Election | Premier at election | Premier's party | Premier after election | Premier's party |
---|---|---|---|---|
VIC 12 June 1943 | Albert Arthur Dunstan | United Country Party | Albert Arthur Dunstan | United Country Party |
VIC 16 March 1940 | Albert Arthur Dunstan | United Country Party | Albert Arthur Dunstan | United Country Party |
VIC 2 October 1937 | Albert Arthur Dunstan | United Country Party | Albert Arthur Dunstan | United Country Party |
VIC 2 March 1935 | Stanley Seymour Argyle | United Australia Party | Albert Arthur Dunstan | United Country Party |
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Defeat in parliament (Cain): Beginning of Dunstan's second period in office; 'On 15 September 1943 Cain sought an adjournment and was defeated 29-24 [Victoria Parliamentary Debates,1943 Session, vol. 215, 15-16 September, pp 685-700]. He sought a dissolution which was refused, and then resigned.' Hughes and Graham, p.129 (see 'Sources', below). The political context of the creation and defeat of the short-lived Cain ministry is described in Paul Strangio, 'John Cain snr: The Star-crossed Premier', pp 255-256 in Strangio and Costar (editors), ch. 20, (see 'Sources', below). Note also Sol Encel, Cabinet Government in Australia, p.211 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1962).
'Dunstan was commissioned to form a government. A coalition was formed with the [United] Country Party electing its ministers and Hollway selecting an equal number of U A P [United Australia Party] ministers and honorary ministers. Dunstan allocated portfolios.' Hughes and Graham, p.129 (see 'Sources', below). On 18 September 1943, Dunstan became Premier of a United Country Party and United Australia Party coalition government.
Defeat in parliament (Dunstan): 'In March 1945 the United Australia Party changed its name to the Liberal Party. On [29] August a Labor censure motion was defeated 33-29, but two [United] Country Party members voted against the Government [Allnutt and Dodgshun; Victoria Parliamentary Debates,1944-45 Session, vol. 219, 29 August, p.3906] and a third was paired against it. ... On 25 September 1945 a Labor motion to reduce Supply by £1 was carried 29-26 with five Liberal members voting against the government [Cumming, Everard, Harworth, Maltby and Michaelis; Victoria Parliamentary Debates,1944-45 Session, vol. 219, 25 September, p,4325 ].' Hughes and Graham, p.130 (see 'Sources', below).
After more adverse votes and some attempts to reform the ministry, Dunstan was granted a dissolution and then resigned. For more information on the tension between the coalition parties that led to the defeat of the Dunstan ministry, see Brian Costar, 'Tom Hollway: The Bohemian', p.230, in Strangio and Costar (editors), ch. 18, (see 'Sources', below).
References: For a studies of Dunstan's periods in office and his effect on Victorian politics, see Brian Costar, 'Albert Dunstan: The Jumping Jack Premier', in Strangio and Costar (editors), ch. 17, (see 'Sources', below), and John Paul, 'Albert Dunstan and Victorian Government', in Cameron Hazelhurst (editor), Australian Conservatism: Essays in Twentieth Century Political History, pp 169-191 (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1979). A survey of Dunstan's career can be found in J B Paul, 'Dunstan, Sir Albert Arthur (1882–1950)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 8, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1981), on line here [accessed 21 April 2014].
Colin Hughes and B D Graham (editors), A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968, SBN 708102700); Parliament of Victoria, One Hundred Years of Responsible Government 1856-1956, (Melbourne: Government Printer, 1957, Parliamentary Paper No. 40 of 1956-58); Paul Strangio and Brian Costar (editors), The Victorian Premiers 1856-2006, (Sydney: Federation Press, 2006, ISBN 9781862876019); Raymond Wright, A People's Counsel: A History of the Parliament of Victoria 1856-1990, (Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1992, ISBN 0195533593). Victoria Hansard (Record of Parliamentary Debates) on line here .
In consulting these sources, note the difference between ministries and periods in office.