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The 1974 Joint Sitting Of Parliament

Jul 27, 2004

The 1974 joint sitting of the Commonwealth Parliament is so far the only one in the history of the federation.

When the Liberal-Country Party opposition threatened to block Supply in April 1974, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam called a double dissolution for May 18. He used five bills on electoral reform, Medibank (Medicare), and petroleum and minerals as the grounds.

Returned at the election, Whitlam immediately resubmitted the five bills that had been the basis of the double dissolution. They were passed by the House but again rejected by the Senate. On August 6, 1974 the parliament met in a joint sitting and the five bills were passed over two days. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 1974 Federal Election, Double Dissolutions, Political History, Whitlam Tagged With:

The Opposition Leader As A Factor Influencing Voting Behaviour

Dec 05, 2001

Australia’s parliamentary elections are increasingly focused around perceptions and packaging of the leaders of the various parties.

The election of Senator Natasha Stott Despoja as the leader of the Australian Democrats in 2001 was an indication of the importance political parties place on leadership as a determinant of the voting patterns of electors.

Prime Minister John Howard’s attacks on Kim Beazley’s supposed lack of “ticker” in the 1998 election was another indication that Opposition leadership can be a factor in elections. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 1972 Federal Election, 1974 Federal Election, 1975 Federal Election, 1977 Federal Election, 1980 Federal Election, 1983 Federal Election, 1984 Federal Election, 1987 Federal Election, 1990 Federal Election, 1993 Federal Election, 1996 Federal Election, 1998 Federal Election, 2001 Federal Election, Electoral Behaviour, Howard, Opposition, Whitlam Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Snedden Acknowledges Whitlam Victory But Won’t Concede He Lost

May 29, 1974

Eleven days after the 1974 Federal Election, the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Snedden, finally acknowledged that he had not won the election, but he claimed he hadn’t lost either.

Snedden said: “We were not defeated. We did not win enough seats to form a government.”

In years to come, Snedden would claim he said, “We didn’t win but we didn’t lose all”, although there is no evidence from the recording that he actually said that. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 1974 Federal Election, Audio, Liberal Party, Whitlam Tagged With:

The Day After The 1974 Election: Media Reports

May 19, 1974

Counting on election night in 1974 was inconclusive. Whilst there was a general sense that the Whitlam government had been returned, it was not definitive.

This is a selection of radio news bulletins from Sunday, May 19, 1974. They were broadcast on 3MA Mildura and 3WV, the ABC’s third radio network in western Victoria. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 1974 Federal Election, Audio, The Count, Whitlam Tagged With: , ,
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