1975 Australian federal election

← 1974 13 December 1975 1977 →
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All 127 seats of theHouse of Representatives 64 seats were needed for a majority in the House All 64 seats of theSenate
Registered	8,262,413 4.62%
Turnout	7,881,873 (95.39%) (0.03pp)
First party Second party   Leader Malcolm Fraser Gough Whitlam Party Liberal–National Country Coalition Labor Leader since 21 March 1975 8 February 1967 Leader's seat Wannon (Vic.) Werriwa (NSW) Last election 61 seats 66 seats Seats won 91 seats 36 seats Seat change 30 30 Primary vote 4,102,078 3,313,004 Percentage 53.05% 42.84% Swing 7.32 6.46 TPP 55.70% 44.30% TPP swing 7.40 7.40
Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory.
Prime Minister before election Malcolm Fraser Liberal/NCP coalition Subsequent Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser Liberal/NCP coalition

Afederal election was held in Australia on 13 December 1975. All 127 seats in theHouse of Representatives and all 64 seats in theSenate were up for election, due to adouble dissolution.

Malcolm Fraser had been commissioned ascaretakerprime minister following the dismissal ofGough Whitlam's three-year-oldLabor government byGovernor-General SirJohn Kerr, on 11 November 1975. The same day, Fraser advised an immediate double dissolution, in accordance with Kerr's stipulated conditions (see1975 Australian constitutional crisis).

TheCoalition of Fraser'sLiberal Party of Australia andDoug Anthony'sNational Country Party secured government in its own right, winning the largest majority government to date in Australian history.^[a] The Liberals actually won a majority in their own right, with 68 seats–the first time that the main non-Labor party had done so since adopting the Liberal banner in 1944. Although Fraser had no need for the support of the National Country Party, the Coalition was retained. It was also the first time a party won over 90 seats at an Australian election. This is the last federal election that any party has won more than 50% of the primary (first preference) vote.

Labor suffered a 30-seat swing and saw its lower house caucus 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 the1966 election. With only 28% of the House of Representatives seats, this was the worst seat share for Labor since the current Liberal-Labor party contest from 1946.

The fact that Whitlam was already a former prime minister coming into this election has often been overlooked or forgotten with Whitlam seemingly treated as the incumbent at this election in retrospectives.

House of Reps (IRV) – 1975–77—Turnout 95.39% (CV) – Informal 1.89%

Party			First preference votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Liberal–NCP coalition		4,102,078	53.05	+7.32	91	+30
		Liberal	3,232,159	41.80	+6.85	68	+28
		National Country	853,943	11.04	+0.28	22	+1
		Country Liberal	15,976	0.21	+0.21	1	+1
	Labor		3,313,004	42.84	−6.46	36	−30
	Democratic Labor		101,750	1.32	−0.10	0	0
	Workers		60,130	0.78	+0.78	0	0
	Liberal Movement		49,484	0.64	–0.14	0	0
	Australia		33,630	0.43	−1.89	0	0
	Communist		9,393	0.12	+0.11	0	0
	Independent		63,109	0.82	+0.42	0	0
	Total		7,732,578			127
Two-party-preferred(estimated)
	Liberal–NCP coalition		Win	55.70	+7.40	91	+30
	Labor			44.30	−7.40	36	−30

Senate (STV) – 1975–77—Turnout 95.39% (CV) – Informal 9.10%

Party			First preference votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Seats held	Change
	Liberal–NCP coalition (total)		3,706,989	51.74	+7.85	35	35	+6
		Liberal–NCP joint ticket	2,855,721	39.86	+5.09	17	*	*
		Liberal	793,772	11.08	+3.26	16	26	+3
		National Country	41,977	0.59	−0.71	1	8	+2
		Country Liberal	15,519	0.22	+0.22	1	1	+1
	Labor		2,931,310	40.91	−6.38	27	27	−2
	Democratic Labor		191,049	2.67	−0.89	0	0	0
	Liberal Movement		76,426	1.07	+0.11	1	1	0
	Workers		62,385	0.87	+0.87	0	0	0
	Family Movement		45,658	0.64	+0.64	0	0	0
	Australia		34,632	0.48	–0.91	0	0	0
	United Tasmania		1,227	0.02	–0.01	0	0	0
	Socialist		727	0.01	+0.01	0	0	0
	Independents		114,310	1.60	–0.52	1	1	0
	Total		7,164,713			64	64	+4

Notes

• Independent:Brian Harradine (Tasmania)

• Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.

The election followed the dismissal of the Whitlam government byGovernor-General SirJohn Kerr in the1975 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 the1973 oil crisis and1973–75 recession, theLoans 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?").^[1][2]

Printers atNews Limited went on strike to protest against anti-Labor editorials in the company's papers. News Limited's support for Fraser and the Liberals during the campaign resulted in its journalists conducting a two-day strike beginning on 8 December 1975 in protest at "bias and dishonesty" in the company’s coverage of the election.^[3][4]

TheAustralian Capital Territory and theNorthern Territory received an entitlement to elect two senators each as a consequence of theSenate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973, passed during the1974 Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament.

• Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1975
• Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1975–1977
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1975–1978

• AustralianPolitics.com 1975 election details
• University of WAArchived 18 January 2015 at theWayback Machine election results in Australia since 1890
• AEC 2PP vote

• 1975 elections in Australia
• 1975 Australian constitutional crisis
• December 1975 in Australia
• Federal elections in Australia
• Gough Whitlam
• Malcolm Fraser

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