‹ 1974  1977 › |
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| Australian federal election, 1975 | ||||
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| All 127 seats of the Australian House of Representatives and all 60 seats of the Australian Senate |
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| 13 December 1975 | ||||
| First party | Second party | |||
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| 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 | 36 | ||
| Seat change | +30 | -30 | ||
| Percentage | 55.70% | 44.30% | ||
| Swing | +7.40 | -7.40 | ||
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Incumbent PM PM-elect |
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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 prime minister following the dismissal of the Prime Minister 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). Thus the Liberal Party of Australia, led by Fraser, with coalition partner the National Country Party, led by Doug Anthony, went to the election as a minority caretaker government. The election resulted in the Coalition securing government with a 30-seat swing in the House of Representatives away from Labor.
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Results
| 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 |
| 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
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.
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