# Clarence Doust
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{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific_prefix =
|name = Clarence Doust
|honorific_suffix =
|image =
|alt =
|caption =
|office = Member of the [Legislative Assembly](/source/Western_Australian_Legislative_Assembly)
of [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia)
|constituency = [Nelson](/source/Electoral_district_of_Nelson)
|term_start = 15 February 1936
|term_end = 18 March 1939
|predecessor = [Jack Smith](/source/John_Henry_Smith_(politician))
|successor = Jack Smith
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1885|8|3|df=y}}
|birth_place = [Balbarrup](/source/Balbarrup%2C_Western_Australia), [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia), Australia
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1961|4|19|1885|8|3|df=y}}
|death_place = [Manjimup](/source/Manjimup%2C_Western_Australia), [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia), Australia
|party = Independent
}}
'''Clarence Isaac Doust''' (3 August 1885 – 19 April 1961) was an Australian farmer and politician who was an independent member of the [Legislative Assembly](/source/Western_Australian_Legislative_Assembly) of [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) from 1936 to 1939, representing the [seat of Nelson](/source/Electoral_district_of_Nelson).
Doust was born in [Balbarrup](/source/Balbarrup%2C_Western_Australia), [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) (near [Manjimup](/source/Manjimup%2C_Western_Australia)), to Mary (née Needes) and Abraham Doust. After leaving school, he was employed as a secretary by the [Warren Road Board](/source/Shire_of_Manjimup), as well as having his own farm. Doust enlisted in the [Australian Imperial Force](/source/First_Australian_Imperial_Force) in August 1916, and served in France with a medical unit. He returned to Australia after the war's end, working for periods as an [Agricultural Bank](/source/Agricultural_Bank_of_Western_Australia) inspector and land valuer before returning to his previous position as road board secretary.[[http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/(Lookup)/A3B618DB0B594698482577E50028A5C4?OpenDocument Clarence Isaac Doust] – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 2 June 2016.] Doust was a supporter of the [social credit](/source/social_credit) movement (although not associated with [its political arm](/source/Douglas_Credit_Party)), and was president of the local chapter.[[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25128407 "COUNTRY NEWS."], ''[The West Australian](/source/The_West_Australian)'', 7 March 1936.]
At the [1936 state election](/source/1936_Western_Australian_state_election), Doust ran for parliament and defeated [Jack Smith](/source/John_Henry_Smith_(politician)) (a 15-year incumbent) with 57.1 percent of the [two-party-preferred](/source/two-party-preferred) vote.[{{cite book|last=Black|first=David|authorlink=David Black (historian)|last2=Prescott|first2=Valerie|title=Election statistics : Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996|year=1997|publisher=Western Australian Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission|location=Perth, [W.A.]|isbn=0730984095}}] After the election, Doust announced that he would give "general support" to the [Labor](/source/Australian_Labor_Party_(Western_Australian_Branch)) government of [Philip Collier](/source/Philip_Collier), adding to its narrow majority.[[http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/149437403 "State Politics Provide Sensations"], ''Toodyay Herald'', 4 September 1936.] However, his time in parliament was short-lived, as he placed only third on [first preferences](/source/first_preferences) at the [1939 state election](/source/1939_Western_Australian_state_election) and had his seat reclaimed by Smith.