Australian legislative election, 1996
Encyclopedia
Federal elections were held in Australia on 2 March 1996. All 148 seats in the House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....

 and 40 seats in the 76-member Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...

 were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

, in power since 1983 and led by Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....

 and Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...

, was defeated by the opposition Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

 led by John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....

 and Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...

 partner the National Party of Australia
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...

 led by Tim Fischer
Tim Fischer
Timothy Andrew Fischer, AC , is a former Australian politician. He served as Deputy Prime Minister in the Howard Government from 1996 before retiring from Cabinet in 1999...

.

Results

House of Reps (IRV
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...

) — 1996–98 — Turnout 95.77% (CV
Compulsory voting
Compulsory voting is a system in which electors are obliged to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day. If an eligible voter does not attend a polling place, he or she may be subject to punitive measures such as fines, community service, or perhaps imprisonment if fines are unpaid...

) — Informal 3.20%
  Party Votes % Swing Seats Change
  Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

4,217,765 38.75 −6.17 49 −31
  Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

4,210,689 38.69 +1.92 75 +26
  National Party of Australia
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...

893,170 8.21 +1.04 18 +2
  Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...

735,848 6.76 +3.01 0 0
  Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...

 (NSW, Qld, SA, ACT, NT)
188,994 1.74 +0.82 0 0
  Australians Against Further Immigration
Australians Against Further Immigration
Australians Against Further Immigration was an Australian political party who described themselves as "eco-nationalists" and were against positive net immigration. The party was founded in 1989 and registered in 1990 by Rodney and Robyn Spencer, the parents of actor Jesse Spencer...

73,023 0.67 +0.64 0 0
  Greens Western Australia
Greens Western Australia
The Greens Western Australia is the state branch of the Australian Greens in Western Australia. The Greens WA was formed following the merger of the WA Greens and the Green Earth Alliance...

53,101 0.49 −0.04 0 0
  Australian Greens Victoria 52,810 0.49 +0.46 0 0
  Call to Australia 43,183 0.40 −0.08 0 0
  Natural Law Party
Natural Law Party
The Natural Law Party was a transnational party based on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was active in up to 74 countries, and ran candidates in at least ten. Founded in 1992, it was mostly disbanded in 2004 but continues in India and in some U.S. states.The NLP viewed "natural law" as...

41,573 0.38 −0.36 0 0
  Country Liberal Party
Country Liberal Party
The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party is a Northern Territory political party affiliated with both the National and Liberal parties...

38,302 0.35 +0.02 1 +1
  Tasmanian Greens
Tasmanian Greens
The Tasmanian Greens are a political party in Australia which developed from numerous environmental campaigns in Tasmania, including the flooding of Lake Pedder and the Franklin Dam campaign...

19,689 0.18 −0.05 0 0
  No Aircraft Noise
No Aircraft Noise
No Aircraft Noise, or more fully The Common Cause - No Aircraft Noise, was a minor Australian political party that operated from 1995 until 1999. It was dedicated to removing noise pollution for residents of Sydney, which was generated by the city's three airports. The party suggested that the...

18,626 0.17 * 0 0
  Australia's Indigenous Peoples Party
Australia's Indigenous Peoples Party
Australia's Indigenous Peoples Party was an Australian political party. It was registered on 13 January 1993 prior to contesting the 1993 federal election, when its results were mediocre. The party was deregistered in 1999. The party was associated with the Australian indigenous community....

12,507 0.11 +0.08 0 0
  Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration
Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration
Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration was a minor Australian political party that was active from 1996 to 1999. The party advocated reducing immigration to Australia and was associated with the far right of Australian politics...

6,457 0.06 * 0 0
  Australian Women's Party
Australian Women's Party (1995)
The Australian Women's Party was a minor Australian feminist party that was first registered with the Australian Electoral Commission on 19 December 1995 and was deregistered on 22 April 2003. Its main platform consisted of a constitutional alteration to ensure equal representation of men and women...

6,173 0.06 * 0 0
  One Australia Party
One Australia Party
The One Australia Party was a minor Australian political party that was registered on 19 December 1995 and deregistered on 31 May 1999. It contested the 1996 federal election without success. Many of its candidates were drawn from the defunct Confederate Action Party....

3,159 0.03 * 0 0
  Grey Power
Grey Power
Grey Power, an Australian political party lobby group, first registered in 1983. At the federal elections of 1984 and 1987 it ran candidates, but on both occasions these candidates did poorly...

2,815 0.03 +0.01 0 0
  Australia's Christian Heritage
Christian Democratic Party (Australia)
The Christian Democratic Party is a right-wing political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.-Formation:...

2,722 0.03 * 0 0
  Central Coast Green Party 1,887 0.02 +0.00 0 0
  Richmond/Clarence Greens 1,173 0.01 −0.01 0 0
  Pensioner & CIR Alliance
Pensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum Alliance
The Pensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum Alliance was a minor Australian political party active between 1990 and 1996. It was originally formed in 1982 as the Pensioner Party of Australia, but its name was changed in 1990. It generally supported the rights of pensioners and retirees, and was...

332 0.00 * 0 0
  Republican Party of Australia
Republican Party of Australia
The Republican Party of Australia is a minor Australian political party dedicated to ending the country's links with the United Kingdom and establishing a republic. It was formed in 1982, and achieved registration federally in 1992...

156 0.00 * 0 0
  Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...

s
247,016 2.27 −0.98 5 +3
  Not Affiliated 12,945 0.12 0 0
  Total 10,883,852     148 +1
  Liberal/National coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...

WIN 53.63 +5.07 94 +29
  Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

  46.37 −5.07 49 −31

Independents: Peter Andren
Peter Andren
Peter James Andren AM was an Australian politician. He was an independent member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until October 2007, representing the electorate of Calare, New South Wales....

, Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...

, Allan Rocher
Allan Rocher
Allan Rocher , Australian politician, is a former Liberal Party of Australia Senator for Western Australia from 1978 to 1981 and member of the Australian House of Representatives Division of Curtin from 1981 to 1998. Up until 1996 he represented the Liberal Party of Australia.Rocher was born in...

, Graeme Campbell, Paul Filing
Paul Filing
Paul Anthony Filing was an Australian politician. Born in Wegberg, Germany, he was a police officer and company manager in Australia before entering politics. From 1987 to 1989, he was Campaign Co-ordinator for the Liberal Party in Western Australia...

 (ex-Liberal)
Senate (STV
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...

 GV
Group voting ticket
Group voting tickets are a way to simplify preferential voting, usually in an election held under the single transferable vote or the alternative vote system....

) — 1996–99 — Turnout 96.20% (CV
Compulsory voting
Compulsory voting is a system in which electors are obliged to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day. If an eligible voter does not attend a polling place, he or she may be subject to punitive measures such as fines, community service, or perhaps imprisonment if fines are unpaid...

) — Informal 3.50%
  Party Votes % Swing Seats Won Seats Held
  Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...

3,940,150 36.15 −7.35 14 29
  Liberal/National (Joint Ticket) 2,669,377 24.49 +0.09 6  
  Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...

1,770,486 16.24 +0.65 12 31
  Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...

1,179,357 10.82 +5.51 5 7
  National Party of Australia
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...

312,769 2.87 +0.15 1 5
  Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...

 (NSW, Qld, SA, ACT, NT)
180,404 1.66 −0.28 0 0
  Australians Against Further Immigration
Australians Against Further Immigration
Australians Against Further Immigration was an Australian political party who described themselves as "eco-nationalists" and were against positive net immigration. The party was founded in 1989 and registered in 1990 by Rodney and Robyn Spencer, the parents of actor Jesse Spencer...

137,604 1.26 +0.82 0 0
  Call to Australia 117,274 1.08 +0.25 0 0
  Australian Shooters Party
Shooters Party
The Shooters and Fishers Party, formerly known as the Shooters Party, is an Australian state political party. It is registered for state elections in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia...

114,724 1.05 +0.45 0 0
  Australian Greens Victoria 81,273 0.74 +0.44 0 0
  WA Greens
Greens Western Australia
The Greens Western Australia is the state branch of the Australian Greens in Western Australia. The Greens WA was formed following the merger of the WA Greens and the Green Earth Alliance...

57,006 0.52 +0.02 0 1
  Australian Women's Party
Australian Women's Party (1995)
The Australian Women's Party was a minor Australian feminist party that was first registered with the Australian Electoral Commission on 19 December 1995 and was deregistered on 22 April 2003. Its main platform consisted of a constitutional alteration to ensure equal representation of men and women...

49,131 0.45 * 0 0
  Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration
Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration
Reclaim Australia: Reduce Immigration was a minor Australian political party that was active from 1996 to 1999. The party advocated reducing immigration to Australia and was associated with the far right of Australian politics...

44,545 0.41 * 0 0
  Country Liberal Party
Country Liberal Party
The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party is a Northern Territory political party affiliated with both the National and Liberal parties...

40,050 0.37 +0.04 1 1
  Democratic Labor Party
Democratic Labor Party
The Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal...

36,156 0.33 −0.03 0 0
  Tasmanian Greens
Tasmanian Greens
The Tasmanian Greens are a political party in Australia which developed from numerous environmental campaigns in Tasmania, including the flooding of Lake Pedder and the Franklin Dam campaign...

26,830 0.25 * 1 1
  A Better Future for Our Children
A Better Future For Our Children
A Better Future For Our Children was a New South Wales political party. It contested the 1995 state election, at which it won a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Council despite receiving only 1.24% of the vote. The party's leader, Alan Corbett, was elected due to preference flows from other...

18,960 0.17 * 0 0
  Natural Law Party
Natural Law Party
The Natural Law Party was a transnational party based on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was active in up to 74 countries, and ran candidates in at least ten. Founded in 1992, it was mostly disbanded in 2004 but continues in India and in some U.S. states.The NLP viewed "natural law" as...

17,082 0.16 −0.20 0 0
  No Aircraft Noise
No Aircraft Noise
No Aircraft Noise, or more fully The Common Cause - No Aircraft Noise, was a minor Australian political party that operated from 1995 until 1999. It was dedicated to removing noise pollution for residents of Sydney, which was generated by the city's three airports. The party suggested that the...

17,043 0.16 −0.20 0 0
  Grey Power
Grey Power
Grey Power, an Australian political party lobby group, first registered in 1983. At the federal elections of 1984 and 1987 it ran candidates, but on both occasions these candidates did poorly...

13,401 0.12 −0.04 0 0
  Pensioner & CIR Alliance
Pensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum Alliance
The Pensioner and Citizen Initiated Referendum Alliance was a minor Australian political party active between 1990 and 1996. It was originally formed in 1982 as the Pensioner Party of Australia, but its name was changed in 1990. It generally supported the rights of pensioners and retirees, and was...

9,040 0.08 −0.13 0 0
  The Seniors
Beryl Evans (politician)
Beryl Alice Evans, née Williams was an Australian politician.-Early career:Born to David Reginald Williams and Mabel Lawson in Sydney, she was educated at Methodist Ladies' College in Burwood before joining the Royal Australian Air Force on 12 November 1942...

8,268 0.08 * 0 0
  Republican Party of Australia
Republican Party of Australia
The Republican Party of Australia is a minor Australian political party dedicated to ending the country's links with the United Kingdom and establishing a republic. It was formed in 1982, and achieved registration federally in 1992...

7,778 0.07 −0.06 0 0
  One Australia Party
One Australia Party
The One Australia Party was a minor Australian political party that was registered on 19 December 1995 and deregistered on 31 May 1999. It contested the 1996 federal election without success. Many of its candidates were drawn from the defunct Confederate Action Party....

3,638 0.03 * 0 0
  Australia's Indigenous Peoples Party
Australia's Indigenous Peoples Party
Australia's Indigenous Peoples Party was an Australian political party. It was registered on 13 January 1993 prior to contesting the 1993 federal election, when its results were mediocre. The party was deregistered in 1999. The party was associated with the Australian indigenous community....

2,772 0.03 −0.03 0 0
  Independent EFF
Independent EFF
Independent EFF was a minor Australian political party that was active between 1987 and 1999. It never won any seats in any Australian parliament....

2,430 0.02 * 0 0
  Harradine Group
Brian Harradine
Richard William Brian Harradine , Australian politician, was an independent member of the Australian Senate from 1975 to 2005, representing the state of Tasmania. He was the longest-serving independent federal politician in Australian history, and a Father of the Senate.He was born in Quorn, South...

* * −0.30 0 1
  Other 41,489 0.38 −0.23 0 0
  Total 10,899,037     40 76

Independents: Mal Colston
Mal Colston
Malcolm Arthur "Mal" Colston , Australian politician, was a Senator in the Parliament of Australia representing the state of Queensland between 1975 and 1999...

 (resigned from ALP in August 1996)

House of Reps preference flows

  • The Democrats contested 138 electorates with preferences slightly favouring Labor (54.02%)
  • The Greens contested 102 electorates with preferences favouring Labor (67.10%)

Seats changing hands

Seat Pre-1996 Swing Post-1996
Party Member Margin Margin Member Party
Bass, Tas
Division of Bass
The Division of Bass is an Australian Electoral Division in Tasmania. The division was created in 1903 and is named for the explorer George Bass. It has always been based on the city of Launceston and surrounding rural areas, and its boundaries have changed very little in the century since its...

  Labor Silvia Smith
Silvia Smith
Silvia Joy Smith is an Australian politician. She was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996 and a member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council from 1997 to 2003....

0.03 4.60 4.57 Warwick Smith
Warwick Smith (politician)
Warwick Leslie Smith AM is an Australian politician, and was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from December 1984 to March 1993 and again from March 1996 to October 1998, representing the Division of Bass, Tasmania....

Liberal  
Bowman, Qld
Division of Bowman
The Division of Bowman is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1949 and is named for David Bowman, an early leader of the Australian Labor Party, in Queensland...

  Labor Hon Con Sciacca
Con Sciacca
Concetto Antonio "Con" Sciacca AO , Australian politician, was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from July 1987 to March 1996 and again from October 1998 to October 2004, representing the Division of Bowman, Queensland...

8.14 9.03 0.89 Andrea West
Andrea West
Andrea Gail West was an Australian Liberal Party politician who served as Member for Bowman in the Australian House of Representatives from 1996 until she was defeated at the 1998 general election....

Liberal  
Calare, NSW
Division of Calare
The Division of Calare is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was first contested at the 1906 election and is named for the local Aboriginal name for the Lachlan River, which runs through the western part of the division...

  Labor David Simmons
David Simmons
David Simmons is an Australian rugby league player for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League competition. His position of choice is at fullback, wing, or centre...

N/A N/A 13.32 Peter Andren
Peter Andren
Peter James Andren AM was an Australian politician. He was an independent member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until October 2007, representing the electorate of Calare, New South Wales....

Independent  
Canberra, ACT
Division of Canberra
The Division of Canberra is an Australian Electoral Division in the Australian Capital Territory. The division was created in 1974 from the southern half of the old Division of Australian Capital Territory...

  Liberal Brendan Smyth
Brendan Smyth (politician)
Brendan Michael Smyth is a Liberal Party of Australia politician. From 2002 to 2006 he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Capital Territory. He retains his shadow previous portfolios of Health, Ageing, Business and Tourism at present. He represents the electorate of...

6.58 14.1 7.52 Bob McMullan
Bob McMullan
Robert Francis McMullan is an Australian former politician who represented the Australian Labor Party in both the Senate and the House of Representatives....

Labor  
Canning, WA
Division of Canning
The Division of Canning is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Alfred Canning, the Western Australian government surveyor who surveyed the Canning Stock Route...

  Labor Hon George Gear
George Gear
George Gear is a former Australian politician and government minister.Gear was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and received a Bachelor of Education at Mount Lawley College Advanced Education a Diploma of Electrical Engineering at Fremantle Technical College and a Diploma of Technical...

0.19 0.88 0.69 Ricky Johnston
Ricky Johnston
Ricky Johnston was a Liberal Party Member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Canning from 1996 to 1998. Johnston won the seat at her fifth attempt, having also been the endorsed Liberal candidate for Canning at the 1984, 1987, 1990 and 1993 general elections. She was...

Liberal  
Capricornia, Qld
Division of Capricornia
The Division of Capricornia is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the Tropic of Capricorn, which runs through the Division. It is located on the central Queensland coast and its...

  Labor Marjorie Henzell
Marjorie Henzell
Marjorie Madeline Henzell, , Australian politician.Henzell was elected to represent the Division of Capricornia in the Australian House of Representatives, and served as the member from 13 March 1993 until 2 March 1996. Henzell was the first woman elected to represent this electorate, and held the...

2.78 6.40 3.62 Paul Marek
Paul Marek
Paul Marek, , Australian politician, was the National Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2 March 1996 until 3 October 1998, representing the Division of Capricornia, Queensland.-References:...

National  
Curtin, WA
Division of Curtin
The Division of Curtin is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia. The division was created in 1949 and is named for John Curtin, who was Prime Minister of Australia 1941-45. It is located in the wealthy beachside suburbs of Perth, including Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park,...

  Liberal Allan Rocher
Allan Rocher
Allan Rocher , Australian politician, is a former Liberal Party of Australia Senator for Western Australia from 1978 to 1981 and member of the Australian House of Representatives Division of Curtin from 1981 to 1998. Up until 1996 he represented the Liberal Party of Australia.Rocher was born in...

N/A N/A 7.28 Allan Rocher
Allan Rocher
Allan Rocher , Australian politician, is a former Liberal Party of Australia Senator for Western Australia from 1978 to 1981 and member of the Australian House of Representatives Division of Curtin from 1981 to 1998. Up until 1996 he represented the Liberal Party of Australia.Rocher was born in...

Independent  
Dickson, Qld
Division of Dickson
The Division of Dickson is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland, Australia. The division was formed in 1992 and is named after Sir James Dickson, a leading advocate in Australian Federation, Queensland Premier and Minister for Defence in first Australian Ministry. It is located in the...

  Labor Hon Michael Lavarch
Michael Lavarch
Michael Hugh Lavarch is an Australian lawyer, educator and former politician. He was the Attorney-General of Australia between 1993 and 1996, and since 2004 has been Dean and Professor of Law at Queensland University of Technology , his alma mater.Lavarch commenced his legal career in Brisbane as...

2.55 5.72 3.17 Tony Smith Liberal  
Eden-Monaro, NSW
Division of Eden-Monaro
The Division of Eden-Monaro is anAustralian Electoral Division in New South Wales.The division was created in 1900, and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the town of Eden and the Monaro district of southern New South Wales...

  Labor Jim Snow
Jim Snow
James Henry "Jim" Snow was an Australian politician.Snow was born in the Melbourne suburb of Surrey Hills, Victoria and graduated in pharmacy from the Victorian College of Pharmacy. He worked as a goat farmer, pharmacist and community worker for Queanbeyan City Council...

4.27 9.03 4.76 Gary Nairn
Gary Nairn
Gary Roy Nairn is a former Australian politician.Nairn was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and was educated at the University of New South Wales. He was a surveyor in private practice and managing director of a surveying and mapping consultancy before entering politics. He moved to the Northern...

Liberal  
Gilmore, NSW
Division of Gilmore
The Division of Gilmore is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1984 and is named for Dame Mary Gilmore, the poet and author. It is located in the Shoalhaven the southern Illawarra regions, extending from Warilla in the north to Durras in the south, then...

  Labor Peter Knott
Peter Knott
Peter John Knott was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the Australian House of Representatives. He represented Gilmore from 1993 to 1996 for the Australian Labor Party ....

0.45 6.69 6.24 Joanna Gash
Joanna Gash
Joanna Gash , has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Gilmore on the southern coast of New South Wales.-Personal:...

Liberal  
Griffith, Qld
Division of Griffith
The Division of Griffith is anAustralian Electoral Division in Queensland.The division was created in 1934, when the old seat of Oxley was abolished, and is named for Sir Samuel Griffith, 9th Premier of Queensland and principal author of the Australian Constitution...

  Labor Ben Humphreys
Ben Humphreys
Benjamin Charles Humphreys AM , Australian politician, is a former Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the Division of Griffith, Queensland from 1977 to 1996....

5.90 7.37 1.47 Graeme McDougall
Graeme McDougall
Graeme Robert McDougall , Australian politician, is the former Liberal Party of Australia member of the House of Representatives for the electorate of Griffith in Queensland from 2 March 1996 to 3 October 1998....

Liberal  
Herbert, Qld
Division of Herbert
The Division of Herbert is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. Eligible voters within the Division elect a single representative, known as the member for Herbert, to the Australian House of Representatives. The division was first contested at the 1901 election...

  Labor Hon Ted Lindsay
Ted Lindsay (Australian politician)
Eamon John "Ted" Lindsay was an Australian politician. Born in Tully, Queensland, he was a solicitor and a City of Townsville Councillor before entering federal politics. In 1983, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Herbert, defeating the sitting...

3.31 9.90 6.59 Peter Lindsay
Peter Lindsay
Peter John Lindsay , Australian politician, was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to July 2010, representing the Division of Herbert, Queensland. In January 2007 he was appointed to the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister...

Liberal  
Hughes, NSW
Division of Hughes
The Division of Hughes is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1955 and is named for Billy Hughes, who was Prime Minister of Australia 1915-23...

  Labor Hon Robert Tickner
Robert Tickner
Robert Edward Tickner is an Australian politician and public figure. He became Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Red Cross in February 2005.Tickner was born in Sydney and educated at the University of Sydney...

6.42 11.31 4.89 Danna Vale
Danna Vale
Danna Sue Vale , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to July 2010, representing the Division of Hughes, New South Wales. She did not re-contest her seat at the 2010 federal election.From 1984 until 1988, Vale was a full-time wife,...

Liberal  
Kalgoorlie, WA
Division of Kalgoorlie
The Division of Kalgoorlie was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Western Australia, named after the city of Kalgoorlie. The Division, which was proclaimed in 1900 as one of the original 75 divisions to be contested at the first Federal election, covered most of the land area of...

  Labor Graeme Campbell N/A N/A 10.35 Graeme Campbell Independent  
Kingston, SA
Division of Kingston
The Division of Kingston is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia covering the far-south metropolitan area of Adelaide. The division was first proclaimed in 1949....

  Labor Gordon Bilney
Gordon Bilney
Gordon Neil Bilney is an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives for the seat of Kingston from 1983 to 1996.Bilney was born in Renmark, South Australia....

1.45 3.46 2.01 Susan Jeanes
Susan Jeanes
Susan Barbara Jeanes was an Australian Liberal Party Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Kingston from 1996 to 1998. She won the seat from Gordon Bilney in the 1996 general election where the Liberal party took power from the Labor party...

Liberal  
Leichhardt, Qld
Division of Leichhardt
The Division of Leichhardt is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was first proclaimed in 1949. It is one of Australia's largest electorates, covering an area stretching from Cairns to Cape York and the Torres Strait, including the Torres Strait Islands.-About the...

  Labor Peter Dodd
Peter Dodd
Peter George Dodd was an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he was a solicitor and trade union official before entering politics. In 1993, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for the Queensland seat of Leichhardt. He held the seat until his defeat in...

1.33 5.51 4.18 Warren Entsch
Warren Entsch
Warren George Entsch is an Australian politician currently serving as a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the Division of Leichhardt in Queensland...

Liberal  
Lilley, Qld
Division of Lilley
The Division of Lilley is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was first proclaimed in 1913. The division is named after Sir Charles Lilley, a former Premier of Queensland and a former Chief Justice in the Supreme Court of Queensland....

  Labor Wayne Swan
Wayne Swan
Wayne Maxwell Swan is the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996, and then re elected in 1998 till today , representing the Division of Lilley, QLD...

6.18 6.91 0.73 Elizabeth Grace
Elizabeth Grace
Elizabeth Jane Grace was an Australian Liberal Party Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Lilley from 1996. She was defeated at the 1998 general election by Wayne Swan.-References:*...

Liberal  
Lindsay, NSW
Division of Lindsay
The Division of Lindsay is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the outer western suburbs of Sydney, and is centred around Penrith. It also includes the suburbs of Castlereagh, Mulgoa and Werrington....

  Labor Ross Free
Ross Free
Ross Vincent Free is an Australian politician, and was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the seat of Macquarie from 1980 until 1984, then Lindsay from 1984 until 1996...

10.22 11.80 1.58 Jackie Kelly
Jackie Kelly
Jacqueline Marie Kelly , former Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Lindsay, New South Wales.-Early career:...

Liberal  
Lowe, NSW
Division of Lowe
The Division of Lowe was an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It was located in the inner western suburbs of Sydney, on the south shore of the Parramatta River...

  Labor Mary Easson
Mary Easson
Mary Louise Easson was an Australian Labor Party Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Lowe from 1993. She was defeated at the 1996 general election...

5.01 7.48 2.47 Paul Zammit
Paul Zammit
Paul Zammit is a former Australian Liberal politician.Zammit was born in Alexandria, Egypt. He was first the state member for Burwood from 1984 to 1988; then, after Burwood was abolished, he became state member for Strathfield from 1988 to 1996...

Liberal  
Macarthur, NSW
Division of Macarthur
The Division of Macarthur is an Australia Federal electoral division covering outer south-west Sydney. Its present boundaries cover the southern suburbs of Campbelltown, all of the local government area of Camden and small parts of Wollondilly. It covers 537 km² and is named after John...

  Labor Chris Haviland
Chris Haviland
Christopher Douglas "Chris" Haviland was an Australian politician. Born in Sydney, he was a public servant with the Commonwealth Department of Health. In 1993, he was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Labor member for Macarthur, succeeding Stephen Martin, who contested...

1.28 11.97 10.69 John Fahey
John Fahey (politician)
John Joseph Fahey, AC is a former Premier of New South Wales and Federal Minister for Finance in Australia. John Fahey is currently the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1984 to 1996 and the federal House of Representatives...

Liberal  
Macquarie, NSW
Division of Macquarie
The Division of Macquarie is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for Lachlan Macquarie, who was Governor of New South Wales between 1810 and 1821...

  Labor Maggie Deahm
Maggie Deahm
Margaret Joan Deahm was an Australian Labor Party Member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Macquarie from 1993 until her defeat at the 1996 general election.-References:*...

0.12 6.48 6.36 Kerry Bartlett
Kerry Bartlett
Kerry Joseph Bartlett is an Australian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives between March 1996 and November 2007, representing the Division of Macquarie, New South Wales...

Liberal  
Makin, SA
Division of Makin
The Division of Makin is an electoral division for the Australian House of Representatives located in the northeastern suburbs of Adelaide. Established in 1984 and named after Norman Makin, a former MP and diplomat, it has been a marginal seat at most elections since...

  Labor Peter Duncan
Peter Duncan (Australian politician)
Peter Duncan was an Australian Labor Party politician and one of the relatively few members of parliament to have not only served in both a state and national parliament, but also served as a minister in both cases....

3.71 4.79 1.08 Trish Draper
Trish Draper
-Early Life:Patricia "Trish" Draper was born in Woodville, South Australia, the daughter of German migrants who came to Australia after W.W.2....

Liberal  
McMillan, Vic
Division of McMillan
The Division of McMillan is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the western part of the Gippsland region, which extends for the length of Victoria's eastern Bass Strait coastline. It includes the outer south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Pakenham, and also...

  Labor Barry Cunningham
Barry Cunningham
Barry Thomas Cunningham was an Australian politician. Born in Pakenham, Victoria, he was a dairy and potato farmer and an agricultural contractor before entering politics...

0.53 2.60 2.07 Russell Broadbent
Russell Broadbent
Russell Evan Broadbent , Australian politician, was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as member for the Division of McMillan, Victoria for the Liberal Party of Australia at the 2004 federal election. He previously represented the Division of Corinella 1990-93 and McMillan 1996-98...

Liberal  
Moore, WA
Division of Moore
The Division of Moore is an Australian electoral division in the state of Western Australia. Eligible voters within the Division elect a single representative, known as the member for Moore, to the Australian House of Representatives...

  Liberal Paul Filing
Paul Filing
Paul Anthony Filing was an Australian politician. Born in Wegberg, Germany, he was a police officer and company manager in Australia before entering politics. From 1987 to 1989, he was Campaign Co-ordinator for the Liberal Party in Western Australia...

N/A N/A 15.48 Paul Filing
Paul Filing
Paul Anthony Filing was an Australian politician. Born in Wegberg, Germany, he was a police officer and company manager in Australia before entering politics. From 1987 to 1989, he was Campaign Co-ordinator for the Liberal Party in Western Australia...

Independent  
Moreton, Qld
Division of Moreton
The Division of Moreton is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named after Moreton Bay. The electorate is a bellwether in elections, having voted for the party winning government at every...

  Labor Garrie Gibson
Garrie Gibson
Garrie David Gibson is a retired Australian politician. Born in Brisbane, he was educated at the University of Queensland and the North Brisbane College of Advanced Education before becoming a primary teacher. He was an organiser with the Queensland Teachers Union before his election to the...

0.21 5.30 5.09 Gary Hardgrave
Gary Hardgrave
Gary Douglas Hardgrave , Australian politician, was the Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until 2007, representing the Division of Moreton, Queensland. He was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and was educated at Griffith University, Queensland...

Liberal  
Murray, Vic
Division of Murray
The Division of Murray is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the north of the state, adjoining the Murray River, which forms Victoria's border with New South Wales...

  National Bruce Lloyd N/A N/A 3.70* Sharman Stone
Sharman Stone
Dr. Sharman Nancy Stone née Bawden , Australian politician, has been an Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since March 1996, representing the Division of Murray, Victoria...

Liberal  
North Sydney, NSW
Division of North Sydney
The Division of North Sydney is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division is named after the North Sydney area where it is located. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...

  Independent Ted Mack
Ted Mack
Ted Mack may refer to:*Ted Mack , Edward Mack, Australian politician*Ted Mack , born William Edward Maguiness, American television host...

1.8 17.4 15.6 Joe Hockey
Joe Hockey
Joseph Benedict "Joe" Hockey , is an Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of North Sydney for the Liberal Party of Australia since 1996....

Liberal  
Northern Territory, NT
Division of Northern Territory
The Division of Northern Territory was an Australian Electoral Division in the Northern Territory. Throughout its existence, it was the only Division in the Territory....

  Labor Warren Snowdon
Warren Snowdon
Warren Edward Snowdon is an Australian politician. He is an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives. He represented the Division of Northern Territory from July 1987 to March 1996, and from October 1998 to November 2001.Since November 2001 he has represented the...

5.31 5.68 0.37 Nick Dondas
Nick Dondas
Nicholas Manuel "Nick" Dondas AM is a former Country Liberal politician in the Northern Territory, Australia, representing the seat of Casuarina in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1974 to 1996, and the Division of Northern Territory in the Australian House of Representatives from...

Country Liberal  
Oxley, Qld
Division of Oxley
The Division of Oxley is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The current division is the second to bear the name, and was created in 1949. The division is named after the Australian explorer, John Oxley...

  Labor Les Scott
Les Scott
Leslie James "Les" Scott was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Queensland Division of Oxley from 8 October 1988 to 2 March 1996...

14.65 19.31** 4.66 Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...

Independent  
Page, NSW
Division of Page
The Division of Page is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the far north-east of the state, adjoining the border with Queensland and the coast of the Pacific Ocean...

  Labor Harry Woods
Harry Woods (Australian politician)
Harry Francis Woods was an Australian politician. He was the member for Page, New South Wales in the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Australian Labor Party from the March 1990 general election to his defeat in the March 1996 general election.Woods was elected as the Member...

0.13 4.44 4.31 Ian Causley
Ian Causley
Ian Raymond Causley is an Australian politician. He was a National Party member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Page, New South Wales from 1996 to 2007....

National  
Parramatta, NSW
Division of Parramatta
The Division of Parramatta is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election. It is named for the locality of Parramatta. The name Parramatta has been sourced to an Aboriginal...

  Labor Paul Elliott
Paul Elliott (Australian politician)
Robert Paul Elliott is an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 1996, representing the division of Parramatta....

3.24 7.11 3.87 Ross Cameron
Ross Cameron
Ross Alexander Cameron , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to October 2004, representing the Division of Parramatta, New South Wales...

Liberal  
Paterson, NSW
Division of Paterson
The Division of Paterson is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located just north of Newcastle, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It extends to the Hunter Valley in the south, the Manning River in the north, and the Great Dividing Range in the west...

  Labor Bob Horne
Bob Horne
Robert Hodges "Bob" Horne is a former Australian politician. Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, he attended Newcastle University before becoming a teacher. He served on Dungog Shire Council from 1987–90 and Port Stephens Council from 1991-93. In 1993 he was elected to the Australian House of...

3.30 3.73 0.43 Bob Baldwin
Bob Baldwin
Robert Charles "Bob" Baldwin , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to October 1998 and again since November 2001, representing theDivision of Paterson in New South Wales...

Liberal  
Petrie, Qld
Division of Petrie
The Division of Petrie is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1949 and named after Andrew Petrie , a noted civil engineer, pioneer and explorer, and the first free settler in Brisbane ....

  Labor Gary Johns
Gary Johns
Gary Thomas Johns is a former Australian politician.Johns was born in Melbourne, Victoria and received a Bachelor of Economics and a M.A. from Monash University. He was elected as the member for Petrie in 1987, and held it for the Australian Labor Party until his defeat in 1996...

2.15 9.85 7.70 Teresa Gambaro Liberal  
Richmond, NSW
Division of Richmond
The Division of Richmond is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the far north-east of the state, along the Pacific coast...

  Labor Neville Newell
Neville Newell
Neville Joseph Newell is an Australian politician. He served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 until 1996 and as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2007....

1.78 8.53 6.75 Larry Anthony
Larry Anthony
Lawrence James "Larry" Anthony is a former Australianpolitician. He was a National Party of Australia member of theAustralian House of Representatives representing the Division of Richmond, New South Wales, from the March 1996 election until his defeat in the 2004 election...

National  
Robertson, NSW
Division of Robertson
The Division of Robertson is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. The Division is located on the Central Coast, immediately north of the Hawkesbury River. It encompasses the towns of Woy Woy, Gosford and Terrigal....

  Labor Frank Walker 5.56 9.12 3.56 Jim Lloyd
Jim Lloyd
James Eric Lloyd JP , Australian politician, was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives from the March 1996 election until the November 2007 election, representing the Division of Robertson in New South Wales.Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Lloyd was...

Liberal  
Swan, WA
Division of Swan
The Division of Swan is an Australian Electoral Division located in Western Australia. The division is named after the Swan River.For several decades, it has been a marginal seat, extending along the Swan and Canning Rivers from the affluent suburbs in the City of South Perth to the west, which...

  Labor Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley
In the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister....

0.22 3.93 3.71 Don Randall
Don Randall
Donald James Randall , Australian politician, is a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives. He represented the Division of Swan, Western Australia, 1996–98, and has represented the Division of Canning, Western Australia, since November 2001. He was born in Merredin, Western...

Liberal  
  • *Figure is Liberal against Nationals.
  • **Figure is a swing compared to Liberal vote at the last election.




Overall the coalition won 29 seats from Labor while the ALP won 3 seats from the Liberals. These 3 seats where Canberra
Division of Canberra
The Division of Canberra is an Australian Electoral Division in the Australian Capital Territory. The division was created in 1974 from the southern half of the old Division of Australian Capital Territory...

 and Namadgi
Division of Namadgi
The Division of Namadgi was an Australian Electoral Division in the Australian Capital Territory. It was located in the southern suburbs of Canberra, and included the suburbs of Conder, Kambah, Mawson and Tuggeranong....

 in the ACT and Isaacs
Division of Isaacs
The Division of Isaacs is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, on the eastern shores of Port Phillip Bay...

 in Victoria. The ACT seats fell to Labor due to a strong return to the ALP in a traditional Labor town by public servants fearing conservative cuts. The division of Brendan Smyth
Brendan Smyth (politician)
Brendan Michael Smyth is a Liberal Party of Australia politician. From 2002 to 2006 he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Capital Territory. He retains his shadow previous portfolios of Health, Ageing, Business and Tourism at present. He represents the electorate of...

's seat of Canberra into the two new (of the three) ACT seats limited his campaign to the southernmost Tuggeranong
Tuggeranong
Tuggeranong is the southernmost town centre of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. It comprises 19 suburbs with a total of 31,819 dwellings, housing 87,119 people of the 324,034 people in the Australian Capital Territory . The district occupies 117 square kilometres to the east of the...

 seat of Namadgi where the ACT Labor right
Labor Right
The Labor Right, or Labor Unity in some State branches, or Centre Unity in NSW, is the organised faction of the Australian Labor Party that tends to be more economically liberal and socially conservative than Labor Left....

 wing stood former MLA Annette Ellis
Annette Ellis
Annette Louise Ellis , Australian politician, was a Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to August 2010, representing the Division of Namadgi 1996–98 and the Division of Canberra from 1998 to 2010.In the 1996 federal election she contested Namadgi against...

 who ran a tight grassroots campaign. Isaacs fell to Labor due to demographic changes due to a redistribution of electoral boundaries.

The Liberal Party leader, John Howard, had resumed the leadership of his party in January 1995, following a disastrous 8 months under the leadership of Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...

. Downer and Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...

 had succeeded Dr. John Hewson
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM is an Australian economist, company director and a former politician. He was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 1990 to 1994 and led the party to defeat at the 1993 federal election.-Early life:...

 and Michael Wooldridge
Michael Wooldridge
Michael Richard Lewis Wooldridge is an Australian doctor, company director, and a former politician. He was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Liberal Party representing the Division of Chisholm, Victoria, between 1987 and 1996, and representing the Division of Casey,...

 early in 1994 and were touted as the leaders of the new-generation Liberals. In the end, the party opted for the seasoned Howard, perhaps an acknowledgment that he was the only one left standing after a decade of party infighting. Howard approached the campaign with a determination to present as small a target as possible. Throughout 1995, he refused to detail specific policy proposals. By 1996, however, it was clear that the electorate had tired of the Labor government and Paul Keating in particular. "The recession we had to have" line resonated with deadly force throughout the electorate. Although Keating's big picture approach to republicanism, reconciliation and engagement with Asia galvanized support within Labor's urban constituencies, Howard was able to attract support amongst disaffected mainstream Australians – including traditionally Labor-voting blue collar workers and middle class suburban residents. He also promised to retain Medicare
Medicare (Australia)
Medicare is Australia's publicly funded universal health care system, operated by the government authority Medicare Australia. Medicare is intended to provide affordable treatment by doctors and in public hospitals for all resident citizens and permanent residents except for those on Norfolk Island...

 and hold a constitutional convention to decide whether Australia would become a republic.

Labor lost five percent of its two-party vote from 1996, and tallied its lowest primary vote since 1934 (an additional eight percent coming from preferences). The 29-seat swing was the second-largest defeat, in terms of seats lost, by a sitting government in Australia. Three members of Keating's government--all outside Cabinet--lost their seats. Keating resigned as Labor leader on the night of the election, and was succeeded by former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley
In the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister....

.

See also

  • Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1996
    Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1996
    This article provides information on candidates who stood for the 1996 Australian federal election. The election was held on 2 March 1996.-Redistributions and seat changes:...

  • Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1996–1998
  • Members of the Australian Senate, 1996–1999
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