stringtranslate.com

Members of the Australian Senate, 1985–1987

Senate composition at 1 July 1985
Government (34)
  Labor (34) – (5 seat minority)

Opposition (33)
  Liberal (27)
  National Party (5)
  Country Liberal (1)

Crossbench (9)
  Democrats (7)
  Nuclear Disarmament Party (1) [i]
  Independent (Harradine) (1)
 
Changes in composition

  1. ^ Jo Vallentine was elected as a Nuclear Disarmament Party member, but resigned in 1985 and served out the remainder of her term as an independent.

This is a list of members of the Australian Senate from 1985 to 1987.[1] The number of senators was increased from ten to twelve senators for each of the six states of Australia. The representation of the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory remained at two senators each. This would give a total of 76 senators in the Senate.

30 state senators were elected at the 1983 double dissolution election and were allocated 6-year terms starting on 1 July 1982 and due to finish on 30 June 1988. The other 30 state senators elected were allocated 3-year terms starting on 1 July 1982 and due to finish on 30 June 1985, and were up for reelection in the 1984 election.

With 30 senators having terms due to finish in 1988, the other 42 state and 4 territory senators were elected at the 1984 election, rather than the normal case of only half of the state senators being elected. Therefore, each state would elect 7 senators instead of previous 5 in this election. With the increase of 12 state senators, some changes were made to the terms of senators elected in this election as per Representation Act 1983:[2]

The changes affected 17 elected state senators, with David Vigor satisfying both criteria. All other state senators were elected as normal and had 6-year terms due to finish on 30 June 1991. The four territory senators elected had terms due to finish at the next dissolution of the House of Representatives as normal. However, the Senate was dissolved on 5 June 1987 for another double dissolution election on 11 July 1987.

Notes

  1. ^ a b Victorian Liberal Senator Alan Missen died on 30 March 1986. Richard Alston was appointed as his replacement on 7 May.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k New senator elected for a term from 1 December 1984 unil 30 June 1991.
  3. ^ a b Victorian Democrat Senator Don Chipp resigned on 18 August 1986. Janet Powell was appointed as his replacement on 28 August.
  4. ^ Tasmanian Labor Senator Don Grimes resigned on 2 April 1987 however he was not replaced by the Tasmanian Parliament as a result of a tied vote.[3]
  5. ^ a b c d The term of a territory senator ends at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was July 1987.
  6. ^ a b c d e The 7th senator elected, for a term from 1 July 1985 until 30 June 1988.
  7. ^ Father of the Senate
  8. ^ a b New South Wales Labor Senator Doug McClelland resigned on 23 January 1987. Sue West was appointed as his replacement on 11 February.
  9. ^ a b Tasmanian Liberal Senator Peter Rae resigned on 16 January 1986. Jocelyn Newman was appointed as his replacement on 13 March.
  10. ^ Jo Vallentine was elected as a Nuclear Disarmament Party member, but resigned in 1985 as the party collapsed amidst allegations of Socialist Workers Party entryism. She served out the remainder of her term as an independent, though she registered the Vallentine Peace Group as an electoral vehicle for her supporters.
  11. ^ The 2nd non-sitting senator elected so term started on 1 December 1984 but 7th senator elected so term ended on 30 June 1988.

References

  1. ^ "The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate 1985". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  2. ^ Representation Act 1983 (Cth)
  3. ^ "Choice of a Senator" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Tasmania: Joint Sitting. 8 May 1987. p. 1224. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.