 He was a Corporate Town of St Peters councillor from 1923 to 1925, an alderman from 1925 to 1928, and mayor from 1928 to 1932.Stacey was elected to the House of Representatives at the 1931 federal election, defeating long-term Labor MP George Edwin Yates.He was re-elected in 1934, 1937 and 1940, the third time with a majority of 2,198.