1975 Australian Senate election

A federal election was held in Australia on 13 December 1975. All 64 seats in the Senate were up for election as well as all 127 seats in the House of Representatives, due to a double dissolution.

1975 Australian Senate elections

 1974
13 December 1975
1977 

All 64 seats in the Australian Senate
33 seats needed for a majority
Turnout95.39%[1]
  First party Second party
 
Leader Reg Withers Ken Wriedt
Party Liberal/National coalition Labor
Leader since 20 December 1972 10 February 1975
Leader's seat Western Australia Tasmania
Seats before 29 29
Seats after 35 27
Seat change Increase 6 Decrease 2
Popular vote 3,706,989 2,931,310
Percentage 51.74% 40.91%
Swing Increase 7.85% Decrease 6.38%

Senators elected in the 1975 federal election

Leader of the Senate before election

Reg Withers
Liberal/National coalition

Elected Leader of the Senate

Reg Withers
Liberal/National coalition

Background

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The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory received an entitlement to elect two senators each as a consequence of the Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973, passed during the 1974 Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament.

Nationwide results

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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

See also

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References

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  1. Voter turnout – previous events, Australian Electoral Commission, retrieved 21 June 2026