Playmander

The Playmander was a pro-rural electoral malapportionment in the Australian state of South Australia, which was introduced by the incumbent Liberal and Country League (LCL) government in 1936, and remained in place for 32 years until 1968.

During the Playmander's existence, Labor won enough parliamentary seats to form government only once, in an against the odds win in 1965 that ousted its namesake, Sir Thomas Playford, as Premier after over 26 years in office.

The Playmander was strong enough that Labor was denied government despite comprehensive majorities of the statewide two-party vote in 1944, 1953, 1962 and 1968.

A unique fairness clause directs the Electoral Commission of South Australia to redraw boundaries after each election, with the objective being that the party which receives over 50 percent of the statewide two-party vote at the forthcoming election should win the two-party vote in a majority of seats; while this clause was removed from the State constitution in 2017, the Commission still retains it when drawing electoral maps.

The electoral system contributed to Playford achieving a then-world record for a democratically elected leader, as he spent 26 years as Premier of South Australia.

During this period, as a result of population changes, the rural overweighting allowed Playford to retain power even when the LCL lost by decisive margins in actual votes: in 1944 and 1953, for instance, Labor won 53 percent of the two-party vote to the LCL's 47 percent, a margin that in the other states of Australia (with fairer electoral systems) would have seen the Labor leaders (Robert Richards in 1944 and Mick O'Halloran in 1953) defeat Playford's LCL government in a landslide.

This was because rural areas, excepting industrial towns such as Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie, were likely to support the LCL, while Adelaide and its suburbs were overwhelmingly Labor; even at the height of Playford's popularity, the LCL only had a realistic prospect of winning seats in the wealthy eastern suburbs and around Holdfast Bay.

The term "Playmander" was adopted by the Adelaide press, including the articulate young Labor member Don Dunstan.

Walsh knew a conventional statewide campaign was not realistic due to the significant rural overweighting, and opted instead to target the LCL's marginal seats in the 1962 election.

However, the rural weighting was strong enough to hold Labor to a two-seat swing, one short of what was required to make Walsh Premier.

The balance of power rested with two independents, who supported Playford, thus allowing him to continue in office with a bare one-seat majority.

This illustrated just how distorted the Playmander had become: the LCL was in a position to govern despite winning only 45.7 percent of the two-party vote.

While the two-party vote remained at 54.3 percent, the rural overweighting was strong enough that Labor won 21 seats, a mere two-seat majority.

While Labor won 53.2 percent of the two-party vote at that election, it lost two seats, resulting in a hung parliament.

Hall was embarrassed that the LCL was even in a position to govern, despite having been convincingly defeated in terms of actual votes.

When a snap election was called in 1970, Labor gained power as expected, with 53.3 percent of the two-party vote, sweeping the eight newly created seats.

In 1973, Labor retained office with 54.5 percent of the two-party vote, and the LCL became the South Australian division of the Liberal Party of Australia in 1974.

However, the Liberals fell short of winning government in all three elections because most of their majorities were wasted on massive landslides in their rural heartland.

Labor achieved majority government when Nat Cook won the 2014 Fisher by-election triggered by Such's death.

"[9] University of Adelaide Professor of Politics Clem Macintyre stated after the 2014 election that fair electoral boundaries are an "impossible challenge".

Labor's statewide two-party-preferred vote at the 1965 election remained unchanged at 54.3 percent, barely winning for the first and only time during the 32-year Playmander, with just a two-seat majority government.

At the 1968 election the LCL won the seats of Murray and Chaffey and formed a one-seat minority government.