Australian federal election, 1975
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All 127 seats of the Australian House of Representatives 64 seats were needed for a majority in the House All 64 seats of the Australian Senate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Federal elections were 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 following a double dissolution of both Houses.
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 the calling of the election, 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 in Australian history. Although Fraser had no need for the support of the National Country Party, the Coalition was retained. Labor suffered a 30-seat swing and saw its House of Representatives numbers 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.
Results
Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Labor Party | 3,313,004 | 42.84 | −6.46 | 36 | −30 | |
Liberal Party of Australia | 3,232,159 | 41.80 | +6.85 | 68 | +28 | |
National Country Party | 869,919 | 11.25 | +1.29 | 23 | +2 | |
Democratic Labor Party | 101,750 | 1.32 | −0.10 | 0 | 0 | |
Australia Party | 33,630 | 0.43 | −1.89 | 0 | 0 | |
Other | 182,116 | 2.36 | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 7,732,578 | 127 | ||||
Liberal/National coalition | WIN | 55.70 | +7.40 | 91 | +30 | |
Australian Labor Party | 44.30 | −7.40 | 36 | −30 |
Party | Votes | % | Swing | Seats Won | Seats Held | Change | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Labor Party | 2,931,310 | 40.91 | −6.38 | 27 | 27 | −2 | |
Liberal/National (Joint Ticket) | 2,855,721 | 39.86 | +5.09 | 17 | |||
Liberal Party of Australia | 793,772 | 11.08 | +3.26 | 16 | 26 | +3 | |
Democratic Labor Party | 191,049 | 2.67 | −0.89 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Liberal Movement | 76,426 | 1.07 | +0.11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
National Country Party | 38,366 | 0.54 | −0.76 | 1 | 8 | +2 | |
Country Liberal Party | 15,519 | 0.22 | −0.01 | 1 | 1 | +1 | |
Independents | 114,310 | 1.60 | −0.24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
Other | 148,240 | 2.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
Total | 7,164,713 | 64 | 64 | +4 |
Independent: Brian Harradine
Seats changing hands
- Members in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
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?").
The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory received an entitlement to elect two senators each as a consequence of the 1974 Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament.
See also
- Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1975
- Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1975–1977
- Members of the Australian Senate, 1975–1978
References
- AustralianPolitics.com 1975 election details
- University of WA election results in Australia since 1890
- AEC 2PP vote