A total of 19 seats changed hands at the 2016 House of Representatives elections.
The Coalition went into the election holding 90 seats and finished up with 76. It lost 17 (16 to the ALP and one to the Nick Xenophon Team). One seat moved from the Liberal Party to The Nationals. The Liberals won one seat from the ALP.
The ALP went into the election holding 55 seats and ended up with 69. It won 16 from the Coalition, lost one to the Liberals, and lost one to the redistribution in NSW.
As in 2013, there are 5 crossbenchers. The Greens and Katter’s Australian Party retained their seats, whilst the two independents (Wilkie and McGowan) increased their majorities. Clive Palmer did not contest Fairfax and it returned to the LNP. The Nick Xenophon Team took Mayo from the Liberal Party.
The 19 seats that changed hands represent 12.66% of the House. 131 seats (87.33%) did not change hands, demonstrating once again the stability and predictability of Australian voting habits and the narrow range of seats that change governments. In the 2013 election, 22 seats (14.66%) changed hands.
- State of the Parties Since 1943
- State of the Parties Since 1901 – detailed
- Detailed table of House results since 1972
- Colour-coded table of House seats since 1984
- Seats Changing Hands At the 2013 Federal Election
Summary of Seats Changing Hands – 2016 Federal Election | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party/Group | 2010 Seats | 2013 Total | Seats Won | Seats Lost | 2016 Total |
ALP | |||||
Coalition | |||||
Greens | |||||
Katter’s Australian Party | |||||
Palmer United Party | |||||
Nick Xenophon Team | |||||
Independent | |||||
TOTAL |
Three seats won by the ALP in NSW were notionally ALP, following a redistribution. The seat of Barton, whilst held by the Liberal Party, was notionally Labor (4.4%). Dobell, whilst held by the Liberal Party, was nationally Labor (0.2%).Paterson, whilst held by the Liberal Party, was notionally Labor (0.4%).
In WA, the newly-created seat of Burt was notionally Liberal (6.1%). The ALP won this seat with a large swing.
Two former MPs have returned to the House. Mike Kelly, who held Eden-Monaro from 2007 until 2013, has regained the seat at this election. Steve Georganas has regained Hindmarsh, which he held between 2004-2013.
Australia’s youngest-ever MP and minister, Wyatt Roy, now 26, has lost Longman, after winning it in 2010 at the age of 20.
Linda Burney, the new ALP member for Barton, is the first indigenous woman to be elected to the House of Representatives. She was a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly (2003-2016) and a minister (2007-2011). She was Deputy Leader of the NSW Opposition (2011-2016).
At the 2013 election, 22 seats changed hands.
Seats Changing Hands In 2016 House of Representatives Elections | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Seat | Held By | Party | New Member | Party | % Swing to ALP | |
NEW SOUTH WALES | |||||||
Barton | Nickolas Varvaris | Liberal notionally ALP 4.4% |
Linda Burney | ALP | |||
Dobell | Karen McNamara | Liberal notionally ALP 0.2% |
Emma McBride | ALP | |||
Eden-Monaro | Peter Hendy | Liberal | Mike Kelly | ALP | |||
Lindsay | Fiona Scott | Liberal | Emma Husar | ALP | |||
Macarthur | Russell Matheson | Liberal | Mike Freelander | ALP | |||
Macquarie | Louise Markus | Liberal | Susan Templeman | ALP | |||
Paterson | Bob Baldwin (ret) Karen Howard |
Liberal notionally ALP 0.4% |
Meryl Swanson | ALP | |||
VICTORIA | |||||||
Chisholm | Anna Burke (ret) Stefanie Perri |
ALP | Julia Banks | Liberal | |||
Murray | Sharman Stone (ret) Duncan McGauchie |
Liberal | Damian Drum | Nationals | -4.03 (ALP) |
||
QUEENSLAND | |||||||
Herbert | Ewen Jones | Liberal National | Cathy O’Toole | ALP | |||
Longman | Wyatt Roy | Liberal National | Susan Lamb | ALP | |||
WESTERN AUSTRALIA | |||||||
Burt | New Seat Matt O’Sullivan |
notionally Liberal 6.1% | Matt Keogh | ALP | |||
Cowan | Luke Simpkins | Liberal | Anne Aly | ALP | |||
SOUTH AUSTRALIA | |||||||
Hindmarsh | Matt Williams | Liberal | Steve Georganas | ALP | |||
Mayo | Jamie Briggs | Liberal | Rebekha Sharkie | Xenophon | 7.16 (ALP) |
||
TASMANIA | |||||||
Bass | Andrew Nikolic | Liberal | Ross Hart | ALP | |||
Braddon | Brett Whiteley | Liberal | Justine Keay | ALP | |||
Lyons | Eric Hutchinson | Liberal | Brian Mitchell | ALP | |||
NORTHERN TERRITORY | |||||||
Solomon | Natasha Griggs | Country Liberal | Luke Gosling | ALP |