Members_of_the_Australian_Senate,_1951–1953

Members of the Australian Senate, 1951–1953

Members of the Australian Senate, 1951–1953

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This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1951 to 1953.[1] The 28 April 1951 election was a double dissolution called by Prime Minister of Australia Robert Menzies in an attempt to gain control of the Senate and to pass the Commonwealth Bank Bill,[2] if necessary at a joint sitting of both houses. All 121 seats in the House of Representatives, and all 60 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Liberal Party of Australia led by Menzies with coalition partner the Country Party led by Arthur Fadden defeated the Australian Labor Party led by Ben Chifley and gained control of the Senate with 32 seats to Labor's 28.

Senate composition at 12 June 1951
Government (32) - (2 seat majority)
  Liberal (26)
  Country Party (6)

Opposition (28)
  Labor (28)
 

In accordance with section 13 of the Constitution,[3] terms for senators was taken to commence on 1 July 1950. The first five senators elected in each state were allocated the full six-year terms ending on 30 June 1956 while the other half were allocated three-year terms ending on 30 June 1953.[4]

The Commonwealth Bank Bill was presented to Parliament again on 26 June 1951 and passed both houses.[5][6]

More information Senator, Party ...

Notes

  1. Liberal Senator Jack Chamberlain died on 16 January 1953; Liberal member John Marriott was appointed to fill the ensuing vacancy on 3 March, expiring at the May 1953 Senate election, when he was elected to a six year term expiring on 30 June 1959. Robert Wardlaw was elected to the vacancy expiring on 30 June 1956.
  2. Labor Senator Richard Nash died on 12 December 1951; former Labor Senator Joe Cooke was appointed to fill the ensuing vacancy on 7 February 1952.
  3. Appointed to a casual vacancy and only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate.[7]
  4. Country Party Senator Edmund Piesse died on 25 August 1952; Country Party member Bill Robinson was appointed to fill the ensuing vacancy on 30 September, but was fourth on the Coalition ticket at the 9 May 1953 election and was defeated for the seat by Liberal Senator Shane Paltridge.

References

  1. "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1951". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  2. "Commonwealth Bank Bill". Cairns Post. 23 June 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 5 September 2022 via Trove.
  3. Constitution (Cth) s 13 Rotation of senators.
  4. "Rotation of Senators" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: Senate. 13 June 1951. p. 35.
  5. "Chapter 21 – Relations with the House of Representatives". Odgers' Australian Senate Practice (14th ed.). Parliament of Australia. Simultaneous dissolutions of 1951. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  6. "Commonwealth Bank Bill re-submitted to parliament". Cairns Post. 27 June 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 3 September 2022 via Trove.
  7. Evans, H. "Filling Casual Vacancies before 1977" (PDF). The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, Volume 3. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.

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