AUSTRALIAN GENERAL ELECTION, 1984

Federal election major party leaders
1983 1984 1987
'Labor' 'Bob Hawke' 'Prime Minister' 'Parliament': 4 years 'Leader since': 1983 'Division': Wills 'WIN'
'Liberal' 'Andrew Peacock' 'Opposition leader' 'Parliament': 18 years 'Leader since': 1983 'Division': Kooyong

'Federal elections' were held in Australia on 1 December 1984. All 148 seats in the House of Representatives, and 46 of 76 seats in the Senate, were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke, defeated the opposition Liberal Party of Australia led by Andrew Peacock with coalition partner the National Party of Australia led by Ian Sinclair.

'House of Reps (IRV) — 1984-87 — Turnout 94.19% (CV) — Informal 6.78%'

	'Party'	'Votes'	'%'	'Swing'	'Seats'	'Change'
	Australian Labor Party	4,120,130	47.55	-1.93	82	+7
	Liberal Party of Australia	2,951,556	34.06	-0.06	45	+12
	National Party of Australia	921,151	10.63	+1.42	21	+4
	Australian Democrats	472,204	5.45	+0.41	0	0
	Country Liberal Party	27,335	0.32	+0.08	0	0
	Other	172,576	1.99	+0.07	0	0
	Total	8,664,952			'148'	+23
	'Australian Labor Party'	'WIN'	'51.77'	-1.46	'82'	+7
	Liberal/National coalition		48.23	+1.46	66	+16

'Senate (STV GV) — 1984-87 — Turnout 94.55% (CV) — Informal 4.68%'

	'Party'	'Votes'	'%'	'Swing'	'Seats Won'	'Seats Held'
	Australian Labor Party	3,750,789	42.17	-3.32	20	34
	Liberal Party of Australia	1,831,006	20.59	+8.58	14	27
	Liberal/National (Joint Ticket)	1,130,601	12.71	-11.49	3
	Australian Democrats	677,970	7.62	-2.32	5	7
	Nuclear Disarmament Party	643,061	7.23	★	1	1
	National Party of Australia	527,278	5.93	+0.87	2	5
	Call to Australia Party	162,272	1.82	-0.04	0	0
	Country Liberal Party	27,972	0.31	+0.04	1	1
	Harradine Group	22,992	0.26	-0.32	0	1
	Other	120,159	1.35	-1.37	0	0
	Total	8,894,100			46	76

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The election was notable for the long ten week campaign, and for the high rate of informal voting for the House of Representatives, but decreased rate in the Senate. The 1984 election was held 18 months ahead of time, partly in order to bring the elections for the House of Representatives and Senate back into line. They had been thrown out of kilter by the double dissolution of 1983. This was the first election which occurred after the Hawke Government's election reforms of 1983 which saw 24 seats added to the House of Representatives and 12 to the Senate as well as the introduction of Group Ticket Voting for the Senate. Prior to 1984 the electoral commission did not undertake a full distribution of preferences for statistical purposes. The stored ballot papers for the previous election were put through this process prior to their destruction - therefore the figures from 1983 onwards show the actual result based on full distribution of preferences.

Contents

References

References

★ University of WA election results in Australia since 1890

★ AEC 2PP vote

★ AustralianPolitics.com election details