1975 Australian federal election

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.

1975 Australian federal election
13 December 1975
All 127 seats of the House of Representatives
64 seats were needed for a majority in the House
All 64 seats of the Senate
Registered8,262,413 Increase 4.62%
Turnout7,881,873 (95.39%)
(Decrease0.03 pp)
  First party Second party
 
Leader Malcolm Fraser Gough Whitlam
Party Liberal/NCP coalition Labor
Leader since 21 March 1975 8 February 1967
Leader's seat Wannon (Vic.) Werriwa (NSW)
Last election 61 seats 66 seats
Seats won 91 seats 36 seats
Seat change Increase30 Decrease30
Popular vote 4,102,078 3,313,004
Percentage 53.05% 42.84%
Swing Increase7.32 Decrease6.46
TPP 55.70% 44.30%
TPP swing Increase7.40 Decrease7.40
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.
Prime Minister before election

Malcolm Fraser
Liberal/NCP coalition

 Subsequent Prime Minister

Malcolm Fraser
Liberal/NCP coalition

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.[lower-alpha 1] 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.

Results

House of Representatives results
Main article: Results of the 1975 Australian federal election (House of Representatives)
Government (91)
Coalition
  Liberal (68)
  NCP (22)
  CLP (1)

Opposition (36)
  Labor (36)
  1. While the Coalition under John Howard won 94 seats at the 1996 election, this only accounted for 63.51% of all seats in the House of Representatives, as there were 148 seats in 1996. The Coalition under Fraser won 91 seats, which, although smaller than 94, accounted for 71.65% of the House of Representatives, which had 127 seats in 1975. Therefore, while Howard won three more seats than Fraser in 1996, Fraser still won a larger majority.
House of Reps (IRV) – 1975–77—Turnout 95.39% (CV) – Informal 1.89%
Party Votes  % Swing Seats Change
  Liberal–NCP coalition 4,102,078 53.05 +7.32 91 +30
  Liberal 3,232,159 41.80 +6.85 68 +28
  National Country  853,943 11.04 +0.28 22 +1
  Country Liberal 15,976 0.21 +0.21 1 +1
  Labor 3,313,004 42.84 −6.46 36 −30
  Democratic Labor 101,750 1.32 −0.10 0 0
  Workers 60,130 0.78 +0.78 0 0
  Liberal Movement 49,484 0.64 –0.14 0 0
  Australia 33,630 0.43 −1.89 0 0
  Communist 9,393 0.12 +0.11 0 0
  Independent 63,109 0.82 +0.42 0 0
  Total 7,732,578     127  
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
  Liberal–NCP coalition Win 55.70 +7.40 91 +30
  Labor   44.30 −7.40 36 −30
Popular vote
Labor
 
 42.84%
Liberal
 
 41.80%
National
 
 11.25%
DLP
 
 1.32%
Other
 
 2.79%
Two-party-preferred vote
Coalition
 
 55.70%
Labor
 
 44.30%
Parliament seats
Coalition
 
 71.65%
Labor
 
 28.35%

Senate results
Government (35)
Coalition
  Liberal (26)
  NCP (8)
  CLP (1)

Opposition (27)
  Labor (27)

Crossbench (2)
  Liberal Movement (1)
  Independent (1)
    Senate (STV) – 1975–77—Turnout 95.39% (CV) – Informal 9.10%
    Party Votes  % Swing Seats won Seats held Change
      Liberal–NCP coalition (total) 3,706,989 51.74 +7.85 35 35 +6
      Liberal–NCP joint ticket 2,855,721 39.86 +5.09 17 * *
      Liberal 793,772 11.08 +3.26 16 26 +3
      National Country 41,977 0.59 −0.71 1 8 +2
      Country Liberal 15,519 0.22 +0.22 1 1 +1
      Labor 2,931,310 40.91 −6.38 27 27 −2
      Democratic Labor 191,049 2.67 −0.89 0 0 0
      Liberal Movement 76,426 1.07 +0.11 1 1 0
      Workers 62,385 0.87 +0.87 0 0 0
      Family Movement 45,658 0.64 +0.64 0 0 0
      Australia 34,632 0.48 –0.91 0 0 0
      United Tasmania 1,227 0.02 –0.01 0 0 0
      Socialist 727 0.01 +0.01 0 0 0
      Independents 114,310 1.60 –0.52 1 1 0
      Total 7,164,713     64 64 +4
    Notes

    Seats changing hands
    Seat Pre-1975 Swing Post-1975
    Party Member Margin Margin Member Party
    Barton, NSW   Labor Len Reynolds 5.1 10.0 4.9 Jim Bradfield Liberal  
    Bowman, Qld   Labor Len Keogh 1.3 8.4 7.1 David Jull Liberal  
    Braddon, Tas   Labor Ron Davies 4.8 8.6 3.8 Ray Groom Liberal  
    Brisbane, Qld   Labor Manfred Cross 1.1 5.0 3.9 Peter Johnson Liberal  
    Canberra, ACT   Labor Kep Enderby 7.1 10.4 3.3 John Haslem Liberal  
    Capricornia, Qld   Labor Doug Everingham 4.9 5.0 0.1 Colin Carige National Country  
    Casey, Vic   Labor Race Mathews 1.5 9.0 7.5 Peter Falconer Liberal  
    Cook, NSW   Labor Ray Thorburn 0.5 8.3 7.8 Don Dobie Liberal  
    Dawson, Qld   Labor Rex Patterson 0.6 4.2 3.6 Ray Braithwaite National Country  
    Denison, Tas   Labor John Coates 2.8 7.7 4.9 Michael Hodgman Liberal  
    Diamond Valley, Vic   Labor David McKenzie 0.7 9.8 9.1 Neil Brown Liberal  
    Eden-Monaro, NSW   Labor Bob Whan 0.1 5.6 5.5 Murray Sainsbury Liberal  
    Evans, NSW   Labor Allan Mulder 4.9 6.9 2.0 John Abel Liberal  
    Franklin, Tas   Labor Ray Sherry 12.9 14.7 1.8 Bruce Goodluck Liberal  
    Henty, Vic   Labor Joan Child 1.5 6.7 5.2 Ken Aldred Liberal  
    Holt, Vic   Labor Max Oldmeadow 6.9 8.5 1.6 William Yates Liberal  
    Isaacs, Vic   Labor Gareth Clayton 0.6 7.5 6.9 David Hamer Liberal  
    Kalgoorlie, WA   Labor Fred Collard 2.1 6.3 4.3 Mick Cotter Liberal  
    Kingston, SA   Labor Richard Gun 6.1 12.7 6.6 Grant Chapman Liberal  
    La Trobe, Vic   Labor Tony Lamb 4.6 8.9 4.3 Marshall Baillieu Liberal  
    Leichhardt, Qld   Labor Bill Fulton 3.3 5.7 2.4 David Thomson National Country  
    Macarthur, NSW   Labor John Kerin 4.4 8.5 4.1 Michael Baume Liberal  
    Macquarie, NSW   Labor Tony Luchetti 8.7 10.3 1.6 Reg Gillard Liberal  
    McMillan, Vic   National Country Arthur Hewson N/A 2.1 6.7 Barry Simon Liberal  
    Perth, WA   Labor Joe Berinson 8.2 9.0 0.8 Ross McLean Liberal  
    Phillip, NSW   Labor Joe Riordan 4.5 7.1 2.6 Jack Birney Liberal  
    St George, NSW   Labor Bill Morrison 5.8 5.8 0.0 Maurice Neil Liberal  
    Swan, WA   Labor Adrian Bennett 5.6 7.7 2.1 John Martyr Liberal  
    Tangney, WA   Labor John Dawkins 3.1 9.7 6.6 Peter Richardson Liberal  
    • Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

    Issues and significance
    The Gallagher Index result: 14.19

    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.

    The election was a highly significant one. The Coalition won a landslide victory and gained 30 seats from Labor. The Coalition had a higher two-party-preferred vote in every state and territory, even the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). This is the first time such a feat has been achieved.[3] The ACT was the only jurisdiction where Labor had a higher primary vote than the Coalition. Furthermore, it was the first time a party won 90 or more seats in an Australian legislature, the largest majority government in Australian history and the second-highest number won at any election in Australian history. The Coalition won 91 seats in the House of Representatives, while Labor won just 36, its lowest seat count since 1940 (under John Curtin). The Coalition would then go on to win 96 seats in 1996 (under John Howard) and 90 in 2013 (under Tony Abbott). Although Howard won three more seats than Fraser, the House of Representatives had 148 seats in 1996, while it only had 127 in 1975; additionally, in 2013 there was 150 and currently there is 151. Therefore, this was still the largest majority government in Australian history.

    See also

    References
    1. Twomey, Anne (19 April 2017). "Australian politics explainer: Gough Whitlam's dismissal as prime minister". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
    2. Farnsworth, Malcolm. "1975 Federal Election". AustralianPolitics.com. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
    3. "House of Representatives - Two party preferred results 1949 - present". Australian Electoral Commission. Canberra. Archived from the original on 23 August 2023.
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