March 5, 1983
The 1983 election brought to an end 7 years of coalition government and ushered in the first of 5 successive election wins for the ALP.
The coalition government led by Malcolm Fraser had to contend with a parlous economic situation with high inflation and high unemployment. The nation had seen an increase in industrial disputation and many rural areas were gripped by drought.
In the previous year, Fraser had fought off a leadership challenge from Andrew Peacock, who had resigned from the Cabinet citing Fraser’s “manic determination to get his own way”, a phrase Fraser had himself used when he resigned from the Gorton ministry in 1971.
A by-election in Flinders in December 1982, occasioned by the retirement of Phillip Lynch, had seen an unexpected victory by the Liberal candidate, Peter Reith. Emboldened by this success Fraser opted for an early double dissolution election. On the day he called the election, the ALP replaced its leader, Bill Hayden, with Bob Hawke. Moves against Hayden had begun in earnest over the Christmas holiday period. Stoically accepting his removal, Hayden claimed that a “drover’s dog” could lead the ALP to victory.
Video Archives
- Fraser Calls Early Election – The most dramatic day in Australian politics since the Dismissal ended with Bob Hawke replacing Bill Hayden as ALP leader and Malcolm Fraser facing a popular new opponent in a double dissolution election. Even the Governor-General, Sir Ninian Stephen, made Fraser justify his decision to dissolve both houses. When the election was finally official, Fraser held a press conference.
- In 2010, John Elliott recalled his part in Fraser’s calling of the early election:
Sound Archives
Famous Lines
- Feb 03: The Blood On Your Hands Interview – This is the famous interview involving the ABC’s Richard Carleton and Bob Hawke, just hours after Hawke ascended to the leadership following Bill Hayden’s resignation. A Hawke classic.
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- Feb 03: This is the complete edition of Nationwide if you want to hear the Hawke-Carleton exchange in context
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- Feb: Put Your Money Under The Bed – as the campaign continued, Fraser became more and more strident in his denunciations of the ALP. In one speech, he said that if a Labor government was elected people would be better off keeping their money under the bed. This is Hawke’s response.
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Policy Speeches
- Feb 15: Liberal Party Election Policy Speech – Malcolm Fraser
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- Feb 16: ALP Election Policy Speech – Bob Hawke
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- Feb 21: National Party Policy Speech – Doug Anthony
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ALP Advertisements
- Feb 23: The political parties receive free air-time from the ABC during the election campaign. This item is an address by Bob Hawke.
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- Mar 01: The Messiah – This telecast by the ALP is another solo effort from Bob Hawke.
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Liberal Advertisements
- Feb 28: In retrospect, an interesting item featuring Andrew Peacock, Ian MacPhee and Malcolm Fraser.
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- Mar 01: Leadership – This Liberal Party advertisement is a “leadership” pitch, with people such as John Newcombe, Peter Brock and Alan Jones lauding the virtues of Malcolm Fraser.
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National Party
- Mar 01: The Last of the Really Tough National Party Leaders – This National Party advertisement features Doug Anthony in one of his last appearances.
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Electoral Commission
- Feb 28: Electoral Commission advertisement – This television commercial offers advice on how to cast a formal ballot.
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Final Television Broadcasts – March 2, 1983
- Liberal Party
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- ALP
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- National Party
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- Australian Democrats
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ALP Returns To Government – March 5, 1983
- Mar 05: Malcolm Fraser Concedes – the brief statement, complete with quivering lip, from the nation’s then second longest-serving Prime Minister.
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- Mar 05: Bob Hawke Claims Victory – the magnanimous statement from the man who would supplant Fraser as the second longest-serving Prime Minister. Note the reference to Tasmania, the only State to swing against the ALP.
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Election Results and Analysis
- State of the Parties – House of Representatives
- 1983 Election Retrospect – David Butler (PDF)
- The Federal Elections of 1983 – Alan Hughes (PDF)
