Paul Jones (Australian Politician)

Paul Jones (15 June 1878 – 27 December 1972) was an Australian politician. Born in Gaffneys Creek, Victoria, he was educated at South Melbourne College before becoming a goldminer and teacher. He also studied at the University of Melbourne for an MA. In 1928, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in bizarre circumstances. Contesting the fairly safe Country Party seat of Indi, Jones's opponent, Robert Cook, mistakenly failed to lodge his nomination papers, which saw Jones elected unopposed. This is the only occasion in the history of the Australian Parliament that a candidate has lost his or her seat in this way. Cook attempted to regain the seat in 1929, but was unsuccessful; Jones was confirmed. He was defeated in the United Australia Party landslide of 1931, but was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 1938 for Doutta Galla Province. He remained in the Council until 1958, but left the Labor Party in 1955, joining the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist), which later became the Democratic Labor Party. Jones died in 1972.