1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2004

ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/02/2004

Page tools: Print

Contents >> Government >> Commonwealth elections

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.

2.4 COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTS
Number of Parliament	Date of opening	Date of dissolution

1	9 May 1901	23 November 1903
2	2 March 1904	5 November 1906
3	20 February 1907	19 February 1910
4	1 July 1910	23 April 1913
5	9 July 1913	30 July 1914(a)
6	8 October 1914	26 March 1917
7	14 June 1917	3 November 1919
8	26 February 1920	6 November 1922
9	28 February 1923	3 October 1925
10	13 January 1926	9 October 1928
11	6 February 1929	16 September 1929
12	20 November 1929	27 November 1931
13	17 February 1932	7 August 1934
14	23 October 1934	21 September 1937
15	30 November 1937	27 August 1940
16	20 November 1940	7 July 1943
17	23 September 1943	16 August 1946
18	6 November 1946	1 October 1949
19	22 February 1950	19 March 1951(a)
20	12 June 1951	21 April 1954
21	4 August 1954	4 November 1955
22	15 February 1956	14 October 1958
23	17 February 1959	2 November 1961
24	20 February 1962	1 November 1963
25	25 February 1964	31 October 1966
26	21 February 1967	29 September 1969
27	25 November 1969	2 November 1972
28	27 February 1973	11 April 1974(a)
29	9 July 1974	11 November 1975(a)
30	17 February 1976	8 November 1977
31	21 February 1978	19 September 1980
32	25 November 1980	4 February 1983(a)
33	21 April 1983	26 October 1984
34	21 February 1985	5 June 1987(a)
35	14 September 1987	19 February 1990
36	8 May 1990	8 February 1993
37	4 May 1993	29 January 1996
38	30 April 1996	31 August 1998
39	10 November 1998	8 October 2001
40	12 February 2002	. .

(a) A dissolution of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library.

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

Source: Department of the Parliamentary Library.