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Franchise
Any Australian citizen aged 18 and over, or British subject who was on the Commonwealth Roll as at 25 January 1984, is qualified to enrol and vote at Commonwealth elections. Residence in an electorate for a period of one month before enrolment is necessary to enable a qualified person to enrol. Enrolment and attendance at a polling place on polling day (except under certain lawful exceptions) are compulsory for all eligible persons.
Parliamentary terms
Members of the House of Representatives are elected for a maximum term of three years, though elections may be called earlier. Senators have fixed terms of six years. Normally half the Senate retires every three years, and elections for the Senate are usually held at the same time as elections for the House of Representatives, though they need not be.
At times of disagreement between the House of Representatives and the Senate, both houses may be dissolved and an election called for both houses. Six of the forty Commonwealth elections have been double dissolution elections.
Table 2.4 shows the number and terms of all parliaments since Federation.
Electorates
For the purpose of House of Representatives elections each state or territory is divided into single-member electorates corresponding in number to the number of members to which the state or territory is entitled. In Senate elections the whole state or territory constitutes a single electorate.
Redistributions of House of Representatives electorates must be held in each state and territory at least every seven years, though a change in the population of a state or territory may see them held more frequently. A redistribution must take into account current and projected enrolments, community of economic, social and regional interests, means of communication and travel, physical features and area, and existing electorate boundaries. Within each state and territory the electorates must, as far as possible, be equal in numbers of electors. There is usually a variation in size of electorates from one state or territory to another.
The Electoral Commissioner determines the representation entitlements of the states and territories during the 13th month after the first meeting of a new House of Representatives. Determinations are based on the latest population statistics as provided by the Australian Statistician. The representation entitlements of the states and territories following the 2003 determination are shown in table 2.5, which also shows the total size of the House of Representatives at the time of the next election. Tasmania has a constitutional entitlement to five members of the House of Representatives based on it being a state at the time of Federation in 1901. The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory have gained representation since 1901, and current legislation provides a minimum representation of one member of the House of Representatives for each.
For the next election, which must be held by 16 April 2005, Queensland will gain an extra member, while South Australia and the Northern Territory will each lose a member. The House of Representatives will therefore number 149 members.
2.5 REPRESENTATION ENTITLEMENTS, 2003 Determination
|
State/territory | Seats | Change from 1999 |
|
New South Wales | 50 | |
Victoria | 37 | |
Queensland | 28 | +1 |
Western Australia | 15 | |
South Australia | 11 | -1 |
Tasmania | 5 | |
Australian Capital Territory | 2 | |
Northern Territory | 1 | -1 |
Total | 149 | -1 |
|
Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library. |
2001 election
The House of Representatives was dissolved on 8 October 2001 and an election called for 10 November 2001, for the House of Representatives and half the Senate. At that election the Liberal-National Party coalition was returned to office.
The number of electors enrolled for the 2001 election is shown in table 2.6.
The state of the parties in the Commonwealth Parliament at November 2002 is shown in table 2.7.
First preference votes cast for the major political parties in each state and territory at the 2001 election for each house of the Commonwealth Parliament are shown in tables 2.8 and 2.9.
2.6 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION OF 10 NOVEMBER 2001, Electors enrolled
|
State/territory | |
|
New South Wales | 4,227,937 |
Victoria | 3,234,874 |
Queensland | 2,336,698 |
South Australia | 1,039,025 |
Western Australia | 1,206,422 |
Tasmania | 331,675 |
Northern Territory | 111,022 |
Australian Capital Territory | 221,184 |
Australia | 12,708,837 |
|
Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library. |
2.7 STATE OF THE PARTIES, Commonwealth Parliament - November 2003
|
| | |
|
House of Representatives | |
| Liberal Party | 68 |
| Australian Labor Party | 64 |
| National Party | 13 |
| Country Liberal Party | 1 |
| Independent | 3 |
| The Greens | 1 |
| Total | 150 |
Senate | |
| Liberal Party | 31 |
| Australian Labor Party | 28 |
| National Party | 3 |
| Australian Democrats | 7 |
| The Greens | 2 |
| Country Liberal Party | 1 |
| One Nation | 1 |
| Independent | 3 |
| Total | 76 |
|
Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library. |
2.8 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, House of Representatives votes - 10 Nov 2001
|
| | NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | |
|
First preference votes | | | | | |
| Liberal Party | 1,272,208 | 1,154,493 | 767,959 | 430,441 | |
| National Party | 349,372 | 91,048 | 192,454 | . . | |
| Country Liberal Party | . . | . . | . . | . . | |
| Australian Labor Party | 1,380,822 | 1,230,764 | 730,914 | 316,362 | |
| Australian Democrats | 160,706 | 184,564 | 90,679 | 98,849 | |
| The Greens | 180,079 | 174,396 | 73,467 | 34,141 | |
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 180,813 | 37,812 | 148,932 | 44,574 | |
| Others | 264,460 | 81,938 | 101,847 | 13,340 | |
| Formal votes | 3,788,460 | 2,955,015 | 2,106,252 | 937,707 | |
Informal votes | 217,169 | 122,575 | 106,995 | 55,040 | |
Total votes recorded | 4,005,629 | 3,077,590 | 2,213,247 | 992,747 | |
|
WA
|
Tas.
|
NT
|
ACT
|
Aust.
|
First preference votes | | | | | |
| Liberal Party | 449,036 | 114,283 | . . | 65,651 | 4,254,071 |
| National Party | 11,052 | . . | . . | . . | 643,926 |
| Country Liberal Party | . . | . . | 36,961 | . . | 36,961 |
| Australian Labor Party | 402,927 | 145,305 | 39,111 | 95,215 | 4,341,420 |
| Australian Democrats | 50,581 | 13,785 | 4,795 | 16,266 | 620,225 |
| The Greens | 64,939 | 24,052 | 3,665 | 14,335 | 569,074 |
| Pauline Hanson’s One Nation | 67,992 | 8,847 | 3,486 | 5,576 | 498,032 |
| Others | 38,268 | 1,746 | 3,143 | 5,623 | 510,365 |
| Formal votes | 1,084,795 | 308,018 | 91,161 | 202,666 | 11,474,074 |
Informal votes | 56,134 | 10,856 | 4,436 | 7,386 | 580,591 |
Total votes recorded | 1,140,929 | 318,874 | 95,597 | 210,052 | 12,054,665 |
|
Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library. |
2.9 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, Senate votes - 10 Nov 2001
|
| | NSW | Vic. | Qld | SA | |
|
First preference votes | | | | | |
| Liberal-National Party | 1,620,235 | 1,155,854 | . . | . . | |
| Liberal Party | . . | . . | 750,416 | 440,431 | |
| National Party | . . | . . | 196,845 | . . | |
| Country Liberal Party | . . | . . | . . | . . | |
| Australian Labor Party | 1,299,488 | 1,073,667 | 682,239 | 321,422 | |
| Australian Democrats | 240,867 | 228,272 | 143,942 | 121,989 | |
| The Greens | 216,522 | 71,605 | 215,400 | 44,055 | |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 169,139 | 174,817 | 71,102 | 33,385 | |
| Christian Democratic Party | 72,697 | 17,162 | 22,703 | . . | |
| Others | 260,495 | 196,890 | 67,430 | 5,733 | |
| Formal votes | 3,879,443 | 2,918,267 | 2,150,077 | 967,015 | |
Informal votes | 142,281 | 173,592 | 65,450 | 30,556 | |
Total votes recorded | 4,021,724 | 3,091,859 | 2,215,527 | 997,571 | |
|
WA
|
Tas.
|
NT
|
ACT
|
Aust.
|
First preference votes | | | | | |
| Liberal-National Party | . . | . . | . . | . . | 2,776,089 |
| Liberal Party | 443,597 | 119,720 | . . | 70,475 | 1,824,639 |
| National Party | 26,015 | . . | . . | . . | 222,860 |
| Country Liberal Party | . . | . . | 40,680 | . . | 40,680 |
| Australian Labor Party | 377,547 | 113,709 | 36,500 | 86,331 | 3,990,903 |
| Australian Democrats | 64,773 | 14,273 | 6,796 | 22,072 | 842,984 |
| The Greens | 77,757 | 10,169 | 4,353 | 4,485 | 644,346 |
| Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 64,736 | 42,568 | 3,978 | 14,825 | 574,550 |
| Christian Democratic Party | 13,809 | . . | . . | 3,602 | 129,973 |
| Others | 37,295 | 8,223 | 755 | 3,684 | 580,505 |
| Formal votes | 1,105,529 | 308,662 | 93,062 | 205,474 | 11,627,529 |
Informal votes | 41,025 | 10,493 | 2,640 | 4,924 | 470,961 |
Total votes recorded | 1,146,554 | 319,155 | 95,702 | 210,398 | 12,098,490 |
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Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library. |
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