2016 Australian Senate election explained

Election Name:2016 Australian federal election
(Senate)
Country:Australia
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:Results of the 2013 Australian federal election (Senate)
Previous Year:2013
Next Election:Results of the 2019 Australian federal election (Senate)
Next Year:2019
Seats For Election:All 76 seats in the Australian Senate
Majority Seats:39
Election Date:2 July 2016
Party1:Liberal/National Coalition
Leader1:George Brandis
Leaders Seat1:Queensland
Leader Since1:20 September 2015
Seats Before1:33
Seats1:30
Seat Change1: 3
Popular Vote1:4,868,246
Percentage1:35.18%
Swing1: 2.52%
Party2:Australian Labor Party
Leader2:Penny Wong
Leaders Seat2:South Australia
Leader Since2:26 June 2013
Seats Before2:25
Seats2:26
Seat Change2: 1
Popular Vote2:4,123,084
Percentage2:29.79%
Swing2: 0.16%
Party3:Australian Greens
Color3:39b54a
Leader3:Richard Di Natale
Leaders Seat3:Victoria
Leader Since3:6 May 2015
Seats Before3:10
Seats3:9
Seat Change3: 1
Popular Vote3:1,197,657
Percentage3:8.65%
Swing3: 0.58%
Party4:One Nation
Leader4:Pauline Hanson
Leaders Seat4:Queensland
(won seat)
Seats Before4:0
Seats4:4
Seats After4:4
Seat Change4: 4
Popular Vote4:593,013
Percentage4:4.29%
Swing4: 3.76%
Party5:Nick Xenophon Team
Leader5:Nick Xenophon
Leaders Seat5:South Australia
Seats Before5:1
Seats5:3
Seats After5:3
Seat Change5: 2
Popular Vote5:456,369
Percentage5:3.30%
Swing5: 1.37%
Party6:Liberal Democrats
Leader6:David Leyonhjelm
Leaders Seat6:New South Wales
Seats Before6:1
Seats6:1
Seats After6:1
Popular Vote6:298,915
Percentage6:2.16%
Swing6: 1.59%
Party7:Derryn Hinch's Justice Party
Leader7:Derryn Hinch
Leaders Seat7:Victoria
(won seat)
Seats Before7:New
Seats7:1
Seats After7:1
Seat Change7: 1
Popular Vote7:266,607
Percentage7:1.93%
Swing7: 1.93%
Party8:Jacqui Lambie Network
Leader8:Jacqui Lambie
Leaders Seat8:Tasmania
(won seat)
Seats Before8:New
Seats8:1
Seats After8:1
Seat Change8: 1
Popular Vote8:69,074
Percentage8:0.50%
Swing8: 0.50%
Leader of the Senate
Before Election:George Brandis
Before Party:Liberal/National coalition
After Election:George Brandis
After Party:Liberal/National coalition

The 2016 Australian federal election in the Senate was part of a double dissolution election held on Saturday 2 July to elect all 226 members of the 45th Parliament of Australia, after an extended eight-week official campaign period. It was the first double dissolution election since the 1987 election and the first under a new voting system for the Senate that replaced group voting tickets with optional preferential voting.

The final outcome in the 76-seat Australian Senate took over four weeks to complete despite significant voting changes. Earlier in 2016, legislation changed the Senate voting system from a full-preference single transferable vote with group voting tickets to an optional-preferential single transferable vote.[1] The final Senate result was announced on 4 August: Liberal/National Coalition 30 seats (−3), Labor 26 seats (+1), Greens 9 seats (−1), One Nation 4 seats (+4) and Nick Xenophon Team 3 seats (+2). Former broadcaster and founder of the Justice Party Derryn Hinch, won a seat, while Jacqui Lambie, Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm and Family First's Bob Day retained their seats. The number of crossbenchers increased by two to a record 20. The Liberal/National Coalition will require at least nine additional votes to reach a Senate majority, an increase of three.[2] [3] [4]

A number of initially-elected senators were declared ineligible a result of the 2017–18 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis, and replaced after recounts.

Terms of senators

The two major parties negotiated to allocate a six-year term to the first elected six of twelve senators in each state, while the last six received a three-year term. This was consistent with the Senate practice on all seven previous occasions. In 1983 the Joint Select Committee on Electoral Reform had unanimously recommended an alternative "recount" method to reflect proportional representation,[5] and the Commonwealth Electoral Act provides for a recount on that basis.[6] This alternative method had been supported by both Labor and the Coalition in two separate, identical, bipartisan senate resolutions, passed in 1998 and 2010.[7] [8] [9] By not adhering to their previous resolutions, Labor and the Coalition each gained one senate seat from 2019.[10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Australia

The final Senate result was announced on 4 August. The incumbent Liberal/National Coalition government won 30 seats, a net loss of three − the Coalition lost four Senators, one each from New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia, but gained a Senator in Victoria. The Labor opposition won 26 seats, a gain of one − a Senator in Western Australia. The number of crossbenchers increased by two to a record 20. The Liberal/National Coalition would require at least nine additional votes to reach a Senate majority, an increase of three.[2] [3] [4] [16]

Senate (STV OPV) – Turnout 91.93% (CV) – Informal 3.94%
PartyVotes%SwingSeats wonChange
 Liberal–National Coalition4,868,24635.18–1.3230 3
 align=left / joint ticket2,769,42620.01−1.1610
 align=left 1,066,5797.71+0.7714 2
 align=left 960,4676.94−1.165 1
 align=left 37,1560.27−0.051
 National (WA)34,6180.25−0.060
 4,123,08429.79+0.1626 1
 1,197,6578.65−0.589 1
 593,0134.29+3.764 4
 Xenophon Team456,3693.30+1.373 2
 298,9152.16–1.591
 266,6071.93+1.931 1
 Shooters, Fishers and Farmers192,9231.39+0.44
 191,1121.38+0.261
 162,1551.17+0.63
 159,3731.15+0.46
 102,9820.74+0.74
 94,5100.68–0.180 1
 94,2620.68–0.64
 85,2330.62+0.62
 76,7440.55+0.55
 Lambie Network69,0740.50+0.501 1
 Christians66,5250.48+0.09
 61,3270.44+0.38
 53,2320.38–0.120 1
 53,1230.38–0.50
 45,1490.33+0.33
 44,9820.33+0.33
 37,7020.27+0.27
 36,4240.26–0.10
 35,1840.25–0.11
 29,9830.22+0.22
 Science/Cyclists joint ticket29,9340.22+0.22
 HEMP29,5100.21–0.50
 Sustainable Australia26,3410.19+0.08
 Palmer United26,2100.19–5.420 3
 Cyclists24,2760.18+0.18
 Voluntary Euthanasia23,2520.17–0.06
 Seniors United22,2130.16+0.16
 VOTEFLUX.ORG20,4530.15+0.15
 Mature Australia18,9200.14+0.14
 Online Direct Democracy11,8570.09+0.06
 Secular11,0770.08–0.01
 Defence Veterans10,3910.08+0.08
 Socialist Alliance9,9680.07+0.04
 Citizens Electoral Council9,8500.07+0.06
 Country9,3160.07+0.07
 Socialist Equality7,8650.06+0.02
 Progressives6,2510.05+0.05
 CountryMinded5,9890.04+0.04
 Manufacturing and Farming5,2680.04+0.04
 Australia First3,0050.02+0.02
 Recreational Fishers2,3760.02+0.02
 Non-Custodial Parents2,1020.02+0.01
 Science1,3060.01+0.01
 Unendorsed/ungrouped25,2800.18+0.00
 Others1,601,48111.57+1.25
Total13,838,900  76
Invalid/blank votesalign=right 567,806align=right 3.94align=right +1.01align=right align=right
Registered voters/turnoutalign=right 15,671,551align=right 91.93align=right –1.52align=right align=right
Source: Federal Election 2016

See also: Members of the Australian Senate, 2016–2019.

New South Wales

align=right
SenatorParty
1Marise Payne Liberal
2Sam Dastyari Labor
3Arthur Sinodinos Liberal
4Jenny McAllister Labor
5Fiona Nash Nationals
6Deborah O'Neill Labor
7Concetta Fierravanti-Wells Liberal
8Doug Cameron Labor
9Lee Rhiannon Greens
10John Williams Nationals
11Brian Burston One Nation
12David Leyonhjelm LDP

Victoria

align=right
SenatorParty
1Mitch Fifield Liberal
2Kim Carr Labor
3Richard Di Natale Greens
4Bridget McKenzie National
5Stephen Conroy Labor
6Scott Ryan Liberal
7Jacinta Collins Labor
8James Paterson Liberal
9Gavin Marshall Labor
10Derryn Hinch Justice
11Janet Rice Greens
12Jane Hume Liberal

Queensland

align=right
SenatorParty
1George Brandis LNP
2Murray Watt Labor
3Pauline Hanson One Nation
4Matt Canavan LNP
5Anthony Chisholm Labor
6James McGrath LNP
7Claire Moore Labor
8Ian Macdonald LNP
9Larissa Waters Greens
10Barry O'Sullivan LNP
11Chris Ketter Labor
12Malcolm Roberts One Nation

Western Australia

align=right
SenatorParty
1Mathias Cormann Liberal
2Sue Lines Labor
3Scott Ludlam Greens
4Michaelia Cash Liberal
5Glenn Sterle Labor
6Dean Smith Liberal
7Pat Dodson Labor
8Linda Reynolds Liberal
9Chris Back Liberal
10Louise Pratt Labor
11Rod Culleton One Nation
12Rachel Siewert Greens

South Australia

align=right
SenatorParty
1Simon Birmingham Liberal
2Penny Wong Labor
3Nick Xenophon NXT
4Cory Bernardi Liberal
5Don Farrell Labor
6Stirling Griff NXT
7Anne Ruston Liberal
8Alex Gallacher Labor
9David Fawcett Liberal
10Skye Kakoschke-Moore NXT
11Sarah Hanson-Young Greens
12Bob Day FFP

Tasmania

align=right
SenatorParty
1Eric Abetz Liberal
2Anne Urquhart Labor
3Peter Whish-Wilson Greens
4Jacqui Lambie Lambie
5Stephen Parry  Liberal
6Helen Polley  Labor
7Jonathon Duniam Liberal
8Carol Brown Labor
9David Bushby  Liberal
10Lisa Singh Labor
11Catryna Bilyk Labor
12Nick McKim Greens

Territories

Australian Capital Territory

align=right
SenatorParty
1Katy Gallagher Labor
2Zed Seselja Liberal

Northern Territory

align=right
SenatorParty
1Malarndirri McCarthy Labor
2Nigel Scullion CLP

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Election 2016 results: Senate count throws up a wild mix as One Nation, Fred Nile, Liberal Democrats vie for seats . Nicole Hasham . news.com.au . 3 July 2016. 3 July 2016 .
  2. Web site: AEC . Twitter . 2016-08-11.
  3. Web site: Federal Election 2016: Senate Results . 3 July 2016 . 4 July 2016 . Australia Votes . Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  4. Web site: Senate photo finishes . Blogs.crikey.com.au . 2016-07-12 . 2016-07-30.
  5. Web site: First report - electoral reform . Joint Select Committee on Electoral Reform . 66–7 . . 13 September 1983.
  6. Re-count of Senate votes to determine order of election in other circumstances.
  7. Web site: How long and short terms are allocated after a double dissolution . Green, A . Antony Green . 25 April 2016 . ABC.net.au.
  8. Web site: Division of the Senate following simultaneous general elections . Odgers' Australian Senate Practice . 14th . . 28 March 2017.
  9. Web site: Double dissolution election: implications for the Senate . . 29 January 2016.
  10. News: Election 2016: Pauline Hanson secures six-year Senate term, Derryn Hinch has three years until re-election . ABC News . 12 August 2016 . 16 April 2019.
  11. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/aug/12/senate-terms-derryn-hinch-and-greens-lee-rhiannon-given-three-year-terms Senate terms: Derryn Hinch and Greens' Lee Rhiannon given three years - The Guardian 12 August 2016
  12. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/federal-election-2016/alplnp-deal-to-force-senators-back-to-poll-in-three-years/news-story/f04dae3cfa3f26ae8b28e5c13c232b60 ALP-LNP deal to force senators back to poll in three years: The Australian 13 August 2016
  13. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/coalition-and-labor-team-up-to-clear-out-crossbench-senators-in-2019-20160812-gqr29k.html Coalition and Labor team up to clear out crossbench senators in 2019: SMH 12 August 2016
  14. Web site: Coalition flags first elected Senate plan: Sky News 12 August 2016 . 12 August 2016 . 13 August 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160813121527/http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/federal/2016/08/12/coalition-flags-first-elected-senate-plan.html . dead .
  15. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/cormann-backs-first-elected-plan-to-halve-senate-terms-for-crossbenchers/news-story/78b2d3837377ddf078c61a3ffd6d412f Cormann raises ‘first elected’ plan to halve Senate terms for crossbenchers: The Australian 12 December 2016
  16. Web site: 2016 Federal Election: First preferences by Senate group . 9 August 2016 . 10 June 2022 . Australian Electoral Commission.

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