Australian federal election, 1975

Australian federal election, 1975

1974 ← 13 December 1975 → 1977

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   First party Second party   Leader Malcolm Fraser Gough Whitlam Party Liberal/National coalition Labor Leader since 21 March 1975 8 February 1967 Leader's seat Wannon Werriwa Last election 61 seats 66 seats Seats won 91 seats 36 seats Seat change 30 30 Percentage 55.70% 44.30% Swing 7.40 7.40

Prime Minister before election Malcolm Fraser Liberal/National coalition Elected Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser Liberal/National coalition

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, with a 30-seat swing in the House of Representatives away from the Labor Party. The Liberals actually won a majority in their own right (68 seats), but the Coalition was retained. Labor saw its caucus cut almost in half, to 36 seats.

Results

House of Reps (IRV) — 1975–77—Turnout 95.39% (CV) — Informal 1.89%

	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

Senate (STV) — 1975–77—Turnout 95.39% (CV) — Informal 9.10%

	Party	Votes	%	Swing	Seats Won	Seats Held
	Australian Labor Party	2,931,310	40.91	−6.38	27	27
	Liberal/National (Joint Ticket)	2,855,721	39.86	+5.09	17
	Liberal Party of Australia	793,772	11.08	+3.26	16	26
	Democratic Labor Party	191,049	2.67	−0.89	0	0
	Liberal Movement	76,426	1.07	+0.11	1	1
	National Country Party	38,366	0.54	−0.76	1	8
	Country Liberal Party	15,519	0.22	−0.01	1	1
	Independents	114,310	1.60	−0.24	1	1
	Other	148,240	2.07		0	0
	Total	7,164,713			64	64

Independent: Brian Harradine

Seats changing hands

Seat	Pre-1975				Swing	Post-1975
	Party		Member	Margin		Margin	Member	Party
Barton, NSW		Labor	Leonard Reynolds	5.1	10.0	4.9	James Bradfield	Liberal
Bowman, Qld		Labor	Leonard 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	Anthony 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 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, 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 2 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
• Prior to 1984 the AEC did not undertake a full distribution of preferences for statistical purposes. The stored ballot papers for the 1983 election were put through this process prior to their destruction. Therefore the figures from 1983 onwards show the actual result based on full distribution of preferences.