1983 Australian Senate election

See also: Members of the Australian Senate, 1983–1985

1983 Australian Senate elections

5 March 1983
All 64 seats in the Australian Senate 33 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader John Button John Carrick Don Chipp Party Labor Liberal/National coalition Democrats Leader since 7 November 1980 7 August 1978 9 May 1977 Leader's seat Victoria New South Wales Victoria Seats before 27 31 5 Seats after 30 28 5 Seat change 3 3 0 Popular vote 3,637,316 3,195,397 764,911 Percentage 45.49% 39.97 % 9.57% Swing 3.24% 3.51% 0.31%
Senators elected in the 1983 federal election
Leader of the Senate before election John Carrick Liberal/National coalition Elected Leader of the Senate John Button Labor

The following tables show state-by-state results in the Australian Senate at the 1983 Australian federal election. Senators total 25 coalition (23 Liberal, one coalition National, one CLP), 30 Labor, three non-coalition National, five Democrats, and one Independent. Senate terms are six years (three for territories). As the election was the result of a double dissolution, all 64 senate seats were vacant. All elected senators took their seats immediately with a backdated starting date of 1 July 1982, except for the territorial senators who took their seats at the election. Half of the senators elected in each state were allocated 3-year terms (from 1 July 1982) to restore the rotation. It is the most recent federal Senate election won by the Labor Party.

Australia

Senate (STV) — 1983–84—Turnout 94.64% (CV) — Informal 9.87%

Party			Votes	%	Swing	Seats won	Total seats	Change
	Labor		3,637,316	45.49	+3.24	30	30	+3
	Liberal–National coalition		3,195,397	39.97	–3.51	28	28	–3
		Liberal–National joint ticket	1,861,618	23.28	−2.35	8	*	*
		Liberal (separate ticket)	923,571	11.55	−1.59	16	23	–4
		National (separate ticket)	388,802	4.86	+0.41	3	4	+1
		Country Liberal	21,406	0.27	+0.02	1	1	0
	Democrats		764,911	9.57	+0.31	5	5	0
	Call to Australia		96,065					0
	Progress Party		1,905					0
	White Australia		1,025					0
	Independents		193,454	2.42	+1.29	1	1	0
	Other		203,967	2.55	−1.34	0	0	0
	Total		7,995,045			64	64

New South Wales

1983 Australian federal election: Senate, New South Wales Party Candidate Votes % ±% Quota 249,207 Labor 1. Doug McClelland (elected 1) 2. Arthur Gietzelt (elected 3) 3. Graham Richardson (elected 5) 4. Kerry Sibraa (elected 7) 5. Bruce Childs (elected 9) 6. Sue West 1,298,672 47.4 +2.6 Coalition 1. John Carrick (Lib) (elected 2) 2. Peter Baume (Lib) (elected 4) 3. Douglas Scott (Nat) (elected 6) 4. Misha Lajovic (Lib) (elected 8) 5. Chris Puplick (Lib) 6. Doug Moppett (Nat) 1,045,502 38.1 –3.9 Democrats 1. Colin Mason (elected 10) 2. Paul McLean 3. Christine Townend 4. Megan Sampson 5. Peter Hains 6. Rodney Irvine 235,712 8.6 +1.7 Call to Australia 1. Clair Isbister 2. John Whitehall 3. Graham McLennan 4. Kevin Hume 5. Thomas Toogood 6. Elaine Nile 96,065 3.5 –0.9 Group A 1. Ronald Weatherall 2. Keith Gleeson 32,385 1.2 +1.2 Independent Burnum Burnum 10,524 0.4 +0.4 Socialist 1. Peter Symon 2. Harry Black 3. Stratos Mavrantonis 3,656 0.1 +0.1 Independent John Comyns 2,596 0.1 +0.1 Peace on Earth 1. Dudley Leggett 2. Michelle Sheather 2,502 0.1 +0.1 Engineered Australia 1. James Firbank 2. Valerianne Hill 3. William Lewis 2,434 0.1 +0.1 Progress 1. Marjorie Wisby 2. Archibald Brown 3. William More 1,905 0.1 +0.1 Socialist Workers 1. Amanda Orr 2. Andres Garin 1,694 0.1 +0.1 Integrity Team 1. Kenneth Aylward 2. Antony Maurice 3. Geoffrey Holt 1,492 0.1 +0.1 Social Democrats 1. Walter Roach 2. Edward de Bouter 3. Johann Liszikam 1,089 0.0 0.0 Independent Stephen Starkey 1,074 0.0 0.0 White Australia 1. Robert Cameron 2. Russell Scrivener 1,025 0.0 0.0 The New Party 1. Vincent Murphy 2. Stephen Tsousis 956 0.0 0.0 Republican 1. Peter Consandine 2. David Maroney 582 0.0 0.0 New Australian 1. Rudolph Dezelin 2. Milan Riznic 391 0.0 0.0 Australian Family Movement 1. Jon Axtens 2. Joseph Fusco 326 0.0 0.0 Independent Ross Baldwin 277 0.0 0.0 Independent Glen Davis 188 0.0 0.0 Independent Raymond Butcher 134 0.0 0.0 Independent Kaine Aalto 87 0.0 0.0 Total formal votes 2,741,268 88.9 −1.7 Informal votes 341,787 11.1 +1.7 Turnout 3,083,055 94.9 +0.7

# Senator Party 1 Doug McClelland   Labor 2 John Carrick   Liberal 3 Arthur Gietzelt   Labor 4 Peter Baume   Liberal 5 Graham Richardson   Labor 6 Douglas Scott   National 7 Kerry Sibraa   Labor 8 Misha Lajovic   Liberal 9 Bruce Childs   Labor 10 Colin Mason   Democrat

Victoria

1983 Australian federal election: Senate, Victoria Party Candidate Votes % ±% Quota 194,358 Labor 1. John Button (elected 1) 2. Gareth Evans (elected 4) 3. Cyril Primmer (elected 6) 4. Robert Ray (elected 8) 5. Olive Zakharov (elected 10) 6. Geoffrey Fary 994,471 46.5 +3.5 Coalition 1. Margaret Guilfoyle (Lib) (elected 2) 2. Austin Lewis (Lib) (elected 5) 3. Alan Missen (Lib) (elected 7) 4. David Hamer (Lib) (elected 9) 5. Shirley McKerrow (Nat) 6. Murray Buzza (Nat) 816,116 38.2 −2.6 Democrats 1. Don Chipp (elected 3) 2. John Siddons 3. Janet Powell 4. Ian Price 256,402 12.0 +0.7 Democratic Labour 1. Brian Handley 2. Edna Hall 3. John Easton 4. James Jordan 47,206 2.2 +0.6 Independent Jim Cairns 11,226 0.5 +0.5 Integrity Team 1. Robert J. Steer 2. Louis Cook 3. Robert B. Steer 4. Beverley Meacher 5. Miliano Mele 3,753 0.2 +0.2 Pensioner 1. Neil McKay 2. Joseph Radcliffe 3. George Cole 2,755 0.1 +0.1 Advance Victoria 1. Thomas Kelly 2. Ellen Kelly 3. Stephen Kelly 4. Nicholas Kelly 1,346 0.1 +0.1 Socialist 1. Trevor McCandless 2. Mark Treloar 1,142 0.1 +0.1 Socialist Workers 1. Maree Walk 2. Andrew Jamieson 877 0.0 0.0 Proud to be Australian 1. Athol Kelly 2. Graham Todd 625 0.0 0.0 Independent Patrick Flanagan 493 0.0 0.0 Social Democrats 1. Joseph Johnson 2. Brian Coe 366 0.0 0.0 Progress 1. Ian Mackechnie 2. David Miller 290 0.0 0.0 Independent Andrew Kaspariunas 229 0.0 0.0   Ethnic Nikolaus Millios 205 0.0 0.0 Independent Louis Constant 132 0.0 0.0 Independent Earl Mignon 108 0.0 0.0 Independent Umberto Mammarella 103 0.0 0.0 Independent Leonard Stubbs 89 0.0 0.0 Total formal votes 2,137,934 89.3 −1.6 Informal votes 255,797 10.7 +1.6 Turnout 2,393,731 95.9 +0.9

# Senator Party 1 John Button   Labor 2 Margaret Guilfoyle   Liberal 3 Don Chipp   Democrat 4 Gareth Evans   Labor 5 Austin Lewis   Liberal 6 Cyril Primmer   Labor 7 Alan Missen   Liberal 8 Robert Ray   Labor 9 David Hamer   Liberal 10 Olive Zakharov   Labor

Queensland

1983 Australian federal election: Senate, Queensland Party Candidate Votes % ±% Quota 113,393 Labor 1. George Georges (elected 1) 2. Mal Colston (elected 4) 3. Gerry Jones (elected 6) 4. Margaret Reynolds (elected 8) 5. Robert Gleeson 6. Susan Yarrow 493,424 39.6 +1.1 National 1. Flo Bjelke-Petersen (elected 2) 2. Stan Collard (elected 5) 3. Ron Boswell (elected 7) 4. Patrick Behan 363,462 29.1 +2.3 Liberal 1. Kathy Martin (elected 3) 2. David MacGibbon (elected 10) 3. Edi Solari 4. David Watson 187,495 15.0 −8.0 Democrats 1. Michael Macklin (elected 9) 2. Stanley Stanley 3. Gilruth Rees 4. Anthony Walters 5. Allan Holz 98,997 7.9 −2.1 Group I 1. Neville Bonner 2. Audrey Pengelis 83,502 6.7 +6.7 Progress 1. Vivian Forbes 2. Jill Weil 10,787 0.9 +0.9 Christian Voice 1. John Herzog 2. Tass Augustakis 3. John Carlisle 3,113 0.2 +0.2 Integrity Team 1. Victor Bridger 2. Michael Comerford 3. Alan Ellis 1,963 0.1 +0.1 Independent John Fitzgerald 1,517 0.1 +0.1 Party to Expose the Petrov Conspiracy 1. Cyril McKenzie 2. Vynette McKenzie 775 0.0 0.0 Independent Milan Lorman 599 0.0 0.0 Humanitarian 1. Derek Gillmore 2. Marcus Platen 569 0.0 0.0 Socialist Workers 1. Jonathan West 2. John Coleman 534 0.0 0.0 Independent Francis Ross 161 0.0 0.0 Independent Norman Eather 94 0.0 0.0 Independent Ivan Harris 80 0.0 0.0 Independent Estelle Cattoni 56 0.0 0.0 Total formal votes 1,247,321 91.4 +0.6 Informal votes 116,858 8.6 −0.6 Turnout 1,364,179 92.6 −1.4

# Senator Party 1 George Georges   Labor 2 Flo Bjelke-Petersen   National 3 Kathy Martin   Liberal 4 Mal Colston   Labor 5 Stan Collard   National 6 Gerry Jones   Labor 7 Ron Boswell   National 8 Margaret Reynolds   Labor 9 Michael Macklin   Democrat 10 David MacGibbon   Liberal

Western Australia

1983 Australian federal election: Senate, Western Australia Party Candidate Votes % ±% Quota 62,279 Labor 1. Peter Walsh (elected 1) 2. Ruth Coleman (elected 3) 3. Gordon McIntosh (elected 5) 4. Patricia Giles (elected 7) 5. Peter Cook (elected 9) 6. Jim McKiernan 337,417 49.4 +10.6 Liberal 1. Fred Chaney (elected 2) 2. Peter Durack (elected 4) 3. Noel Crichton-Browne (elected 6) 4. Reg Withers (elected 8) 5. Andrew Thomas 6. John Martyr 280,878 41.2 −4.7 Democrats 1. Jack Evans (elected 10) 2. Shirley de la Hunty 3. Richard Jeffreys 4. James Anderson 46,626 6.8 −2.5 National 1. Albert Llewellyn 2. John Sattler 3. Rodney Frost 7,689 1.1 −3.0 Socialist Workers 1. Anthony Forward 2. Peter Holloway 5,452 0.8 +0.8 National 1. Murray Anderson 2. Edna Adams 3. Donald Bannister 3,894 0.6 −0.6 Group H 1. Robin Linke 2. Charles Lee 1,779 0.2 +0.2 Group I 1. Francesco Nesci 2. Nellie Stuart 725 0.1 +0.1 Social Democrats 1. Richard Savage 2. Kerry Stevens 598 0.1 +0.1 Total formal votes 685,058 92.2 +2.1 Informal votes 58,257 7.8 −2.1 Turnout 743,315 93.0 −0.2

# Senator Party 1 Peter Walsh   Labor 2 Fred Chaney   Liberal 3 Ruth Coleman   Labor 4 Peter Durack   Liberal 5 Gordon McIntosh   Labor 6 Noel Crichton-Browne   Liberal 7 Patricia Giles   Labor 8 Reg Withers   Liberal 9 Peter Cook   Labor 10 Jack Evans   Democrat

South Australia

1983 Australian federal election: Senate, South Australia Party Candidate Votes % ±% Quota 69,396 Labor 1. Ron Elstob (elected 1) 2. Dominic Foreman (elected 4) 3. Nick Bolkus (elected 6) 4. Graham Maguire (elected 8) 5. Rosemary Crowley (elected 10) 6. Brian Keneally 340,089 44.6 +3.8 Liberal 1. Tony Messner (elected 2) 2. Robert Hill (elected 5) 3. Don Jessop (elected 7) 4. Baden Teague (elected 9) 5. Harold Young 6. Graham Ingerson 308,138 40.4 −2.9 Democrats 1. Janine Haines (elected 3) 2. Ted Radoslovich 3. Margaret-Ann Williams 4. David Vigor 5. John Beech 6. Patricia Shortridge 96,662 13.1 +1.9 National 1. Kevin Schulz 2. William Nosworthy 3. Stanley Draganoff 13,757 1.8 +0.8 Integrity Team 1. Betty Luks 2. Barry Lindner 3. Belle Harris 4. John Wadey 4,026 0.5 +0.5 Communist 1. Anne McMenamin 2. John Humphrys 1,058 0.1 +0.1 Libertarian William Forster 959 0.1 +0.1 Socialist 1. Brian Rooney 2. Laurence Kiek 864 0.1 +0.1 Socialist Workers 1. Douglas Lorimer 2. Jennifer Fisher 795 0.1 +0.1 Independent Colin George 777 0.1 +0.1 Social Democrats 1. Roger Ormsby 2. John Parker 301 0.0 0.0 Total formal votes 763,349 91.2 −0.1 Informal votes 73,350 8.8 +0.1 Turnout 836,699 95.0 +0.1

# Senator Party 1 Ron Elstob   Labor 2 Tony Messner   Liberal 3 Janine Haines   Democrat 4 Dominic Foreman   Labor 5 Robert Hill   Liberal 6 Nick Bolkus   Labor 7 Don Jessop   Liberal 8 Graham Maguire   Labor 9 Baden Teague   Liberal 10 Rosemary Crowley   Labor

Tasmania

1983 Australian federal election: Senate, Tasmania Party Candidate Votes % ±% Quota 22,809 Liberal 1. Peter Rae (elected 1) 2. Shirley Walters (elected 4) 3. Brian Archer (elected 6) 4. Michael Townley (elected 8) 5. John Watson (elected 10) 6. Gordon Ibbett 106,768 42.6 +3.2 Labor 1. Don Grimes (elected 2) 2. Michael Tate (elected 5) 3. Jean Hearn (elected 7) 4. John Coates (elected 9) 5. John White 6. Vicki Buchanan 82,343 32.8 −2.8 Group D 1. Brian Harradine (elected 3) 2. John Jones 44,696 17.8 −4.0 Democrats 1. Norm Sanders 2. Peter Creet 3. Margaret Duthoit 17,089 6.8 +3.6 Total formal votes 250,896 92.6 +0.1 Informal votes 20,104 7.4 −0.1 Turnout 271,000 96.0 −0.3

# Senator Party 1 Peter Rae   Liberal 2 Don Grimes   Labor 3 Brian Harradine   Independent 4 Shirley Walters   Liberal 5 Michael Tate   Labor 6 Brian Archer   Liberal 7 Jean Hearn   Labor 8 Michael Townley   Liberal 9 John Coates   Labor 10 John Watson   Liberal

Australian Capital Territory

1983 Australian federal election: Senate, Australian Capital Territory Party Candidate Votes % ±% Quota 42,416 Labor 1. Susan Ryan (elected 1) 2. Marc Robinson 70,433 55.4 +4.7 Liberal 1. Margaret Reid (elected 2) 2. John Munro 40,292 31.7 −5.4 Democrats 1. Charles Price 2. Dimmen de Graaff 15,141 11.9 +3.3 Deadly Serious Ian Rout 955 0.8 +0.8 Independent Brian Scott 425 0.3 +0.3 Total formal votes 127,246 96.7 −0.5 Informal votes 4,287 3.3 +0.5 Turnout 131,533 95.7 +1.4

# Senator Party 1 Susan Ryan   Labor 2 Margaret Reid   Liberal

Northern Territory

1983 Australian federal election: Senate, Northern Territory Party Candidate Votes % ±% Quota 14,826 Country Liberal 1. Bernie Kilgariff (elected 1) 2. Dallas Drake 21,406 48.1 +2.6 Labor 1. Ted Robertson (elected 2) 2. Denise Fincham 20,467 46.0 +7.1 Democrats Fay Lawrence 2,359 5.3 −4.5 Independent Harold Brown 245 0.6 +0.6 Total formal votes 44,477 95.3 +2.6 Informal votes 2,186 4.7 −2.6 Turnout 46,663 81.4 −0.9

# Senator Party 1 Bernie Kilgariff   Country Liberal 2 Ted Robertson   Labor

See also

• 1983 Australian federal election
• Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1983
• Members of the Australian Senate, 1983–1985

External links

• Adam Carr's Election Archive