The 1947 Victorian state election was held in the Australian state of Victoria on Saturday 8 November 1947 to elect 65 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. The election resulted in a landslide defeat for the Labor government of John Cain, which lost 14 seats and was reduced to 17, its lowest number since 1932. The opposition Liberal Party and Country Party won a combined total of 47 seats, with the Liberals alone capturing 27âÂÂa gain of 17âÂÂto become the largest party in the Assembly for the first time since the party's formation.
The campaign was dominated by federal issues, particularly the Chifley government's proposal to nationalise private banks. Opposition parties campaigned heavily against bank nationalisation, framing the state election as a referendum on the policy. Liberal leader Thomas Hollway, who became premier following the election, declared the result "the beginning of the fight against the Commonwealth Government" and pledged that the new government would "fight to the end to defeat Mr. Chifley's Bank Nationalisation programme." Country Party leader John McDonald interpreted the outcome as confirmation that "socialism is out for good in Victoria."
Three Labor ministersâÂÂDeputy Premier Frank Field, Minister of Mines William McKenzie, and Chief Secretary Bill SlaterâÂÂlost their seats. Labor officials blamed attacks by federal and state Labor figures on former prisoners of war Adair Blain and Wilfrid Kent Hughes, both of whom stood as Liberal candidates, for contributing to the scale of the defeat. The election marked the end of Labor's brief minority government, which had relied on the support of two independents since the 1945 election. Both independents were among the earliest casualties on election night. Future premier Henry Bolte was first elected to Parliament at this election.