List of Australian Senate appointments

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of appointments to the Australian Senate, which is the upper house of the Parliament of Australia, filling casual vacancies, from the Senate's creation in 1901 until the present day. There is a second list of invalid elections and appointments to the Senate.

Appointment procedures[]

Further information: Casual vacancies in the Australian Parliament § Senate

States[]

Section 15 of the Australian Constitution requires the parliament of the relevant state to choose a replacement. This is done in a joint sitting of the upper and lower house (except for Queensland, which has a unicameral parliament). In the event that the state parliament is not in session, the Governor of the state (acting on the advice of the state's executive council) may appoint a replacement senator, but such an appointment lapses if it is not confirmed by a joint sitting of the parliament within 14 days.

Prior to 29 July 1977, the filing of casual vacancies was complex. While senators were elected for a six-year term, people appointed to a casual vacancy only held office until the earlier of the next election for the House of Representatives or the Senate, at which the vacancy would be filled by the electors of the relevant state.[1] It was also an established convention that the state parliament choose (or the governor appoint) a replacement from the same political party as their predecessor, however this convention was not always followed.[n 1]

As a result of the 1977 referendum:[2]

  • a state legislature must replace a senator with a member of the same political party, and
  • the new senator's term continues until the end of the original senator's term.

Territories[]

Replacement senators for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) or the Northern Territory (NT) are chosen by the relevant territory legislature, under s.44 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. Where the legislature is not in session, the choice is made by the Administrator of the NT (acting on the advice of the territory's executive council) or the Chief Minister of the ACT. The procedure has been in use in the ACT since 1989 and in NT since 1980.

Between 1980 and 1989, replacement senators in the ACT were chosen by a joint sitting of both houses of the Federal Parliament, under s.9 of the Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973. Prior to 1980, replacement senators in both the ACT or NT were to be elected in a by-election, though this never occurred.

List of appointments to the Senate[]

46th Parliament (2019–)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria 2 December 2021 Scott Ryan   Liberal Greg Mirabella   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 21 September 2021 Alex Gallacher   Labor Karen Grogan   Labor Death
Western Australia 14 September 2021 Rachel Siewert   Greens Dorinda Cox   Greens Resignation
Western Australia 25 November 2020 Mathias Cormann   Liberal Ben Small   Liberal Resignation
Victoria 4 September 2020 Richard Di Natale   Greens Lidia Thorpe   Greens Resignation
South Australia 6 February 2020 Cory Bernardi   Independent [n 2] Andrew McLachlan   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales 14 November 2019 Arthur Sinodinos   Liberal Jim Molan   Liberal Resignation
Victoria 11 September 2019 Mitch Fifield   Liberal Sarah Henderson   Liberal Resignation

45th Parliament (2016–2019)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales 20 March 2019 David Leyonhjelm   Liberal Democrats Duncan Spender   Liberal Democrats Resignation
Tasmania 6 March 2019 David Bushby   Liberal Wendy Askew   Liberal Resignation
Victoria 6 March 2019 Jacinta Collins   Labor Raff Ciccone   Labor Resignation
Queensland 6 September 2018 Andrew Bartlett   Greens Larissa Waters   Greens Resignation
New South Wales 15 August 2018 Lee Rhiannon   Greens Mehreen Faruqi   Greens Resignation
Queensland 21 March 2018 George Brandis   LNP Amanda Stoker   LNP Resignation
New South Wales 14 February 2018 Sam Dastyari   Labor Kristina Keneally   Labor Resignation
South Australia 14 November 2017 Nick Xenophon   Xenophon Rex Patrick   Xenophon Resignation
Western Australia 16 August 2017 Chris Back   Liberal Slade Brockman   Liberal Resignation
Victoria 25 October 2016 Stephen Conroy   Labor Kimberley Kitching   Labor Resignation

44th Parliament (2014–2016)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 2 May 2016 Joe Bullock   Labor Pat Dodson   Labor Resignation
Victoria 9 March 2016 Michael Ronaldson   Liberal James Paterson   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 22 September 2015 Penny Wright   Greens Robert Simms   Greens Resignation
Tasmania 19 August 2015 Christine Milne   Greens Nick McKim   Greens Resignation
Queensland 21 May 2015 Brett Mason   LNP Joanna Lindgren   LNP Resignation
New South Wales 6 May 2015 John Faulkner   Labor Jenny McAllister   Labor Resignation
Australian Capital Territory 25 March 2015 Kate Lundy   Labor Katy Gallagher   Labor Resignation
New South Wales [n 3] 2 July 2014 Bob Carr   Labor Deborah O'Neill   Labor Resignation

43rd Parliament (2011–2014)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Queensland [n 4] 11 February 2014 Barnaby Joyce   LNP Barry O'Sullivan   LNP Resignation
New South Wales [n 3] 13 November 2013 Bob Carr   Labor Deborah O'Neill   Labor Resignation
Victoria 21 August 2013 David Feeney   Labor Mehmet Tillem   Labor Resignation
New South Wales 21 August 2013 Matt Thistlethwaite   Labor Sam Dastyari   Labor Resignation
Western Australia 15 May 2013 Chris Evans   Labor Sue Lines   Labor Resignation
South Australia 5 September 2012 Mary Jo Fisher   Liberal Anne Ruston   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania 20 June 2012 Bob Brown   Greens Peter Whish-Wilson   Greens Resignation
Tasmania 20 June 2012 Nick Sherry   Labor Lin Thorp   Labor Resignation
Western Australia 2 May 2012 Judith Adams   Liberal Dean Smith   Liberal Death
New South Wales 6 March 2012 Mark Arbib   Labor Bob Carr   Labor Resignation
New South Wales 13 October 2011 Helen Coonan   Liberal Arthur Sinodinos   Liberal Resignation

42nd Parliament (2008–2011)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 12 March 2009 Chris Ellison   Liberal Chris Back   Liberal Resignation

41st Parliament (2005–2008)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria [n 4] 8 May 2008 Robert Ray   Labor Jacinta Collins   Labor Resignation
Tasmania 30 August 2007 Paul Calvert   Liberal David Bushby   Liberal Resignation
Western Australia 19 June 2007 Ian Campbell   Liberal Mathias Cormann   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 6 June 2007 Amanda Vanstone   Liberal Mary Jo Fisher   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 3 May 2007 Jeannie Ferris   Liberal Simon Birmingham   Liberal Death
Queensland 19 April 2007 Santo Santoro   Liberal Sue Boyce   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 4 May 2006 Robert Hill   Liberal Cory Bernardi   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania 25 August 2005 Sue Mackay   Labor Carol Brown   Labor Resignation

40th Parliament (2002–2005)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales [n 4] 5 May 2005 John Tierney   Liberal Concetta Fierravanti-Wells   Liberal Resignation
Victoria 31 March 2004 Richard Alston   Liberal Mitch Fifield   Liberal Resignation
Australian Capital Territory 18 February 2003 Margaret Reid   Liberal Gary Humphries   Liberal Resignation
Queensland 29 October 2002 John Herron   Liberal Santo Santoro   Liberal Resignation

39th Parliament (1999–2002)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Tasmania [n 4] 26 February 2002 Brian Gibson   Liberal Guy Barnett   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania [n 4] 4 February 2002 Jocelyn Newman   Liberal Richard Colbeck   Liberal Resignation
Queensland 31 July 2001 John Woodley   Democrats John Cherry   Democrats Resignation
South Australia 14 September 2000 John Quirke   Labor Geoff Buckland   Labor Resignation
Queensland 16 May 2000 Warwick Parer   Liberal George Brandis   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales 4 May 2000 David Brownhill   National Sandy Macdonald   National Resignation

38th Parliament (1996–1999)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales 14 October 1998 Belinda Neal   Labor Steve Hutchins   Labor Resignation
Northern Territory 16 June 1998 Bob Collins   Labor Trish Crossin   Labor Resignation
Queensland 30 October 1997 Cheryl Kernot   Democrats Andrew Bartlett   Democrats Resignation
South Australia 18 September 1997 Dominic Foreman   Labor John Quirke   Labor Resignation
New South Wales 17 September 1997 Bruce Childs   Labor George Campbell   Labor Resignation
Western Australia 19 May 1997 John Panizza   Liberal Ross Lightfoot   Liberal Death
Victoria 13 May 1997 Jim Short   Liberal Karen Synon   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales 9 April 1997 Bob Woods   Liberal Marise Payne   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales 18 September 1996 Michael Baume   Liberal Bill Heffernan   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania 5 September 1996 John Coates   Labor Kerry O'Brien   Labor Resignation
South Australia 24 July 1996 Jeannie Ferris   Liberal Jeannie Ferris   Liberal Resignation (eligibility) [n 5]

37th Parliament (1993–1996)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria [n 4] 30 April 1996 Gareth Evans   Labor Stephen Conroy   Labor Resignation
Tasmania [n 4] 8 March 1996 John Devereux   Labor/Independent [n 6] Sue Mackay   Labor Resignation
South Australia 29 November 1995 John Coulter   Democrats Natasha Stott Despoja   Democrats Resignation
New South Wales 24 May 1995 Stephen Loosley   Labor Tom Wheelwright   Labor Resignation
Victoria 3 May 1995 Olive Zakharov   Labor Jacinta Collins   Labor Death
New South Wales 10 May 1994 Graham Richardson   Labor Michael Forshaw   Labor Resignation
New South Wales 8 March 1994 Bronwyn Bishop   Liberal Bob Woods   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales 8 March 1994 Kerry Sibraa   Labor Belinda Neal   Labor Resignation
Tasmania 22 February 1994 Brian Archer   Liberal Eric Abetz   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania 24 August 1993 Michael Tate   Labor Kay Denman   Labor Resignation

36th Parliament (1990–1993)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria [n 4] 28 April 1993 John Button   Labor Kim Carr   Labor Resignation
South Australia 26 May 1992 John Olsen   Liberal Alan Ferguson   Liberal Resignation
Western Australia 12 March 1992 Jo Vallentine   Greens WA Christabel Chamarette   Greens WA Resignation
New South Wales 29 August 1991 Paul McLean   Democrats Karin Sowada   Democrats Resignation
New South Wales 11 February 1991 Peter Baume   Liberal John Tierney   Liberal Resignation

35th Parliament (1987–1990)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia [n 4] 16 May 1990 Fred Chaney   Liberal Ian Campbell   Liberal Resignation
Queensland [n 4] 8 May 1990 John Stone   National Bill O'Chee   National Resignation
South Australia [n 4] 7 May 1990 Tony Messner   Liberal John Olsen   Liberal Resignation
South Australia [n 4] 4 April 1990 Janine Haines   Democrats Meg Lees   Democrats Resignation
Tasmania 7 March 1990 Norm Sanders   Democrats Robert Bell   Democrats Resignation
New South Wales 4 April 1989 Arthur Gietzelt   Labor John Faulkner   Labor Resignation
Australian Capital Territory 16 February 1988 Susan Ryan   Labor Bob McMullan   Labor Resignation

34th Parliament (1985–1987)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales 11 February 1987 Doug McClelland   Labor Sue West   Labor Resignation
Victoria 26 August 1986 Don Chipp   Democrats Janet Powell   Democrats Resignation
Victoria 7 May 1986 Alan Missen   Liberal Richard Alston   Liberal Death
Tasmania 13 March 1986 Peter Rae   Liberal Jocelyn Newman   Liberal Resignation

33rd Parliament (1983–1985)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Queensland 22 November 1984 Kathy Martin   Liberal Warwick Parer   Liberal Resignation

32nd Parliament (1981–1983)

No appointments made

31st Parliament (1978–1981)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Australian Capital Territory 5 May 1981 John Knight   Liberal Margaret Reid   Liberal Death
Queensland [n 4] 12 March 1981 Glen Sheil   NCP Florence Bjelke-Petersen   NCP Resignation
Western Australia [n 4] 11 March 1981 Allan Rocher   Liberal John Martyr   Liberal Resignation
Tasmania 15 October 1980 Ken Wriedt   Labor Jean Hearn   Labor Resignation
Victoria 11 March 1980 James Webster   NCP Laurence Neal   NCP Resignation
New South Wales 9 August 1978 Jim McClelland   Labor Kerry Sibraa   Labor Resignation
New South Wales 26 July 1978 Sir Robert Cotton   Liberal Chris Puplick   Liberal Resignation

30th Parliament (1975–1978)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia [n 4] 14 December 1977 Steele Hall   Liberal Movement/Liberal [n 7] Janine Haines   Democrats [n 8] Resignation
Victoria 7 December 1976 Ivor Greenwood   Liberal Austin Lewis   Liberal Death

29th Parliament (1974–1975)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Queensland 3 September 1975 Bertie Milliner   Labor Albert Field   Independent Death
New South Wales 27 February 1975 Lionel Murphy   Labor Cleaver Bunton   Independent Resignation

27th/28th Parliament (1971–1974)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 16 January 1974 Edgar Prowse   Country David Reid   Country Resignation

26th Parliament (1968–1971)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Queensland [n 4] 11 June 1971 Dame Annabelle Rankin   Liberal Neville Bonner [n 9]   Liberal Resignation
New South Wales [n 4] 16 March 1971 James Ormonde   Labor Jim McClelland   Labor Death
New South Wales 6 August 1970 Colin McKellar   Country Douglas Scott   Country Death
Victoria 19 November 1969 Sam Cohen   Labor Bill Brown   Labor Death
South Australia 23 May 1969 Keith Laught   Liberal Martin Cameron   Liberal Death

25th Parliament (1965–1968)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria [n 4] 21 February 1968 John Gorton   Liberal Ivor Greenwood   Liberal Resignation
South Australia 2 November 1967 Clive Hannaford   Liberal/Independent [n 10] Condor Laucke   Liberal Death
Victoria 26 October 1966 Charles Sandford   Labor George Poyser   Labor Death
Queensland 14 April 1966 Bob Sherrington   Liberal Bill Heatley   Liberal Death
Western Australia 17 February 1966 Sir Shane Paltridge   Liberal Reg Withers   Liberal Death
New South Wales 4 August 1965 Sir William Spooner   Liberal Bob Cotton   Liberal Resignation

24th Parliament (1962–1965)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria [n 4] 9 December 1964 Harrie Wade   Country James Webster   Country Death
Western Australia 26 November 1964 Seddon Vincent   Liberal Peter Sim   Liberal Death
Queensland 9 October 1962 Max Poulter   Labor George Whiteside   Labor Death

23rd Parliament (1959–1962)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia [n 4] 8 February 1962 Nancy Buttfield   Liberal Gordon Davidson   Liberal Resignation [n 11]
South Australia 28 September 1961 Rex Pearson   Liberal Gordon Davidson [n 11]   Liberal Death

22nd Parliament (1956–1959)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 12 August 1958 Harrie Seward   Country Tom Drake-Brockman   Country Death
New South Wales 30 July 1958 Bill Ashley   Labor James Ormonde   Labor Death
Victoria 6 June 1957 Jack Devlin   Labor Charles Sandford   Labor Death
Victoria 28 August 1956 John Spicer   Liberal George Hannan   Liberal Resignation

21st Parliament (1953–1956)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia 11 October 1955 George McLeay   Liberal Nancy Buttfield   Liberal Death

20th Parliament (1951–1953)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Tasmania 3 March 1953 Jack Chamberlain   Liberal John Marriott   Liberal Death
Western Australia 30 September 1952 Edmund Piesse   Country Bill Robinson   Country Death
Western Australia 7 February 1952 Richard Nash   Labor Joe Cooke   Labor Death

19th Parliament (1950–1951)

No appointments made

18th Parliament (1947–1950)

No appointments made

17th Parliament (1944–1947)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria 15 May 1946 Richard Keane   Labor Alexander Fraser   Country Death
South Australia 10 October 1944 Oliver Uppill   United Australia Ted Mattner   United Australia Resignation

16th Parliament (1941–1944)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia 8 October 1942 Bertie Johnston   Country Charles Latham   Country Death

15th Parliament (1938–1941)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria 12 July 1938 John Barnes   Labor Jim Sheehan   Labor Death

14th Parliament (1935–1938)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia 21 October 1937 Oliver Badman   Country Philip McBride   UAP Resignation
Queensland 2 September 1937 John MacDonald   Labor Ben Courtice   Labor Death
Western Australia 19 August 1936 William Carroll   Country Thomas Marwick   Country Death
New South Wales 26 September 1935 Lionel Courtenay   UAP Guy Arkins   UAP Death

13th Parliament (1932–1935)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Western Australia [n 4] 5 March 1935 Sir Walter Kingsmill   UAP Allan MacDonald   UAP Death
Western Australia 6 April 1933 Sir Hal Colebatch   UAP Herbert Collett   UAP Resignation

11th/12th Parliament (1929–1932)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Tasmania [n 4] 3 March 1932 James Ogden   UAP Charles Grant   UAP Death
New South Wales [n 4] 23 December 1931 Walter Duncan   UAP Patrick Mooney   Labor (NSW) Resignation
Victoria 12 May 1931 Harold Elliott   UAP Tom Brennan   UAP Death
South Australia 1 April 1931 John Chapman   Country Harry Kneebone   Labor Death

10th Parliament (1926–1929)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Victoria [n 4] 18 December 1928 David Andrew   Country Richard Abbott   Country Death
Queensland 1 August 1928 Thomas Givens   Nationalist John MacDonald   Labor Death
New South Wales 5 June 1928 John Grant   Labor Albert Gardiner   Labor Death
South Australia 18 April 1928 Sir Henry Barwell   Nationalist Albert Robinson   Nationalist Resignation
South Australia 30 August 1927 Charles McHugh   Labor John Verran   Nationalist Death

9th Parliament (1923–1926)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia [n 4] 24 February 1926 Benjamin Benny   Nationalist Alexander McLachlan   Nationalist Resignation
South Australia [n 4] 18 December 1925 James O'Loghlin   Labor Sir Henry Barwell   Nationalist Death
Victoria 25 August 1925 Edward Russell   Nationalist William Plain   Nationalist Death
Tasmania 29 July 1925 George Foster   Nationalist Charles Grant   Nationalist Resignation
New South Wales 1 April 1925 Jack Power   Labor William Gibbs   Labor Death
New South Wales 20 November 1924 Allan McDougall   Labor Jack Power   Labor Death
Victoria 22 July 1924 Stephen Barker   Labor Joseph Hannan   Labor Death
New South Wales 17 October 1923 Edward Millen   Nationalist Walter Massy-Greene   Nationalist Death
Tasmania 12 September 1923 Thomas Bakhap   Nationalist John Hayes   Nationalist Death

8th Parliament (1920–1923)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Queensland 26 May 1922 John Adamson   Nationalist John MacDonald   Labor Death
New South Wales 15 December 1921 Herbert Pratten   Nationalist Henry Garling   Nationalist Resignation
South Australia 9 August 1921 Edward Vardon   Nationalist Edward Vardon   Nationalist Lapsed [n 12]
South Australia 16 February 1921 Robert Guthrie   Nationalist Edward Vardon   Nationalist Death

7th Parliament (1917–1920)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
Tasmania 15 January 1919 James Long   Labor Edward Mulcahy   Nationalist Resignation

6th Parliament (1914–1917)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia [n 4] 24 May 1917 William Story   Nationalist James Rowell   Nationalist Resignation
Tasmania 1 March 1917 Rudolph Ready   Labor John Earle   Nationalist Resignation

5th Parliament (1913–1914)

No appointments made

4th Parliament (1910–1913)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia 31 July 1912 William Russell   Labor John Shannon   Liberal Death

3rd Parliament (1907–1910)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
South Australia 11 July 1907 Joseph Vardon   Anti-Socialist James O'Loghlin   Labor Election declared void [n 13]

2nd Parliament (1904–1906)

No appointments made

1st Parliament (1901–1903)

State Date Incumbent Party Appointee Party Cause
New South Wales 8 October 1903 Richard O'Connor   Protectionist Charles Mackellar   Protectionist Resignation
Western Australia 20 May 1903 Norman Ewing   Free Trade Henry Saunders   Free Trade Resignation
Victoria 21 January 1903 Sir Frederick Sargood   Free Trade Robert Reid   Free Trade Death
  1. ^ Of the 66 appointments to 1977, 12 (18%) were from a different party, John Shannon (1912), John Earle (1917); Edward Mulcahy (1919), John MacDonald (1922), Sir Henry Barwell (1925), John Verran (1927), Harry Kneebone (1931), Patrick Mooney (1931), Philip McBride (1937), Alexander Fraser (1946), Cleaver Bunton, (1975) and Albert Field, (1975).
  2. ^ Bernardi was elected as a member of the Liberal Party before the start of the 45th Parliament, but resigned from the party and founded the Australian Conservatives during his term. Prior to the start of the 46th Parliament, the Australian Conservatives was dissolved and Bernardi became an Independent.
  3. ^ a b Carr resigned one month after the 2013 federal election where he was re-elected for a new Senate term that was due to start on 1 July 2014. His resignation resulted in a vacancy in his current term expiring on 30 June 2014 and his new term due to start on 1 July 2014.[3] O'Neill was appointed to fill both casual vacancies in two separate joint sittings of the NSW Parliament on 13 November 2013 and 2 July 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Occurred after an election but before the new Senate was sworn in.
  5. ^ In the period between the election and the writ being formally taking her seat, Ferris worked as a member of parliamentary staff. In order to avoid any argument that she was disqualified for holding "an office of profit under the crown", Ferris resigned and was re-appointed to the vacancy.
  6. ^ Elected as a member of the ALP, but resigned from the party during his term.
  7. ^ Elected as a member of the Liberal Movement, but joined the Liberal party on the break-up of the Liberal Movement.
  8. ^ Haines had also been on the Liberal Movement ticket with Hall in 1974 however she had joined the Democrats on the break-up of the Liberal Movement.
  9. ^ First Indigenous Australian to be a member of the Parliament of Australia
  10. ^ Elected as a member of Liberal Party, but quit during his term to become an independent.
  11. ^ a b Liberal Senator Rex Pearson died on 11 September 1961; Liberal member Gordon Davidson was appointed to fill the ensuing vacancy on 28 September. He did not stand at the 9 December 1961 election and his position was won by Liberal candidate Nancy Buttfield. In order to take up the seat with a term finishing on 30 June 1965, Buttfield resigned her pre-existing seat won at the 1955 election and scheduled to expire on 30 June 1962; Davidson was appointed to that position on 8 February 1962.[1]
  12. ^ The appointment lapsed on 4 August due to lack of confirmation by the South Australian Parliament, but Vardon was reappointed.
  13. ^ The election of Anti-Socialist senator Joseph Vardon was declared void on 31 May 1907;[4] on 11 July ALP member James O'Loghlin was appointed to replace him. This appointment was declared void on 20 December,[5] and a special election was held in 1908.

List of invalid elections and appointments to the Senate[]

See also: Category:Australian court of disputed returns cases

This is a list of people who have been declared to have been elected or appointed to the Australian Senate that the High Court, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, has subsequently declared to be ineligible. Some of these have actually sat in the Senate and participated in proceedings; however, the High Court has held that their presence did not invalidate the proceedings of the Senate.[5]

State Date Person Party Replacement Party Cause
Australian Capital Territory 23 May 2018 Katy Gallagher   Labor David Smith   Labor Citizen of foreign power.[a]
South Australia 16 February 2018 Skye Kakoschke-Moore   Nick Xenophon Team Tim Storer   Nick Xenophon Team/Independent[6] Citizen of foreign power.[a]
Tasmania 9 February 2018 Stephen Parry   Liberal Richard Colbeck   Liberal Citizen of foreign power.[a]
Tasmania 9 February 2018 Jacqui Lambie   Jacqui Lambie Network Steve Martin   Independent Citizen of foreign power.[a]
New South Wales 22 December 2017 Fiona Nash   National Jim Molan   Liberal Citizen of foreign power.[a]
Queensland 10 November 2017 Malcolm Roberts   One Nation Fraser Anning   One Nation/Independent Citizen of foreign power.[a]
Queensland 10 November 2017 Larissa Waters   Greens Andrew Bartlett   Greens Citizen of foreign power.[a]
Western Australia 10 November 2017 Scott Ludlam   Greens Jordon Steele-John   Greens Citizen of foreign power.[a]
South Australia 19 April 2017 Bob Day   Family First Lucy Gichuhi   Family First Indirect pecuniary interest [b]
Western Australia 27 March 2017 Rod Culleton   One Nation/Independent [c] Peter Georgiou   One Nation Awaiting sentence on a criminal charge.[c]
Western Australia 1 July 2014 Wayne Dropulich [d]   Sports Zhenya Wang   Palmer United Party Entire election declared void.[e]
Queensland 1 July 1999 Heather Hill [d]   One Nation Len Harris   One Nation Citizen of foreign power.[f]
New South Wales 21 July 1988 Robert Wood   NDP Irina Dunn   NDP/Independent [g] Not Australian citizen.[g]
South Australia 15 February 1908 James O'Loghlin   Labour Joseph Vardon   Anti-Socialist Appointment declared void.[h]
South Australia 11 July 1907 Joseph Vardon   Anti-Socialist James O'Loghlin   Labour Election declared void.[h]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h On 27 October 2017 as part of the 2017 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis, Scott Ludlam, Malcolm Roberts, Fiona Nash and Larissa Waters were held to be "incapable of being chosen" as senators as they were dual citizens.[7] Ludlam resigned on 14 July 2017 and Waters resigned on 18 July 2017 while Nash and Roberts continued to sit until the High Court decision. The date reflects the date on which each were first elected. Three of the seats were filled by a recount, with the replacements appointed by the High Court on 10 November 2017. Subsequently Jacqui Lambie, Stephen Parry and Skye Kakoschke-Moore were also found ineligible, and were replaced in February 2018. Katy Gallagher was later also found ineligible.
  2. ^ South Australian Family First Senator Bob Day resigned on 1 November 2016. On 5 April 2017 the High Court held that Day was "incapable of being chosen" or sitting as a Senator since February 2016 as he had an indirect interest in an agreement with the Commonwealth. Day's seat was filled by Lucy Gichuhi in a recount.[8] Day sat in the Senate between February and 1 November 2016.
  3. ^ a b Rod Culleton was elected as a member of One Nation, but announced his resignation from the party on 18 December 2016. The President of the Senate declared his seat vacant on 11 January 2017 due to his bankruptcy.[9] On 3 February 2017 the High Court declared that at the time of the 2016 election he was subject to being sentenced to imprisonment for up to two years and therefore he had never been validly elected.[10] Culleton sat in the Senate between 2 July 2016 and 23 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b The election was declared void before the commencement of the Senate term
  5. ^ The entire half-Senate election for WA was declared void by the High Court because 1,375 ballot papers were lost during an official recount.[11] Wayne Dropulich was the only candidate who was unsuccessful at the special election in 2014, the seat taken by Zhenya Wang.
  6. ^ Heather Hill was a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the High Court declared she was disqualified from election as the citizen of a "foreign power".[12]
  7. ^ a b Robert Wood was a citizen of the United Kingdom, resident in Australia, however he had never obtained Australian citizenship. The High Court declared as he was not an Australian citizen Wood was disqualified from election.[13] Wood sat in the Senate between 1 July 1987 and 12 May 1988. Irina Dunn was declared elected on a recount and was expelled from the NDP because she did not resign to allow Wood to be re-appointed.
  8. ^ a b The election of Anti-Socialist senator Joseph Vardon was declared void on 31 May 1907;[4] on 11 July ALP member James O'Loghlin was appointed to replace him. This appointment was declared void on 20 December,[5] and a special election was held in 1908 which was won by Vardon.

References[]

  1. ^ a b Evans, H. "Filling Casual Vacancies before 1977" (PDF). The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, Volume 3. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  2. ^ Constitution Alteration (Senate Casual Vacancies) Act 1977 (Cth).
  3. ^ "Advice - Filling of vacancies following the resignation of the Honourable Bob Carr" (PDF). Crown Solicitor New South Wales. 1 November 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  4. ^ a b Blundell v Vardon [1907] HCA 75, (1907) 4 CLR 1463.
  5. ^ a b c Vardon v O'Loghlin [1907] HCA 69, (1907) 5 CLR 201.
  6. ^ "Senator Tim Storer". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  7. ^ Re Canavan [2017] HCA 45. "Judgment summary" (PDF). High Court. 27 October 2017.
  8. ^ Re Day (No 2) [2017] HCA 14, "Judgment summary" (PDF). High Court. 5 April 2017.
  9. ^ Re Culleton [2017] HCA 3.
  10. ^ Re Culleton (No 2) [2017] HCA 4.
  11. ^ [2014] HCA 5, (2014) 251 CLR 463.
  12. ^ Sue v Hill [1999] HCA 30, (1999) 199 CLR 462.
  13. ^ Re Wood [1999] HCA 30, (1999) 199 CLR 462.

See also[]

  • Casual vacancies in the Australian Parliament
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