Parliament of New South Wales, Legislative Assembly election
Election of 24 March 1917
Government in office and parliamentary support before and after the election
Government in office at election
Government in office after election
Enrolment and voting
New South Wales, Legislative Assembly votes and seats won
Election held on 24 March 1917
Criteria for the inclusion of parties in this table are set out in the Glossary under 'listed party'
| Party Name | First preference vote n | First preference vote share % | Change from previous election % | Seats won n | Uncontested seats held n | Seat share % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationalist Party (Nationalists) | 292,306 | 47.44 | * | 52 | 3 | 57.78 |
| Australian Labor Party | 264,401 | 42.91 | -3.71 | 33 | 5 | 36.67 |
| Independents | 25,605 | 4.16 | +2.60 | 3 | 0 | 3.33 |
| Independent Labor | 22,336 | 3.63 | +2.25 | 1 | 0 | 1.11 |
| Independent Nationalist Party | 11,213 | 1.82 | * | 1 | 0 | 1.11 |
| Socialist Party | 285 | 0.05 | * | 0 | ||
| Votes for other than listed parties | 0 | 0.00 | -10.00 | |||
| Totals | 616,146 | 100.00 | 90 | 8 | 100.00 |
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* Party did not contest previous election or did not meet criteria for listing, or contested previous election under a different party name.
Notes
Government in office at election: The Holman Labor government elected in 1913 split in 1916 over the issue of conscription. Holman, who supported conscription, formed a government on 15 Novermber 1916 as leader of a new Nationalist Party with support from Liberals and members who defected from the Labor Party. For more detail on these events and references, search for 'Holman' in the 'Governments' section of this website.
Nationalist Party (Nationalists): The split in the Australian Labor Party prompted by disagreements over the introduction conscription to send Australian soldiers to Europe during the First World War, divided the Party in all states except Queensland with major consequences for both state and federal politics. In New South Wales, the new Nationalist Party (Nationalists) was initially a coalition of interests supporting conscription which brought together members of the former Liberal Party, members defecting from the Labor Party, and individuals who were to form the Progressive Party (see entry for the 1920 assembly election in NSW).
Reference: For a comprehensive survey of this election and the preceding period, see Michael Hogan, '1917', in Michael Hogan and David Clune (editors), The People's Choice: Electoral Politics in 20th Century New South Wales, vol. 1 (1901 to 1927), pp. 153-179, (Sydney: Parliament of New South Wales and University of Sydney, 2001, ISBN 0909907390).
Sources
Colin A Hughes and B D Graham, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, pp. 423-460, (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968, SBN 708102700); New South Wales, Parliament, The New South Wales Parliamentary Record: Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly, 1824-1999, vol. VI, pp. 7-15, (Sydney: Parliament of New South Wales, 1999).