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2016 Federal Election

July 2, 2016

The Liberal-Nationals coalition government, led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, was narrowly re-elected at the 2016 double dissolution election, suffering a net loss of 14 seats.

The Turnbull government was defending a majority of 30 seats in the House of Representatives (LNP 90, ALP 55, Greens 1, PUP 1, Katter 1, Independent 2). It was re-elected with 76 seats, a majority of one after providing a Speaker.

The government lost 16 seats in the election: 15 to the ALP and one to the Nick Xenophon Team.

The government lost 7 seats in NSW (Barton, Dobell, Eden-Monaro, Lindsay, Macarthur, Macquarie and Paterson), 2 in Queensland (Herbert and Longman), 1 in Western Australia Cowan), 2 in South Australia (Hindmarsh to the ALP, Mayo to the Nick Xenophon Team), 3 in Tasmania (Bass, Braddon and Lyons) and 1 in the Northern Territory (Solomon). It won the Victorian seat of Chisholm from the ALP and regained the Queensland seat of Fairfax. It failed to win the new, notionally Liberal, seat of Burt, in Western Australia.

The ALP won 15 seats from the Coalition and lost one, to finish with 69. It won Burt but lost one seat in NSW (Charlton), due to a redistribution.

The coalition was returned with 76 seats, the ALP 69, the Greens 1, Katter’s Australian Party 1, Nick Xenophon Team 1, Independents 2. The government’s overall majority will be 2. After providing a Speaker, it’s majority on the floor of the House will be 1.

A challenge to the result in Herbert may eventuate. The ALP won the seat from the LNP by 37 votes.

A reformed voting system was in operation in the Senate. Legislation passed in early 2016 abolished the use of group voting tickets and introduced optional preferential voting above and below the line. Senate counting has not yet finished.

The government lost 3 seats in the Senate, finishing with 30. The ALP increased by 1 to 26, whilst the Greens lost 1 to finish with 9. Pauline Hanson’s One Nation secured 4, the Nick Xenophon Team 3, with 4 others. The crossbench increased in size from 18 to 20 members.

The election was the seventh double dissolution since 1901. It was the second election held in July – the other, in 1987, was also a double dissolution.

Election Information

Candidates

Election Results – House of Representatives

This table shows the composition of the House of Representatives, following the 2016 election.

House of Representatives Elections 2016
ALP LIB LNP NPA CLP GREENS OTHERS Total
NSW
24
16
–
7
–
–
–
47
VIC
18
14
–
3
–
1
1
37
QLD
8
–
21
–
–
–
1
30
WA
5
11
–
–
–
–
–
16
SA
6
4
–
–
–
–
1
11
TAS
4
–
–
–
–
–
1
5
ACT
2
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
NT
2
–
–
–
–
–
–
2
Total
69
45
21
10
–
1
4
150

 

Election Results – Senate

The table below shows the final Senate numbers for the 2016 federal election.

Senate Results – 2016 Federal Election
Party NSW VIC QLD WA SA Tas ACT NT Total
— Liberal Party
3
4
3
5
4
4
1
24
— The Nationals
2
1
2
5
— Country Liberals (NT)
1
1
Coalition
5
5
5
5
4
4
1
1
30
Australian Labor Party
4
4
4
4
3
5
1
1
26
Australian Greens
1
2
1
2
1
2
9
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
1
2
1
4
Nick Xenophon Team
3
3
Liberal Democrat Party
1
1
Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party
1
1
Family First
1
1
Jacqui Lambie Network
1
1
TOTAL
12
12
12
12
12
12
2
2
76

 

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