1974 Australian Federal Election: Senate Voting
Advertisement in The Sun on 14 May 1974 explaining how to vote in the Senate for the upcoming Double Dissolution election. The DD election was instigated as the control in the Senate was then held by the Liberal-Country Party Coalition and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and the Opposition, led by Billy Snedden, blocked supply bills after what was known as the 'Gair Affair'
The Gair Affair occurred when the Whitlam Labor government appointed DLP Senator Vince Gair as Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland and this create an casual vacancy for the Senate for Queensland. As Gair's term was not finished until 1977, his seat would be up for re election with the five Senators up for normal re-election. This would result in six Senate places up for election lowering the quota required for a seat. This would in turn help Labor's chances in gaining an additional Senate seat.
Labor's plan came unstuck by the conservative Bjelke Petersen government in Queensland who prevented Gair from resigning before writs were issued after what became known as the 'Night of the Long Prawns', after the appointment story broke in The Sun in Melbourne. Whitlam ultimately called a DD election where all 60 Senate places were up for re-election as the necessary triggers for one were already in place.
As it was a Double Dissolution election, all 10 Senate places from each state were up for election. The quota for election was then lowered to one-eleventh or around 9% of the vote, allowing for exhaustion of preferences. The low quota increased the number of candidates running from minor parties - 48 in total which all had to be numbered in order of preference.
In 1984 a 'Group Ticket Vote' was introduced where a voter could vote by numbering a single box for the party 'above the line' and the party allocated preferences automatically by their group ticket. This has come under criticism in recent years as some very minor parties have been elected with very small votes by 'harvesting' major party group ticket preferences.
1974 Australian Federal Election: Senate Voting
Advertisement in The Sun on 14 May 1974 explaining how to vote in the Senate for the upcoming Double Dissolution election. The DD election was instigated as the control in the Senate was then held by the Liberal-Country Party Coalition and the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) and the Opposition, led by Billy Snedden, blocked supply bills after what was known as the 'Gair Affair'
The Gair Affair occurred when the Whitlam Labor government appointed DLP Senator Vince Gair as Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland and this create an casual vacancy for the Senate for Queensland. As Gair's term was not finished until 1977, his seat would be up for re election with the five Senators up for normal re-election. This would result in six Senate places up for election lowering the quota required for a seat. This would in turn help Labor's chances in gaining an additional Senate seat.
Labor's plan came unstuck by the conservative Bjelke Petersen government in Queensland who prevented Gair from resigning before writs were issued after what became known as the 'Night of the Long Prawns', after the appointment story broke in The Sun in Melbourne. Whitlam ultimately called a DD election where all 60 Senate places were up for re-election as the necessary triggers for one were already in place.
As it was a Double Dissolution election, all 10 Senate places from each state were up for election. The quota for election was then lowered to one-eleventh or around 9% of the vote, allowing for exhaustion of preferences. The low quota increased the number of candidates running from minor parties - 48 in total which all had to be numbered in order of preference.
In 1984 a 'Group Ticket Vote' was introduced where a voter could vote by numbering a single box for the party 'above the line' and the party allocated preferences automatically by their group ticket. This has come under criticism in recent years as some very minor parties have been elected with very small votes by 'harvesting' major party group ticket preferences.