Queensland general election, 1977
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Elections were held in the Australian state of Queensland on November 12, 1977 to elect the 82 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.
The election resulted in a fourth consecutive victory for the National-Liberal Coalition under Joh Bjelke-Petersen. It was the eighth victory of the National Party in Queensland since it first came to office in 1957.
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[edit] Issues
The major issue in the election was law and order. In 1977, the Government had passed a law making it illegal to march in the street without a permit, which were rarely given. The Coalition argued that this prevented traffic disruption and other inconveniences to the people of Brisbane, while the ALP claimed that it was a curtailment of civil liberties. Joh Bjelke-Petersen also no longer had the Whitlam Labor Government (which was unpopular in Queensland) to use as a campaigning tool.
[edit] Result
The ALP gained twelve seats from the Coalition and Independents, making something of a recovery from its disastrous 1974 performance. Even so, the Coalition retained a commanding majority in the Legislative Assembly.
For the first time, the National Party won more votes than the Liberal party (an electoral malaportionment had allowed the Nationals to win more seats than the Liberals previously). The Liberal Party had begun to decline.
The Democratic Labor Party no longer existed, although the Australian Democrats contested their first election in Queensland.
[edit] Results summary
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Legislative Assembly |
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| Party | % of vote | Swing | Seats | Change | ||
| Australian Labor Party | 42.8 | +6.8 | 23 | +12 | ||
| Liberal Party of Australia | 25.2 | -6.9 | 24 | -6 | ||
| The Nationals | 27.1 | -0.8 | 35 | -4 | ||
| Other | 4.8 | -0.2 | 0 | -2 | ||
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[edit] References
ABC Election Archive, Queensland Past Elections
