1975 Australian federal election explained

Election Name:1975 Australian federal election
Country:Australia
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1974 Australian federal election
Previous Year:1974
Next Election:1977 Australian federal election
Next Year:1977
Outgoing Members:Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1974–1975
Elected Members:Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1975–1977
Registered:8,262,413
Turnout:7,881,873 (95.39%)
(0.03 pp)
Seats For Election:All 127 seats of the House of Representatives
64 seats were needed for a majority in the House
All 64 seats of the Senate
Election Date:13 December 1975
Leader1:Malcolm Fraser
Leader Since1:21 March 1975
Party1:Liberal/NCP coalition
Leaders Seat1:Wannon (Vic.)
Last Election1:61 seats
Seats1:91 seats
Seat Change1:30
Popular Vote1:4,102,078
Percentage1:53.05%
Swing1:7.32
Leader2:Gough Whitlam
Leader Since2:8 February 1967
Party2:Australian Labor Party
Leaders Seat2:Werriwa (NSW)
Last Election2:66 seats
Seats2:36 seats
Seat Change2:30
Popular Vote2:3,313,004
Percentage2:42.84%
Swing2:6.46
1Blank:TPP
2Blank:TPP swing
1Data1:55.70%
2Data1:7.40
1Data2:44.30%
2Data2:7.40
Map Size:350px
Prime Minister
Before Election:Malcolm Fraser
Before Party:Liberal/NCP coalition
Posttitle:Subsequent Prime Minister
After Election:Malcolm Fraser
After Party:Liberal/NCP coalition

The 1975 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 13 December 1975. All 127 seats in the House of Representatives and all 64 seats in the Senate were up for election, due to a double dissolution.

Malcolm Fraser had been commissioned as caretaker prime minister following the dismissal of Gough Whitlam's three-year-old Labor government by Governor-General Sir John Kerr, on 11 November 1975. The same day, Fraser advised an immediate double dissolution, in accordance with Kerr's stipulated conditions (see 1975 Australian constitutional crisis).

The Coalition of Fraser's Liberal Party of Australia and Doug Anthony's National Country Party secured government in its own right, winning the largest majority government to date in Australian history. The Liberals actually won a majority in their own right, with 68 seats–the first time that the main non-Labor party had done so since adopting the Liberal banner in 1944. Although Fraser had no need for the support of the National Country Party, the Coalition was retained. It was also the first time a party won over 90 seats at an Australian election. This was the last federal election the Coalition won more than 50% of the primary vote.

Labor suffered a 30-seat swing and saw its lower house caucus cut almost in half, to 36 seats—fewer than it had when Whitlam became leader in the aftermath of the Coalition landslide nearly 10 years earlier, in the 1966 election. With only 28% of the House of Representatives seats, this is the worst seat share for Labor since the current Liberal-Labor party contest from 1946.

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Results

House of Representatives results

See main article: article and Results of the 1975 Australian federal election (House of Representatives).

Party! style="width:70px"
Votes%SwingSeatsChange
 Liberal–NCP coalition4,102,07853.05+7.3291+30
 Liberal3,232,15941.80+6.8568+28
 National Country853,94311.04+0.2822+1
 Country Liberal15,9760.21+0.211+1
 Labor3,313,00442.84−6.4636−30
 Democratic Labor101,7501.32−0.1000
 Workers60,1300.78+0.7800
 Liberal Movement49,4840.64–0.1400
 Australia33,6300.43−1.8900
 Communist9,3930.12+0.1100
 Independent63,1090.82+0.4200
 Total7,732,578  127 
 Liberal–NCP coalitionWin55.70+7.4091+30
 Labor 44.30−7.4036−30

Senate results

Party! style="width:70px"
Votes%SwingSeats wonSeats heldChange
  Liberal–NCP coalition (total)3,706,98951.74+7.853535+6
 Liberal–NCP joint ticket2,855,72139.86+5.0917
 Liberal793,77211.08+3.261626+3
 National Country41,9770.59−0.7118+2
 Country Liberal15,5190.22+0.2211+1
 Labor2,931,31040.91−6.382727-2
 Democratic Labor191,0492.67−0.89000
 Liberal Movement76,4261.07+0.11110
 Workers62,3850.87+0.87000
 Family Movement45,6580.64+0.64000
 Australia34,6320.48–0.91000
 United Tasmania1,2270.02–0.01000
 Socialist7270.01+0.01000
 Independents114,3101.60–0.52110
 Total7,164,713  6464+4
Notes

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1975SwingPost-1975
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Barton, NSW LaborLen Reynolds5.110.04.9Jim BradfieldLiberal 
Bowman, Qld LaborLen Keogh1.38.47.1David JullLiberal 
Braddon, Tas LaborRon Davies4.88.63.8Ray GroomLiberal 
Brisbane, Qld LaborManfred Cross1.15.03.9Peter JohnsonLiberal 
Canberra, ACT LaborKep Enderby7.110.43.3John HaslemLiberal 
Capricornia, Qld LaborDoug Everingham4.95.00.1Colin CarigeNational Country 
Casey, Vic LaborRace Mathews1.59.07.5Peter FalconerLiberal 
Cook, NSW LaborRay Thorburn0.58.37.8Don DobieLiberal 
Dawson, Qld LaborRex Patterson0.64.23.6Ray BraithwaiteNational Country 
Denison, Tas LaborJohn Coates2.87.74.9Michael HodgmanLiberal 
Diamond Valley, Vic LaborDavid McKenzie0.79.89.1Neil BrownLiberal 
Eden-Monaro, NSW LaborBob Whan0.15.65.5Murray SainsburyLiberal 
Evans, NSW LaborAllan Mulder4.96.92.0John AbelLiberal 
Franklin, Tas LaborRay Sherry12.914.71.8Bruce GoodluckLiberal 
Henty, Vic LaborJoan Child1.56.75.2Ken AldredLiberal 
Holt, Vic LaborMax Oldmeadow6.98.51.6William YatesLiberal 
Isaacs, Vic LaborGareth Clayton0.67.56.9David HamerLiberal 
Kalgoorlie, WA LaborFred Collard2.16.34.3Mick CotterLiberal 
Kingston, SA LaborRichard Gun6.112.76.6Grant ChapmanLiberal 
La Trobe, Vic LaborTony Lamb4.68.94.3Marshall BaillieuLiberal 
Leichhardt, Qld LaborBill Fulton3.35.72.4David ThomsonNational Country 
Macarthur, NSW LaborJohn Kerin4.48.54.1Michael BaumeLiberal 
Macquarie, NSW LaborTony Luchetti8.710.31.6Reg GillardLiberal 
McMillan, Vic National CountryArthur HewsonN/A2.16.7Barry SimonLiberal 
Perth, WA LaborJoe Berinson8.29.00.8Ross McLeanLiberal 
Phillip, NSW LaborJoe Riordan4.57.12.6Jack BirneyLiberal 
St George, NSW LaborBill Morrison5.85.80.0Maurice NeilLiberal 
Swan, WA LaborAdrian Bennett5.67.72.1John MartyrLiberal 
Tangney, WA LaborJohn Dawkins3.19.76.6Peter RichardsonLiberal 

Issues and significance

The election followed the controversial dismissal of the Whitlam government by Governor-General Sir John Kerr in the 1975 constitutional crisis. Labor campaigners hoped that the electorate would "maintain [its] rage" and punish the Coalition for its part in bringing down the government, proclaiming "Shame Fraser, Shame". However, the Coalition focused on economic issues following the 1973 oil crisis and 1973–75 recession, the so-called Loans Affair, alleged Labor mismanagement of inflation, and campaigned under the slogan "Turn on the lights, Australia" (drawing on a contemporary cynicism: "Would the last businessman leaving Australia please turn out the lights?").[1] [2]

The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory received an entitlement to elect two senators each as a consequence of the Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973, passed during the 1974 Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament.

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. News: Twomey . Anne . 19 April 2017 . Australian politics explainer: Gough Whitlam's dismissal as prime minister . . live . 23 August 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230823064145/https://theconversation.com/australian-politics-explainer-gough-whitlams-dismissal-as-prime-minister-74148 . 23 August 2023.
  2. Web site: 1975 Federal Election . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230823065523/https://australianpolitics.com/elections/federal-1975 . Malcolm . Farnsworth . 23 August 2023 . 23 August 2023 . AustralianPolitics.com.