationalists to have compromised the party's independence, with "anti-pact" factions prominent in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. In 1926, former Country Party ministerPercy Stewart left the party and formed a separateCountry Progressive Party, sitting on the crossbench.^[5]

The Nationalists and Country Party ultimately agreed to renew their electoral pact prior to the 1928 election, with the modification that both parties could stand candidates in a seat if the incumbent was not recontesting.^[3]

The Bruce–Page government fought its election campaign "almost exclusively on industrial peace". Bruce delivered his policy speech on 9 October, seeking a "further mandate to impose law and order in the trade unions" and proposing a joint conference of workers and employers to review federal industrial law.^[2] He also promised to cut back the government's migration schemes to combat rising unemployment.^[6] The government also "strongly promoted" itsNational Insurance scheme, which would have provided "sickness, old age, disability and maternity benefits, mainly paid for by compulsory contributions by workers and employers, along with smaller payments to parents of children under 16 and to orphans". TheNational Insurance Bill 1928 had been introduced in September 1928 but failed to pass before the dissolution of parliament.^[7]

Opposition leaderJames Scullin contested his first federal election as leader, having replacedMatthew Charlton as ALP leader in March 1928.^[8] He campaigned for higher tariffs, an expansion of theCommonwealth Bank, and for theCommonwealth Line to be kept in public ownership.^[6]

A referendum on a constitutional amendment allowing the federal government to assume state debts was held simultaneously with the federal election. Both the government and the opposition supported a "Yes" vote.^[6]

House of Reps (IRV) — 1928–29—Turnout 93.64% (CV) — Informal 4.90%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Nationalist–Country coalition		1,286,208	49.56	–3.64	42	–8
		Nationalist	1,014,522	39.09	–3.37	29	–8
		Country	271,686	10.47	–0.27	13	0
	Labor		1,158,505	44.64	–0.40	32[c]	+8
	Country Progressive		41,713	1.61	+1.61	1	+1
	Protestant Labor		20,212	0.78	+0.78	0	0
	Independents		88,447	3.41	+1.65	1	–1
	Total		2,595,085			76
Two-party-preferred(estimated)
	Nationalist–Country coalition		Win	51.60	−2.20	42	–8
	Labor			48.40	+2.20	31	+8

Notes

• Independent:William McWilliams (Franklin, Tas.).
• Twelve members were elected unopposed – three Labor, five Nationalist, and four Country.

Senate (PBV) — 1928–31—Turnout 93.61% (CV) — Informal 9.88%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Seats held	Change
	Nationalist–Country coalition		1,466,323	50.46	–4.35	12	29	+1
		Nationalist	1,141,405	39.28	–6.07	10	24	0
		Country	324,918	11.18	+1.73	2	5	+1
	Labor		1,422,418	48.95	+3.93	7	7	–1
	Independents		17,092	0.59	+0.42	0	0	0
	Total		2,905,833			19	36

• Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

In theDivision of Indi, the sitting candidateRobert Cook lost his seat after forgetting to file nomination papers, resulting in Labor candidatePaul Jones winning the seat unopposed.

• Candidates of the 1928 Australian federal election
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1928–1929
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1929–1932

• University of WAArchived 18 January 2015 at theWayback Machine election results in Australia since 1890
• Two-party-preferred vote since 1919

• Federal elections in Australia
• 1928 elections in Australia
• November 1928

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