Australian federal election, 1975

Australian federal election, 1975

13 December 1975

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 Subsequent 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, winning the largest majority government in Australian history. 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 House of Representatives numbers 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

Independent: Brian Harradine

Seats changing hands

• Members 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 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

Elections and referendums in Australia
Federal elections	1901 1903 1906 1910 1913 1914 1917 1919 1922 1925 1928 1929 1931 1934 1937 1940 1943 1946 1949 1951 1953 1954 1955 1958 1961 1963 1964 1966 1967 1969 1970 1972 1974 1975 1977 1980 1983 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016 next by-elections
Referendums	1906 1910 1911 1913 1916 1917 1919 1926 1928 1937 1944 1946 1948 1951 1967 1973 1974 1977 1984 1988 1999
Elections in: Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia

Politics of Australia
Commonwealth	Monarch Governor-General Prime Minister Cabinet (Shadow Cabinet) Executive Council Ministry Foreign relations Parliament House of Representatives Senate Opposition Leader High Court Lower courts Constitution Statute of Westminster Australia Act
Federal elections	pre-1969 1969 1972 1974 1975 1977 1980 1983 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016 next by-elections
State/Territory governments	Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Parliaments and Assemblies NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT
State/Territory elections	NSW 2015 Vic 2014 Qld 2015 WA 2013 SA 2014 Tas 2014 ACT 2016 NT 2016 NSW 2019 Vic 2018 Next Qld WA 2017 SA 2018 Next Tas ACT 2020 NT 2020
Local government	NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas NT
Political parties	Coalition (Liberal, National, Liberal National, Country Liberal) Labor Greens Xenophon One Nation Katter Family First Liberal Democrat Lambie Hinch Other parties