One Nation Wins Two Queensland Senate Seats; Coalition Loses Ground; ALP And Greens Unchanged

Aug 04, 2016

The Senate results for Queensland were finalised and announced this morning.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation is the big winner, securing two positions, taking its national tally to three. The Coalition has retained 5 of its 6 seats, the ALP has retained 4 and the Greens 1.

The Coalition polled 35.27% of the primary vote and secured the re-election of 5 senators – George Brandis, Matthew Canavan (Nats), James McGrath, Ian Macdonald and Barry O’Sullivan (Nats).

Joanna Lindgren, who entered the Senate in May last year, filling a casual vacancy created by the retirement of Brett Mason, has been defeated.

The ALP polled 26.35%, enough to elect 4 senators: new members Murray Watt and Anthony Chisholm, and returning members Claire Moore and Chris Ketter. Watt and Chisholm replace Jan McLucas and Joe Ludwig, who both retired.

Pauline Hanson’s One Nation polled 9.19% of the vote, securing two places. Pauline Hanson will return to the parliament for the first time since she he held the lower house seat of Oxley between 1996-98. She will be joined by Malcolm Roberts.

One Nation has secured a stronger preference flow from other minor and micro parties. It now stands a reasonable chance of winning a fourth position in NSW.

The Greens polled 6.92%, re-electing Larissa Waters to a second term

Aside from Joanna Lindgren, only one other previous senator, Glenn Lazarus, was defeated. Elected in 2013 as a Palmer United Party candidate, Lazarus ran under his own banner of The Glenn Lazarus Team, polling 1.66% of the primary vote. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Federal Election, A.L.P., AEC, Greens, Liberal National Party, Liberal Party, One Nation, Qld, Senate, The Nationals, Turnbull Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sen. Chris Ketter (ALP-Qld) – Maiden Speech

Aug 26, 2014

Senator Chris Ketter was elected as a Labor member from Queensland at the 2013 federal election.

Ketter

Ketter, 53, was previously an official of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association. He began work with the SDA as a researcher in the early 1980s. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Maiden Speeches, Qld, Video Tagged With: , , ,

Senators Sworn In; New Balance Of Power As 2013 Federal Election Finally Complete

Jul 07, 2014

Senators elected at last year’s federal election were sworn in this morning. The full effect of the 2013 Federal Election can now be seen in the balance of power in the upper house.

Thirty-six senators were chosen at the election on September 7, six from each State. They were sworn in during a 20-minute ceremony presided over by the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove.

Watch the swearing-in ceremony (20m)

One senator, Deborah O’Neill (ALP-NSW) was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Bob Carr. O’Neill had already filled the final months of Carr’s previous term, following her defeat as the member for Robertson in the House of Representatives. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2013 Federal Election, A.L.P., Abbott, Governor-General, Greens, Liberal National Party, Liberal Party, Opening Parliament, Palmer United Party, Senate, Video Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Another Season Of Valedictory Speeches As Twelve Senators Depart

Jun 16, 2014

Twelve senators are about to leave the Federal Parliament as the July 1 changeover approaches.

The departing senators will give valedictory speeches in the Senate over the next two weeks. The first will be given tomorrow by the Nationals Senator Ron Boswell, who has been in the Senate since 1983.

The Senate has 76 members. Each of the six states has 12 senators, whilst the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory have 2 senators each. Senators serve fixed 6-year terms which commence on July 1. Except in the case of a double dissolution, Senate elections are staggered, with half the state-based senators facing the electorate at each House of Representatives election. Territory senators serve terms that are concurrent with the House.

On July 1, the State senators elected on September 7, 2013 will take their places. These 36 senators will serve terms that end on June 30, 2020.

Twenty-four senators were re-elected last year. Of the 12 who were replaced, 7 were defeated (6 ALP and 1 Liberal) and 5 retired (2 ALP, 2 Liberal and 1 Nationals).

The ALP lost one member in each state and will have only 25 senators from July 1. The party lost 3 members to the Palmer United Party (PUP), and one each to the Liberal Democrats (LDP), the Greens and Family First (FF). [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2013 Federal Election, Members, Senate Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,