This article provides a summary of results for the general elections to the Australian House of Representatives and Senate, respectively the lower and upper houses of Australia's federal bicameral legislative body, the Parliament of Australia. The number of seats has increased steadily over time, from 111 for the first election, to the current total of 226. The current federal government structure was established in 1900 by the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, 1900.
Contents
- House of Representatives
- House of Representatives primary two party and seat results since 1910
- Historical party composition of the Senate
- References
Two groups have dominated politics in Australia: Labor and the Coalition, composed of the Liberal Party and the National Party. Since the foundation of the Liberal Party in 1944, these two groups have formed every government.
Although government has been a two-party system, the Senate has a multi-party tradition, beginning with the 1955 election, where one DLP candidate was elected (under the ALP-AC banner). Although the DLP ceased to be a force after Gough Whitlam took power in 1972, the Liberal Movement and its successor the Australian Democrats carved out their own niche. In the 1980s the NDP briefly gained election, and in the 1990s the Greens first joined the Senate, while more recently One Nation and Family First did the same.
In the past decade, the Democrats' federal parliamentary representation has disappeared, while the Greens have emerged at the national level to take their place. The Nationals' representation has also steadily declined, with their percentage of the vote hitting new lows. With the high-profile defection of Senator Julian McGauran to the Liberals in 2006, questions have been raised about the Nationals' viability, and proposals for a Liberal-National party merger have increased in strength.
House of Representatives
The total for the party forming government after the election is bolded. Parties that have never formed government are listed under "Others".
House of Representatives primary, two-party and seat results since 1910
A two-party system has existed in the Australian House of Representatives since the two non-Labor parties merged in 1909. The 1910 election was the first to elect a majority government, with the Australian Labor Party concurrently winning the first Senate majority. A two-party-preferred vote (2PP) has been calculated since the 1919 change from first-past-the-post to preferential voting and subsequent introduction of the Coalition. ALP = Australian Labor Party, L+NP = grouping of Liberal/National/LNP/CLP Coalition parties (and predecessors), Oth = other parties and independents.
Historical party composition of the Senate
The Senate has included representatives from a range of political parties, including several parties that have seldom or never had representation in the House of Representatives, but which have consistently secured a small but significant level of electoral support, as the table shows.
Results represent the composition of the Senate after the elections. The full Senate has been contested on eight occasions; the inaugural election and seven Double dissolutions. These are underlined and highlighted in puce.