1940 Victorian state election

Background

• In November 1937, Ian Macfarlan left the United Australia Party and sat as an Independent. Macfarlan gave two reasons for his resignation from the UAP: that the party was sitting in opposition to the Dunstan Country government which he praised; and that it was controlled by a central body outside of the parliament, the members of which were unknown to most party members. Frederick Holden also left the UAP and sat on the cross benches. This reduced the UAP's numbers from 21 to 19.
• Ernie Bond had been expelled from the Labor Party over his support for the "Premiers' Plan" in 1932, and had won several elections as an independent. He was re-admitted to the ALP in on 16 April 1938. This increased the ALP's numbers from 20 to 21.
• On 5 November 1938, the United Country Party won a by-election in the seat of Gippsland North, after the death of the sitting member James Weir McLachlan, an independent. This reduced the number of Independents to 3, and increased the numbers for the UCP from 20 to 21.
• In August 1939, Alfred Kirton resigned from the UAP and sat briefly as an independent, before joining the United Country Party on 29 August 1939. This reduced the UAP from 19 seats to 18, and increased the UCP seats from 21 to 22.
• In 1939 Frederick Cook moved from being an Independent to joining the Liberal Country Party, a breakaway group from the Country Party who supported the federal party's participation in a Coalition government.

  Results

Legislative Assembly