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Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia

Home | Historical Information on the Australian Parliament | Party representation in Parliament

Party representation in Parliament

Senate
Election Govt(a) ALP FT PROT LIB NAT CP UAP Others(b)   Total  
29/30.3.1901 PROT 8 17 11 – – – – –   36  
1.1.1904 PROT 14 12 8 – – – – 2   36  
1.1.1907 PROT 15 12 6 – – – – 3   36  
1.7.1910 ALP 23 – – 13(c) – – – –   36  
1.7.1913 LIB 29 – – 7 – – – –   36  
5.9.1914 ALP 31 – – 7 – – – –   36  
1.7.1917 NAT 12 – – – 24 – – –   36  
1.7.1920 NAT 1 – – – 35 – – –   36  
1.7.1923 NAT/CP 12 – – – 24 – – –   36  
1.7.1926 NAT/CP 8 – – – 25 3 – –   36  
1.7.1929 NAT/CP 7 – – – 24 5 – –   36  
1.7.1932 UAP 10 – – – – 5 21 –   36  
1.7.1935 UAP/CP 3 – – – – 7 26 –   36  
1.7.1938 UAP/CP 16 – – – – 4 16 –   36  
1.7.1941 UAP/CP 17 – – – – 3 16 –   36  
1.7.1944 ALP 22 – – – – 2 12 –   36  
1.7.1947 ALP 33 – 2 – – 1 – –   36  
Election Govt(a) ALP LIB NP(d)
CLP 		  DLP AD GRN PHON FFP Others(b) Total
1.7.1950 LIB/CP 34 20 6   – – – – – – 60
28.4.1951 LIB/CP 28 26 6   – – – – – – 60
1.7.1953(e) LIB/CP 29 26 5   – – – – – – 60
1.7.1956 LIB/CP 28 24 6   2 – – – – – 60
1.7.1959 LIB/CP 26 25 7   2 – – – – – 60
1.7.1962 LIB/CP 28 24 6   1 – – – – 1 60
1.7.1965(e) LIB/CP 27 23 7   2 – – – – 1 60
1.7.1968(e) LIB/CP 27 21 7   4 – – – – 1 60
1.7.1971(e) LIB/CP 26 21 5   5 – – – – 3 60
18.5.1974 ALP 29 23 6   – – – – – 2 60
13.12.1975 LIB/NCP 27 27 8   – – – – – 2 64
1.7.1978 LIB/NCP 26 29 6   – 2 – – – 1 64
1.7.1981 LIB/NCP 27 28 3   – 5 – – – 1 64
5.3.1983 ALP 30 24 4   – 5 – – – 1 64
1.7.1985 ALP 34 28 5   – 7 – – – 2 76
11.7.1987 ALP 32 27 7   – 7 – – – 3 76
1.7.1990 ALP 32 29 5   – 8 1 – – 1 76
1.7.1993 ALP 30 30 6   – 7 2 – – 1 76
1.7.1996 LIB/NPA 29 31 6   – 7 2 – – 1 76
1.7.1999 LIB/NPA 29 31 4   – 9 1 1 – 1 76
1.7.2002 LIB/NPA 28 31 4   – 8 2 1 – 2 76
1.7.2005 LIB/NP 28 33 6   – 4 4 – 1 – 76
1.7.2008 ALP 32 32 5   – – 5 – 1 1 76
Shading denotes elections when the government gained an absolute majority in the Senate.
Simultaneous dissolution election years are in bold.
(a) Government after election.
(b) Others include: various Independents such as Senators Turnbull and Harradine and Nuclear Disarmament Party members.
(c) Known as ‘Fusion’ in 1910.
(d) Country Party (CP) until May 1975; National Country Party (NCP) from May 1975 to October 1982; National Party of Australia from October 1982 to October 2003; The Nationals from October 2003.
(e)Separate half-Senate election.
 
Elections: Except for simultaneous dissolutions, or as noted, elections are simultaneously held for the House of
Representatives and half of the Senate.
Voting system: 1901-18 first-past-the-post voting; 1919-48 preferential voting; from 1949 proportional representation.


House of Representatives
Election Govt(a) ALP FT PROT A-S LIB NAT CP UAP Others(b) Total
29/30.3.1901 PROT 14 28 31 – – – – – 2 75
16.12.1903 PROT 23 25 26 – – – – – 1 75
12.12.1906 PROT 26 – 16 27 – – – – 6 75
13.4.1910 ALP 43 – – – 31(c) – – – 1 75
31.5.1913 LIB 37 – – – 38 – – – – 75
5.9.1914 ALP 42 – – – 32 – – – 1 75
5.5.1917 NAT 22 – – – – 53 – – – 75
13.12.1919 NAT 26 – – – – 37 11 – 1 75
16.12.1922 NAT/CP 30 – – – 5 26 14 – 1 76
14.11.1925 NAT/CP 24 – – – – 37 14 – 1 76
17.11.1928 NAT/CP 32 – – – – 29 13 – 2 76
12.10.1929(d) ALP 47 – – – – 14 10 – 5 76
19.12.1931 UAP 15 – – – – – 16 40 5 76
15.9.1934 UAP/CP 18 – – – – – 14 33 10 75
23.10.1937 UAP/CP 29 – – – – – 16 28 2 75
21.8.1940 UAP/CP 32 – – – – – 14 23 6 75
21.8.1943 ALP 49 – – – – – 12 12 2 75
28.9.1946 ALP 43 – – – 17 – 12 – 3 75
Election Govt(a) ALP LIB NPA(e)
/CLP		   DLP AD GRN Others(b) Total  
10.12.1949 LIB/CP 48 55 19   – – – 1 123  
28.4.1951 LIB/CP 54 52 17   – – – – 123  
29.5.1954(d) LIB/CP 59 47 17   – – – – 123  
10.12.1955 LIB/CP 49 57 18   – – – – 124  
22.11.1958 LIB/CP 47 58 19   – – – – 124  
30.11.1961 LIB/CP 62(f) 45 17   – – – – 124  
26.11.1963(d) LIB/CP 52 52 20   – – – – 124  
25.10.1966(d) LIB/CP 41 61 21   – – – – 124  
25.10.1969(d) LIB/CP 59 46 20   – – – 1 125  
2.12.1972(d) ALP 67 38 20   – – – – 125  
18.5.1974 ALP 66 40 21   – – – – 127  
13.12.1975 LIB/NCP 36 68 23   – – – – 127  
10.12.1977 LIB/NCP 38 67 19   – – – – 124  
18.10.1980 LIB/NCP 51 54 20   – – – – 125  
5.3.1983 ALP 75 33 17   – – – – 125  
1.12.1984 ALP 82 45 21   – – – – 148  
11.7.1987 ALP 86 43 19   – – – – 148  
24.3.1990 ALP 78 55 14   – – – 1 148  
13.3.1993 ALP 80 49 16   – – – 2 147  
2.3.1996 LIB/NPA 49 75 19   – – – 5 148  
3.10.1998 LIB/NPA 67 64 16   – – – 1 148  
10.11.2001 LIB/NPA 65 68 14   – – – 3 150  
9.10.2004 LIB/NP 60 74 13   – – – 3 150  
24.11.2007 ALP 83 55 10   – – – 2 150  
Shading denotes elections when the government gained an absolute majority in the Senate.
Simultaneous dissolution election years are in bold.
From 1922 figures include a Member for the Northern Territory who did not have full voting rights until 1968.
Similarly from 1949 figures include a Member for the Australian Capital Territory who did not have full voting rights until 1968.
(a) Government after election.
(b) Others include: 1903 – 1 Revenue Tariff; 1906 – 4 Independent Protectionist and 2 Western Australia Party;
1919 – 1 Independent Nationalist; 1928 – 1 Country Progressive; 1929 – 3 Independent Nationalists and 1 Country Progressive; 1931 – 4 Lang Labor; 1934 – 9 Lang Labor; 1937 – 1 Independent UAP; 1940 – 4 Non-Communist Labor; 1966 – 1 Independent (formerly ALP). The remainder are Independents.
(c) Known as ‘Fusion’ in 1910.
(d) Separate House of Representatives election.
(e) Country Party (CP) until May 1975; National Country Party (NCP) from 1975-82; National Party of Australia 1982-2003; The Nationals from October 2003.
(f) Includes the two Territory members who did not have full voting rights (hence the LIB/CP government remained in office).
Elections: Except for simultaneous dissolutions, or as noted, elections are simultaneously held for the House of
Representatives and half of the Senate.
Voting system: 1901–18 first-past-the-post voting; from 1918 preferential voting.

 

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