1975 Australian federal election

1975 Australian federal election

← 1974 13 December 1975 1977 →
All 127 seats of the House of Representatives 64 seats were needed for a majority in the House All 64 seats of the Senate
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 30 30 Percentage 55.7% 44.3% Swing 7.4% 7.4%
Popular vote by state and territory with graphs indicating the number of seats won. As this is an IRV election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote by state or territory but instead via results in each electorate.
Prime Minister before election Malcolm Fraser Liberal/NCP coalition Subsequent Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser Liberal/NCP coalition

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. 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.

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.

Results[]

House of Representatives results[]

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

Opposition (36)
  Labor (36)

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

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

• Independent: Brian Harradine (Tasmania)

Seats changing hands[]

• 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?").

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

References[]

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