1987 Australian Senate election explained
See also: Members of the Australian Senate, 1987–1990.
| Election Name: | 1987 Australian Senate elections |
| Country: | Australia |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | Results of the 1984 Australian federal election (Senate) |
| Previous Year: | 1984 |
| Next Election: | Results of the 1990 Australian federal election (Senate) |
| Next Year: | 1990 |
| Seats For Election: | All 76 seats in the Australian Senate |
| Majority Seats: | 39 |
| Election Date: | 11 July 1987 |
| Party1: | Liberal/National Coalition |
| Leader1: | Fred Chaney |
| Leaders Seat1: | Western Australia |
| Leader Since1: | 11 March 1983 |
| Seats Before1: | 33 |
| Seats After1: | 34 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Popular Vote1: | 3,939,432 |
| Percentage1: | 42.04% |
| Swing1: | 2.50% |
| Party2: | Australian Labor Party |
| Leader2: | John Button |
| Leaders Seat2: | Victoria |
| Leader Since2: | 7 November 1980 |
| Seats Before2: | 34 |
| Seats After2: | 32 |
| Seat Change2: | 2 |
| Popular Vote2: | 4,013,860 |
| Percentage2: | 42.83% |
| Swing2: | 0.66% |
| Party4: | Australian Democrats |
| Leader4: | Janine Haines |
| Leaders Seat4: | South Australia |
| Leader Since4: | 18 August 1986 |
| Seats Before4: | 7 |
| Seats After4: | 7 |
| Popular Vote4: | 794,107 |
| Percentage4: | 8.47% |
| Swing4: | 0.85% |
| Party5: | NDP |
| Color5: | FDC500 |
| Leader5: | Robert Wood |
| Leaders Seat5: | New South Wales
(won seat) |
| Seats Before5: | 1 |
| Seats After5: | 1 |
| Popular Vote5: | 102,480 |
| Percentage5: | 1.09% |
| Swing5: | 6.14% |
| Leader of the Senate |
| Before Election: | John Button |
| Before Party: | Australian Labor Party |
| After Election: | John Button |
| After Party: | Australian Labor Party |
The following tables show state-by-state results in the Australian Senate at the 1987 federal election. This election was a Double dissolution, which means that all 12 senators from each state were up for election. Senators total 29 coalition (27 Liberal, one coalition National, one CLP), 32 Labor, one Jo Vallentine Peace Group, four non-coalition National, seven Democrats, one Nuclear Disarmament and one Independent. Territory Senators served until the next federal election. State Senator terms were nominally three or six years, backdated from 1 July 1987. The Senate used the order-elected method to allocate three- and six-year seats, despite provisions for the AEC to conduct a special recount.
Australia
Party! style="width:70px; text-align:center;"| Votes | % | Swing | Seats won | Seats held | Change |
|---|
| | | | | 1,965,180 | 20.97 | +0.38 | 23 | 27 | |
| | Liberal–National joint ticket | 1,289,888 | 13.76 | +1.05 | 5 | N/A | N/A |
| | | 664,394 | 7.09 | +1.16 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| | | 19,970 | 0.21 | −0.10 | 1 | 1 | |
| Liberal/National Coalition | 3,939,432 | 42.04 | +2.50 | 34 | 34 | 1 |
|---|
| | | 4,013,860 | 42.83 | +0.66 | 32 | 32 | 2 |
| | | 794,107 | 8.47 | +0.85 | 7 | 7 | |
| | | 136,825 | 1.46 | −0.36 | | | |
| | | 102,480 | 1.09 | −6.14 | 1 | 1 | |
| | | 50,894 | 0.54 | +0.17 | | | |
| | | 40,615 | 0.43 | +0.43 | | | |
| | Vallentine Peace Group | 40,048 | 0.43 | +0.43 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| | Harradine Group | 37,037 | 0.40 | +0.14 | 1 | 1 | |
| | | 24,704 | 0.26 | +0.26 | | | |
| | | 17,265 | 0.18 | –0.09 | | | |
| | Defence and Ex-Services | 14,431 | 0.15 | +0.15 | | | |
| | | 13,063 | 0.14 | +0.14 | | | |
| | | 2,456 | 0.03 | +0.03 | | | |
| | | 144,463 | 1.54 | | | | |
| | Others | 444,716 | 4.75 | | | | |
| Total | 9,371,681 | | | 76 | 76 | |
|
| Invalid/blank votes | 394,891 | 4.0 | –2.8 | | | |
| Turnout | 9,766,571 | 90.5 | | | | |
| Registered voters | 10,353,213 | | | | | |
| Source: Federal Election Results 1949-1993 | |
- As this was a double-dissolution election, all Senate seats were contested.
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory
Northern Territory
See also
