1970 Australian Senate election

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1970 Australian Senate election
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
  1967 21 November 1970 1974  

32 of the 60 seats in the Senate
16 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Lionel Murphy 1970.jpg Ken Anderson 1970.jpg Queensland State Archives 4750 Hon VC Gair Premier of Queensland c 1953.png
Leader Lionel Murphy Ken Anderson Vince Gair
Party Labor Coalition Democratic Labor Party (Australia, 1955)
Seats won14133
Seats after26265
Seat changeDecrease2.svg1Decrease2.svg2Increase2.svg1
Popular vote2,376,2152,149,023625,142
Percentage42.22%38.18%11.11%
SwingDecrease2.svg2.81ppDecrease2.svg4.59ppIncrease2.svg1.34pp

An election was held on 21 November 1970 to elect 32 of the 60 seats in the Australian Senate. This is the most recent occasion on which a Senate election has been held with no accompanying election to the House of Representatives; the two election cycles had been out of synchronisation since 1963.

Contents

Key dates

DateEvent
16 October 1970Writs were issued by the respective State Governors to proceed with an election. [1] [2] [3]
29 October 1970Close of nominations, at 12pm.
21 November 1970Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.
17 December 1970Declaration of the poll for South Australia. [4]
7 January 1971Return of the writs.

Results

The governing Coalition and the opposition Australian Labor Party won 13 and 14 seats respectively, resulting in a total of 26 seats each, while the Democratic Labor Party and three independents (two newly elected) held the remaining seats.

Senate (STV) — 1970–74—Turnout 93.98% (CV) — Informal 9.41%
1970 Australian Senate.svg
PartyVotes %SwingSeats wonSeats heldChange
  Labor 2,376,21542.22–2.811426–1
  Liberal–Country coalition (total)2,149,02338.18–4.591326–2
 Liberal–Country joint ticket1,098,13419.51–14.314**
  Liberal 991,47317.61+9.478210
  Country 59,4161.06+0.2415–2
  Democratic Labor 625,14211.11+1.3435+1
  Australia 163,3432.90+2.90000
 Better Education Committee59,8131.06+1.06000
 Democratic52,7990.94+0.94000
  Pensioner Power 28,9830.51+0.51000
  Defence of Government Schools 27,7960.49+0.49000
  National Socialist 24,0170.43+0.43000
 Conservative Immigration Movement4,8640.08+0.08000
  Independent 116,8382.07+0.3723+2
 Total5,628,833  3260
Notes

See also

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References

    • "Election of Senators Act, 1903. Proclamation" (PDF). Western Australia Government Gazette. 7 October 1970. p. 3117.
  1. "Senate Elections Act 1958 (No. 6365) (per 9145/70)". Victoria Government Gazette . Victorian Government Printer. 7 October 1970. p. 3309.
  2. "Senators' Elections Act 1903: Order under Section 3 (136)". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales . 14 October 1970. p. 4142. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  3. "Election of Senators for the State of South Australia (Proclamation) (44)" (PDF). South Australian Government Gazette . Government of South Australia. 6 October 1970. p. 1501. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  4. Parliamentary Handbook – Members of the Senate since 1901 Archived 25 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine