1976, while seeing a clear rejection of the Whitlam Government, who suffered a 15.8% swing against them on primary votes, did not see an endorsement of the Fraser-led opposition – far from it actually. The Liberal Party went backwards by 11.7%, losing votes to both the Australia Party and the new Progress Party, particularly the latter. The National Country Party also lost 3.9% of the primary vote, primarily to the Progress Party, and the Communist Party suffered a minimal loss in their primary vote. As a result, the national two-party preferred vote at this election was merely a left/right preference indication. The Progress Party did best in WA, winning half the lower house seats, and the Australia Party did best in SA, winning a plurality of seats. The National Anthem referendum saw a tie for first place, meaning Advance Australia Fair and Waltzing Matilda would advance to the runoff referendum, and God Save the Queen was no longer the national anthem, although its successor was yet to be determined.
Summary of 1976 election:
House of RepresentativesLabor – 38 (-38)
Liberal – 35 (+7)
Progress – 18 (+18)
Australia Party – 17 (+17)
National Country – 15 (-3)
Communist – 3 (+2)
Senate1973: 14
Labor, 10
Liberal, 4
National Country, 1
Australia Party, 1
Communist1976: 10
Labor, 7
Liberal, 6
Progress, 6
Australia Party, 4
National Country, 1
CommunistTotal: 24
Labor, 16
Liberal, 8
National Country, , 8
Australia Party*, 6
Progress, 2
Communist* Steele Hall, elected as a Liberal Senator in 1973, defected to the Australia Party in 1974.
Two-party preferred vote:
55.16-
44.84While the next Government of Australia, given the composition of both houses of Parliament, was yet to be determined, Gough Whitlam remained caretaker PM, and the runoff referendum for the national anthem was set for the 26th of June, 1976. With the Liberals and Nationals only holding 53 seats between them, they would need the support of the Progress Party to govern in the lower house, although in the upper house, the Australia Party’s support would be required to pass legislation. Labor, holding 38 seats, would only have 58 seats if the Australia Party and Communist members supported a Labor-led government, and the Progress Party looked extremely unlikely to support a Labor-led government.
Referendum question:
On the 12th of June, in the year 1976, you voted for a song to use as Australia’s national anthem, and the most popular responses were “Advance Australia Fair” and “Waltzing Matilda”. Which of these songs do you prefer to use as the national anthem?
Here are the songs that made it to the runoff:
Advance Australia Fair –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rErvPnd-2EWaltzing Matilda –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwvazMc5EfEVoting is open for three days.
Me: Waltzing Matilda
Poll
