South Australian general election, 1968

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State election major party leaders
1965 1968 1970 >
Australian Labor Party Don Dunstan Premier Parliament: 15 years Leader since: 1967 Division: Norwood
Liberal and Country League Steele Hall Opposition leader Parliament: 9 years Leader since: 1966 Division: Gouger

State elections were held in Australia on March 2, 1968. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan was defeated by the Liberal and Country League led by Steele Hall.

**House of Assembly — 1968-1970 — Turnout 94.48% — Informal 2.31%**
Party	Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
Australian Labor Party	292,445	51.98	-3.06	19	-2
Liberal and Country League	246,560	43.82	+7.89	19	+2
Democratic Labor Party	9,223	1.64	-2.71	0	0
Independent	5,781	1.03	-0.85	1	0
Other	8,649	1.54		0	0
Total	562,658			39
Liberal and Country League	WIN	46.80		20	+2
Australian Labor Party		53.20		19	-2

1 Legislative Council Results
2 See also
3 References

The election saw Steele Hall and the Liberal and Country League opposition defeat the incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Don Dunstan, despite that Labor won 53.2 percent and Liberal 46.8 on the two party preferred vote. Steele Hall, facing a political nightmare, decided to take part in electoral reforms that were implemented after the end of the electoral malapportionment of the Playmander. The number of lower house seats expanded from 39 to 47, which in the 2006 election there were 35 metro districts representing 1.1 million people and 12 rural districts representing 0.4 million people. The 1968 election contained 13 metro districts representing 0.7 million people, with 26 rural districts representing 0.4 million people. Further reforms would be implemented after the 1975 election where Labor retained government despite a two party preferred vote of 49.2 percent, as well as the 1989 election where Labor retained government despite a two party preferred vote of 48.1 percent.

Hall served as leader of the opposition for two years before being elected Premier in the 1968 election. Considered young and handsome, Steele was also the first Australian state premier to sport sideburns. Indeed, the 1968 election, fought between Hall and his Labor opponent Don Dunstan, was described by the Democratic Labor Party as the battle of "the matinee idols". Hall entered office on April 17, 1968 and immediately set out to deal with the issue of electoral reform. Deliberately inequitable electoral boundaries had advantaged the LCL over the past forty years and embarrassed by the LCL win in the election after receiving 43.8% of the first preference vote compared to the ALP's 52%, and concerned by the level of publicity and public protest about the issue, Hall was committed to the principle of a fairer electoral system.

Whatever the public outcry over the electoral inequalities, Hall's political bravery in introducing legislation to reform the House of Assembly to a more equitable system of representation and therefore virtually guaranteeing the LCL's defeat at the next election, should not be underestimated and ranks as one of the few instances in Australian political history when a politician initiated a reform knowing that it would expressly disadvantage him or her. In addition to electoral reform, Hall expressed his progressive credentials by introducing improvements in social welfare, Aboriginal affairs and abortion reform.

The LCL had gained office in 1968 only with the support of the long serving independent Tom Stott. Stott, a good friend of former Premier Playford and no friend of the ALP, could be relied upon to cast his vote in favour of the LCL. However, Hall and Stott fell out over the location of a dam. Stott wanted the dam built in his electorate while Hall thought it more use to locate it elsewhere. Constitutent anger forced Stott to vote against the Hall government, leading to an early election - the 1970 election.

[edit] Legislative Council Results

1968 Legislative Council Result
Party			Seats
	Australian Labor Party	52.8%	2
	Liberal and Country League	41.9%	8
	Democratic Labor Party	5.3%
1968-1973 Legislative Council
Party			Seats
	Liberal and Country League		16
	Australian Labor Party		4

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Historical lower house results
Historical upper house results
State and federal election results in Australia since 1890

Government of South Australia

Executive: Monarchy | Governor | Premier | Police

State elections: 1965 - 1968 - 1970 - 1973 - 1975 - 1977 - 1979 - 1982 - 1985 - 1989 - 1993 - 1997 - 2002 - 2006

Judicial: High Court of Australia - Supreme Court - District Court - Magistrates' Court - Coroner's Court

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