1975 Australian federal election

Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates 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.

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.Template:Efn 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 (or any other party) 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 was the worst seat share for Labor since the current Liberal-Labor party contest from 1946.

Results

House of Representatives results

File:Australian House of Representatives elected members, 1975.svg

Government (91)
Coalition
  Liberal (68)
  NCP (22)
  CLP (1)

Opposition (36)
  Labor (36)
Template:Notelist

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

File:1975 Australian House.svg

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Liberal–NCP coalition		4,102,078	53.05	+7.32	91	+30
	Template:Australian party style |	Liberal	3,232,159	41.80	+6.85	68	+28
	Template:Australian party style |	National Country	853,943	11.04	+0.28	22	+1
	Template:Australian party style |	Country Liberal	15,976	0.21	+0.21	1	+1
Template:Australian party style |	Labor		3,313,004	42.84	−6.46	36	−30
Template:Australian party style |	Democratic Labor		101,750	1.32	−0.10	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Workers		60,130	0.78	+0.78	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Liberal Movement		49,484	0.64	–0.14	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Australia		33,630	0.43	−1.89	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Communist		9,393	0.12	+0.11	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Independent		63,109	0.82	+0.42	0	0
	Total		7,732,578			127
Two-party-preferred (estimated)
Template:Australian party style |	Liberal–NCP coalition		Win	55.70	+7.40	91	+30
Template:Australian party style |	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

File:Australian Senate elected members, 1975.svg

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

Opposition (27)
  Labor (27)

Crossbench (2)
  Liberal Movement (1)
  Independent (1)
Template:Notelist

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

File:1975 Australian Senate.svg

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	*	*
	Template:Australian party style |	Liberal	793,772	11.08	+3.26	16	26	+3
	Template:Australian party style |	National Country	41,977	0.59	−0.71	1	8	+2
	Template:Australian party style |	Country Liberal	15,519	0.22	+0.22	1	1	+1
Template:Australian party style |	Labor		2,931,310	40.91	−6.38	27	27	−2
Template:Australian party style |	Democratic Labor		191,049	2.67	−0.89	0	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Liberal Movement		76,426	1.07	+0.11	1	1	0
Template:Australian party style |	Workers		62,385	0.87	+0.87	0	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Family Movement		45,658	0.64	+0.64	0	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Australia		34,632	0.48	–0.91	0	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	United Tasmania		1,227	0.02	–0.01	0	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Socialist		727	0.01	+0.01	0	0	0
Template:Australian party style |	Independents		114,310	1.60	–0.52	1	1	0
	Total		7,164,713			64	64	+4

Notes

• Independent: Brian Harradine (Tasmania)

Seats changing hands

Seat	Pre-1975				Swing	Post-1975
	Party		Member	Margin		Margin	Member	Party
Barton, NSW	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Len Reynolds	5.1	10.0	4.9	Jim Bradfield	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Bowman, Qld	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Len Keogh	1.3	8.4	7.1	David Jull	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Braddon, Tas	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Ron Davies	4.8	8.6	3.8	Ray Groom	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Brisbane, Qld	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Manfred Cross	1.1	5.0	3.9	Peter Johnson	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Canberra, ACT	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Kep Enderby	7.1	10.4	3.3	John Haslem	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Capricornia, Qld	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Doug Everingham	4.9	5.0	0.1	Colin Carige	National Country	Template:Australian party style|
Casey, Vic	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Race Mathews	1.5	9.0	7.5	Peter Falconer	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Cook, NSW	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Ray Thorburn	0.5	8.3	7.8	Don Dobie	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Dawson, Qld	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Rex Patterson	0.6	4.2	3.6	Ray Braithwaite	National Country	Template:Australian party style|
Denison, Tas	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	John Coates	2.8	7.7	4.9	Michael Hodgman	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Diamond Valley, Vic	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	David McKenzie	0.7	9.8	9.1	Neil Brown	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Eden-Monaro, NSW	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Bob Whan	0.1	5.6	5.5	Murray Sainsbury	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Evans, NSW	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Allan Mulder	4.9	6.9	2.0	John Abel	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Franklin, Tas	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Ray Sherry	12.9	14.7	1.8	Bruce Goodluck	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Henty, Vic	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Joan Child	1.5	6.7	5.2	Ken Aldred	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Holt, Vic	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Max Oldmeadow	6.9	8.5	1.6	William Yates	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Isaacs, Vic	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Gareth Clayton	0.6	7.5	6.9	David Hamer	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Kalgoorlie, WA	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Fred Collard	2.1	6.3	4.3	Mick Cotter	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Kingston, SA	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Richard Gun	6.1	12.7	6.6	Grant Chapman	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
La Trobe, Vic	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Tony Lamb	4.6	8.9	4.3	Marshall Baillieu	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Leichhardt, Qld	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Bill Fulton	3.3	5.7	2.4	David Thomson	National Country	Template:Australian party style|
Macarthur, NSW	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	John Kerin	4.4	8.5	4.1	Michael Baume	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Macquarie, NSW	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Tony Luchetti	8.7	10.3	1.6	Reg Gillard	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
McMillan, Vic	Template:Australian party style|	National Country	Arthur Hewson	N/A	2.1	6.7	Barry Simon	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Perth, WA	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Joe Berinson	8.2	9.0	0.8	Ross McLean	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Phillip, NSW	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Joe Riordan	4.5	7.1	2.6	Jack Birney	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
St George, NSW	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Bill Morrison	5.8	5.8	0.0	Maurice Neil	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Swan, WA	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Adrian Bennett	5.6	7.7	2.1	John Martyr	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Tangney, WA	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	John Dawkins	3.1	9.7	6.6	Peter Richardson	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|
Wilmot, TAS	Template:Australian party style|	Labor	Gil Duthie	2.7	8.0	5.3	Max Burr	Liberal	Template:Australian party style|

• Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

Issues and significance

File:1975 Election Australia Gallagher Index.png

The Gallagher Index result: 14.19

The election followed the 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 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 Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973, passed during 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

External links

• AustralianPolitics.com 1975 election details
• University of WA Template:Webarchive election results in Australia since 1890
• AEC 2PP vote