A federal election was held on 7 September 2013 to elect the members of the 44th Parliament of Australia. The incumbent Labor government, led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, sought to win a third consecutive term, but was defeated by the opposition Liberal–National Coalition, led by Tony Abbott, in a landslide. It was the third instance in Australian history that a party won 90 or more seats at an election.
Labor had been in government for six years since being elected in the 2007 election. This election marked the end of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Labor government and the start of the 9 year long Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Liberal-National Coalition government. Abbott was sworn in by the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, as Australia's new prime minister on 18 September 2013, along with the Abbott Ministry. The 44th Parliament of Australia opened on 12 November 2013, with the members of the House of Representatives and territory senators sworn in. The state senators were sworn in by the next Governor-General Peter Cosgrove on 7 July 2014, with their six-year terms commencing on 1 July.
The proclamation dissolving the House of Representatives and formally beginning the election period had been issued by Governor-General Bryce on 5 August 2013. The writs of election were subsequently issued by Bryce for the election of members of the House of Representatives and territory senators, and by the state governors for the senators for each state.
Voting in Australia's federal elections has been compulsory since 1925. For the House of Representatives, a preferential ballot system has been in use since 1919, in single-member seats. For the Senate—the proportionally representative upper house—a single transferable vote system has been in use since 1949, with optional group voting tickets since 1984. Elections are conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).
A special half-Senate election was conducted on 5 April 2014 in Western Australia as a result of 1,375 lost ballot papers.
Future Opposition Leader Angus Taylor entered parliament at this election.
Key dates Governor-General accepted Kevin Rudd's advice to dissolve Parliament and hold a general election – 4 August 2013 Prorogation of 43rd Parliament – 5:29 pm Monday 5 August 2013Proclamation – Prorogue of the Parliament and dissolution of the House of Representatives; Gazette C2013G01196 at ComLaw, Australian Government, 5 August 2013 Dissolution of House of Representatives – 5:30 pm Monday 5 August 2013 Issue of writs – Monday 5 August 2013Issue of Writs for Election of Members of the House of Representatives and of Senators to Represent the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory; Gazette C2013G01199 at ComLaw, Australian Government, 6 August 2013 Close of rolls – 8 pm Monday 12 August 2013 Close of candidate nominations – 12 noon Thursday 15 August 2013 Declaration of candidate nominations – 12 noon Friday 16 August 2013 Election day or Polling day – Saturday 7 September 2013 Swearing-in of 44th Parliament – Wednesday 18 September 2013 Last day for the return of writs – Monday 13 November 2013 Deadline for first meeting of the 44th Parliament – Wednesday 13 December 2013
On 30 January 2013, the then Prime Minister Julia Gillard had announced the election would be held on 14 September. However, following a leadership ballot in June 2013, she was replaced as leader and prime minister by Rudd, who then abandoned the originally planned date. A referendum on amending the constitution to allow the federal government to directly fund local councils, which was initially planned to be held on the same day as the federal election, could not go ahead on the date announced by Rudd.Local council referendum put on ice Channel 9 News, 4 August 2013 This is because Section 128 of the Constitution of Australia requires that a referendum be submitted to electors between two and six months after its passage through Parliament. As early voting started on 20 August it could not be submitted then.
43rd Parliament
House of Representatives
At the 2010 federal election, Labor and the Liberal/National Coalition each won 72 seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives, four short of the requirement for majority government, resulting in the first hung parliament since the 1940 federal election. On the crossbench, one member of the Australian Greens, one member of the National Party of Western Australia and four independent members held the balance of power. After gaining the support of the Greens and three independents on confidence and supply votes, Labor was able to form a minority government with 76 seats, the smallest possible margin in the 150-seat House.
Changes in House numbers On 24 November 2011, Harry Jenkins resigned as Speaker of the House of Representatives and returned to the Labor backbench. Later, that day, Deputy Speaker Peter Slipper was elected Speaker and quit the Liberal National Party to become an independent. This changed nominal confidence and supply numbers on the floor of the house from 75–74 to 76–73. In January 2012, Andrew Wilkie withdrew his guarantee of confidence to the incumbent government, changing numbers to 75–73 in the event of his abstention, or 75–74 in the event of his support for a vote of no confidence in the government. In April 2012, Labor's Craig Thomson moved to the crossbenches as an independent MP, and in May, WA National Tony Crook moved from the crossbenches to the Nationals, but did not join the Coalition. Changes brought the government to 71 seats, the Coalition 72 seats and seven crossbenchers. On 9 October 2012, after an unsuccessful vote of no confidence in the speakership, Slipper resigned as Speaker and was replaced by Labor Deputy Speaker Anna Burke. Slipper remained an independent MP.
Pendulum
Senate
Before the election, the 76-seat Senate was made up of senators from the Coalition (34), Australian Labor Party (31), Australian Greens (9), Democratic Labour Party (1) and one independent senator, Nick Xenophon. The Greens held the sole balance of power. Previously the Greens had held a shared balance of power with the Family First Party and Xenophon.
Of the 76 Senate seats, 40 are contested. This corresponds to half of each state's allocation as well as both senators from the two major territories. Newly elected state senators commenced their terms on 1 July 2014 and the senators of the territories began their terms immediately after their elections.The election of territory senators coincides with general elections for the House of Representatives, and their term expires and the new term begins on the day of the election (Commonwealth Electoral Act, s. 42). Odgers' Australian Senate Practice 12th edn (2008), p. 17, at aph.gov.au
State/TerritorySeatsALPCoalitionGreensOtherNSW633 VIC633 QLD633 WA6231SA62211 (Ind., Xenophon)TAS6321ACT211 NT 2 1 1 To be contested 40181831Elected in 2010 36 13 16 6 1 (DLP)Total76313492
Election period On 30 January 2013, at a speech at the National Press Club, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the election would be held on Saturday 14 September 2013, although the Governor-General was not formally advised and no writ of election was issued. Kevin Rudd succeeded Julia Gillard as prime minister on 27 June 2013.
The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 was checked by various commercial broadcasting media outlets and media councils as a result of Gillard's announcement. The Act says, in part,
and
This is interpreted as "equal time, over time" rather than equal time in the same broadcast, and that this requirement began with the announcement on 30 January 2013.
Retiring MPs and senators The terms of members of the House of Representatives who did not renominate ended at the dissolution of the parliament (5 August 2013).
The terms of senators who did not renominate ended on 30 June 2014, unless they represented the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory, in which case their term ended on the day before polling day (6 September 2013). That date also applies to territory senators who contest the election but are defeated.
Members and senators who chose not to renominate are as follows:
Independent Rob Oakeshott MP (Lyne, NSW) – announced retirement 26 June 2013 Tony Windsor MP (New England, NSW) – announced retirement 26 June 2013
Labor Greg Combet MP (Charlton, NSW) – announced retirement 29 June 2013 Simon Crean MP (Hotham, VIC) – announced retirement 1 July 2013 Craig Emerson MP (Rankin, Qld) – announced retirement 26 June 2013 Martin Ferguson MP (Batman, Vic) – announced retirement 29 May 2013 Peter Garrett MP (Kingsford Smith, NSW) – announced retirement 26 June 2013 Steve Gibbons MP (Bendigo, Vic) – announced retirement 29 August 2011 Julia Gillard MP (Lalor, Vic) – announced retirement 26 June 2013 Sharon Grierson MP (Newcastle, NSW) – announced retirement 18 July 2012 Harry Jenkins MP (Scullin, Vic) – announced retirement 26 July 2012 Kirsten Livermore MP (Capricornia, Qld) – announced retirement 27 November 2012 Robert McClelland MP (Barton, NSW) – announced retirement 29 January 2013 Nicola Roxon MP (Gellibrand, VIC) – announced retirement 2 February 2013 Stephen Smith MP (Perth, WA) – announced retirement 27 June 2013 Senator Mark Bishop (WA) – announced retirement 15 April 2013 Senator Trish Crossin (NT) – lost preselection 28 January 2013 Senator John Hogg (Qld) – announced retirement 10 August 2012
Liberal Joanna Gash MP (Gilmore, NSW) – announced retirement 25 January 2012 Barry Haase MP (Durack, WA) – announced retirement 15 June 2013 Judi Moylan MP (Pearce, WA) – announced retirement 28 July 2011 Alby Schultz MP (Hume, NSW) – announced retirement 17 April 2012 Patrick Secker MP (Barker, SA) – announced retirement on 25 June 2013House of Reopresentatives Hansard, 25 June 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2013 Alex Somlyay MP (Fairfax, Qld) – announced retirement 25 September 2010 Mal Washer MP (Moore, WA) – announced retirement 28 July 2011 Senator Sue Boyce (Qld) – announced retirement 8 October 2012 Senator Alan Eggleston (WA) – announced retirement 9 April 2012 Senator Gary Humphries (ACT) – lost preselection 23 February 2013Humphries farewells Senate after 40 years in politics, ABC News, 26 June 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2013
National John Forrest MP (Mallee, Vic) – announced retirement 6 March 2013 Paul Neville MP (Hinkler, Qld) − announced retirement 10 October 2012 Senator Ron Boswell (Qld) – announced retirement 21 September 2012
WA Nationals Tony Crook MP (O'Connor) – announced retirement 9 April 2013
Electoral events timeline 30 January – Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces planned election date of 14 September 2013. 2 February – Attorney-General Nicola Roxon announces she will be retiring at the election. Higher Education Minister Senator Chris Evans, whose term was not due to finish until 2017, announces he will be resigning in the near future. 19 February – Greens leader Christine Milne announces that the alliance agreement with the ALP is over, but her party will not vote against confidence or supply. 26 February – Gillard announces she will "campaign" in western Sydney for the following week, from Sunday night until Friday. 19 March – Richard Torbay is forced to resign from the Nationals, forfeiting his candidature for the Division of New England. Barnaby Joyce puts his name forward as a possible replacement candidate, hoping to move from the Senate to the House of Representatives.