NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Australian legislative election, 2004

Legislative elections were held in Australia on 9 October 2004. The conservative Coalition of the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister John Howard, and the National Party of Australia led by Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson, won a fourth three-year term, with a net gain of four seats in the 150-member House of Representatives. The Coalition also won control of the Senate for the first time since 1981, winning 39 of the 76 seats. October 9 is the 282nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (283rd in Leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Coalition in Australian politics refers to the grouping of two political parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922, with only brief breaks (e. ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian liberal conservative political party. ... The current (25th) Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard (sitting, fifth from left), with his Cabinet, 1999 The office of Prime Minister is in practice the most powerful political office in the Commonwealth of Australia. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician and 25th Prime Minister of Australia, came to office on 11 March 1996, and gained re-election in 1998, 2001 and 2004. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party, originally called the Country Party, adopting the name of National Country Party in 1975 and adopting its present name in 1982. ... Australias second-highest ranked political post is the position of Deputy Prime Minister of Australia. ... Hon John Anderson John Duncan Anderson (born 14 November 1956) is an Australian politician. ... Australian House of Representatives chamber Entrance to the House of Representatives The Australian House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers) of the Parliament of Australia. ... Australian Senate chamber Entrance to the Senate The Australian Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

this photo was taken by me, User:Adam Carr, and is released by me into the public domain This image has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its creator, Adam Carr. ... this photo was taken by me, User:Adam Carr, and is released by me into the public domain This image has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its creator, Adam Carr. ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian liberal conservative political party. ... Mark Latham Mark William Latham (born February 28, 1961) is a former Australian politician who served as leader of the federal parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005. ...

Overall result

The Coalition parties won 46.7% of the primary vote, a gain of 3.7% over the 2001 election. The opposition Australian Labor Party polled 37.6%, a loss of 0.2%. The Australian Greens emerged as the most prominent minor party, polling 7.2%, a gain of 2.2%. Both the Australian Democrats and One Nation had their vote greatly reduced. After a notional distribution of preferences, the Australian Electoral Commission estimated that the Coalition had polled 52.6% of the two-party preferred vote, a gain of 2.1% from 2001. Legislative elections were held in Australia on 10 November 2001. ... The Australian Labor Party or ALP is Australias oldest political party. ... The Australian Greens is the national Greens party in Australia. ... The Australian Democrats (in regular parlance, just the Democrats), is an Australian social liberal party formed in 1977 from the earlier Australia Party by Don Chipp, who left the Liberal Party of Australia to do so. ... One Nation is a conservative, nationalist and protectionist political group in Australia. ... The Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections. ... A how-to-vote card from the Australian federal election of 2004, showing voters how to fill in the squares on the ballot paper if they wish to vote for the Liberal Party of Australia. ...

The Liberal Party won 74 seats, the National Party 12 seats and the Country Liberal Party (the Northern Territory branch of the Liberal Party) one seat, against the Labor opposition's 60 seats. Three independent members were re-elected. The Coalition also won 39 seats in the 76-member Senate, making the Howard Government the first government to have a majority in the Senate since 1981. The size of the government's win was unexpected: few commentators had predicted that the coalition would actually increase its majority in the House of Representatives, and almost none had foreseen its gaining a majority in the Senate. Even Howard had described that feat as "a big ask." In Australian politics, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) is the Northern Territory equivalent to the Liberal and National parties - the Country part of the partys name is a relic of when the National Party was called the Country Party. ... Motto: None Nickname: ? Other Australian states and territories Capital Darwin Government Administrator Chief Minister Const. ... Australian Senate chamber Entrance to the Senate The Australian Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The election result was a triumph for Howard, who in December 2004 became Australia's second-longest serving Prime Minister, and who saw the election result as a vindication of his policies, particularly his decision to join in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The results were a setback for the Labor leader, Mark Latham, and led to his resignation in January 2005. It made Labor's task in winning the next election more difficult. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Iraq war or war in Iraq is both an informal and formal term for military conflicts in Iraq that began with the invasion of 2003. ... Mark Latham Mark William Latham (born February 28, 1961) is a former Australian politician who served as leader of the federal parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The next Australian legislative election is expected to take place in 2007. ...

A provisional pendulum for the House of Representatives can be seen at Adam Carr's Electoral Archive. It shows that in order to win the next election, Labor will need to win 16 seats, which could be generated if it picked up a nationally-uniform swing of about 5%.

Members and Senators defeated in the election include Larry Anthony, the National Party Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, defeated in Richmond, New South Wales; former Labor minister Con Sciacca, defeated in Bonner, Queensland; Liberal Parliamentary Secretaries Trish Worth (Adelaide, South Australia) and Ross Cameron (Parramatta, New South Wales); and Democrat Senators Aden Ridgeway (the only Aboriginal member of the outgoing Parliament), Brian Greig and John Cherry. Liberal Senator John Tierney (New South Wales), who was dropped to number four on the Coalition Senate ticket, was also defeated. Hon Larry Anthony Lawrence James Larry Anthony (born 17 December 1961), Australian politician, was a National Party of Australia member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the Division of Richmond, New South Wales, from March 1996 until his defeat in the parliamentary election of October 9, 2004. ... The Division of Richmond is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. ... Hon Con Sciacca Concetto Antonio Con Sciacca (born 13 June 1947), Australian politician, was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from July 1987 to March 1996 and again from October 1998 to October 2004, representing the Division of Bowman, Queensland. ... The Division of Bonner is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. ... Hon Trish Worth Patricia Mary Trish Worth (born 21 April 1946), Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1993 to October 2004, representing the Division of Adelaide, South Australia. ... The Division of Adelaide is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. ... Hon Ross Cameron Ross Alexander Cameron (born 14 May 1965), Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to October 2004, representing the Division of Parramatta, New South Wales. ... The Division of Parramatta is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. ... Aden Ridgeway Aden Derek Ridgeway (born 18 September 1962), Australian politician, was a member of the Australian Senate for New South Wales, from 1999 to 2005, representing the Australian Democrats. ... Brian Greig Brian Andrew Greig (born February 22, Australian politician, has been an Australian Democrats member of the Australian Senate since July 1999, representing the state of Western Australia. ... Image:JohnCherry. ... Dr John Tierney (born 21 January 1946), Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian Senate since 1991, representing the state of New South Wales. ...

Celebrity candidates Peter Garrett (Labor, Kingsford Smith, New South Wales) and Malcolm Turnbull (Liberal, Wentworth, New South Wales) easily won their contests. Prominent clergyman Fred Nile failed to win a Senate seat in New South Wales. The first Muslim candidate to be endorsed by a major party in Australia, Ed Husic, failed to win the seat of Greenway, New South Wales, for Labor. The former One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson, failed in her bid to win a Senate seat in Queensland as an independent. This photo was taken by me, User:Adam Carr, and is released for general use This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This photo was taken by me, User:Adam Carr, and is released for general use This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Australian Labor Party or ALP is Australias oldest political party. ... St Kilda foreshore sunset St Kilda is a suburb of Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, in Australia. ... Melbourne Ports is an Australian federal electoral division in the inner south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (283rd in Leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Peter Garrett campaigning in Melbourne for the 9 October 2004 Australian election CHRIS IS SO COOL ... The Division of Kingsford Smith is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. ... Malcolm Turnbull (born 24 October 1954), Australian politician, was elected to the Australian House of Representatives in October 2004 for the Division of Wentworth, New South Wales, representing the Liberal Party. ... Division of Wentworth The Federal Division of Wentworth is a foundation division of the Australian Parliament, created at the Federation of the Australian Colonies as the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. ... Frederick John Nile (born 15 September 1934), Australian politician and clergyman, is a member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales, Australia. ... Islam â–¶(?) (Arabic: Ø§Ù„Ø¥Ø³Ù„Ø§Ù… al-islÄm) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second largest religion. ... The Division of Greenway is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. ... One Nation is a conservative, nationalist and protectionist political group in Australia. ... A politically active Pauline Hanson with the Australian flag wrapped around her. ...

Detailed results are available at the Australian Electoral Commission's virtual tally room website.

Minor parties had mixed results. The Australian Democrats polled their lowest vote since their creation in 1977, and lost the three Senate seats they were defending. The Australian Greens won Senate seats in Western Australia and in Tasmania. They missed seats in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, partly because of preference deals by other parties. This was a poorer result than they had expected. They failed to win a seat in the House, losing the seat of Cunningham which they gained at a 2002 by-election. The Australian Democrats (in regular parlance, just the Democrats), is an Australian social liberal party formed in 1977 from the earlier Australia Party by Don Chipp, who left the Liberal Party of Australia to do so. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The Australian Greens is the national Greens party in Australia. ... The Division of Cunningham is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. ... 2002(MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Australian Progressive Alliance leader, Senator Meg Lees, and the One Nation parliamentary leader, Senator Len Harris, lost their seats. One Nation's vote in the House of Representatives collapsed. The Christian Democratic Party, the Citizens Electoral Council, the Democratic Labor Party, the Progressive Labour Party and the Socialist Alliance all failed to make any impact. The Family First Party polled 2% of the vote nationally, and their candidate Steve Fielding won a Senate seat in Victoria. The Australian Progressive Alliance (APA) was a minor liberal party in Australia. ... Meg Lees Meg Heather Lees (born October 19, 1948) has been the founder and sole representative of the Australian Progressive Alliance in the Australian Senate since 2003, representing the state of South Australia. ... One Nation is a conservative, nationalist and protectionist political group in Australia. ... Len Harris was the sole One Nation Party representative to ever gain a seat in the Australian Parliament, representing the state of Queensland. ... The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) is a minor political party in Australia. ... CEC members demonstrate outside an election meeting organised by the Australian Jewish News in Melbourne, September 2004. ... For alternative meanings, see Democratic Labour Party The Democratic Labor Party (DLP) is a minor political party in Australia. ... The Progressive Labour Party (PLP) is a minor political party in Australia. ... The Socialist Alliance was founded in 2001 as an alliance of socialist organisations in Australia, initiated by the Democratic Socialist Party and the International Socialist Organisation and founded along with 6 other socialist groups. ... The Family First Party is a political party in Australia. ... Steven Fielding (born 17 October 1960), Australian politician , is parliamentary leader of the Family First Party. ...

Result

The Coalition won eight seats from Labor: Bass (Tas), Bonner (Qld), Braddon (Tas), Greenway (NSW), Hasluck (WA), Kingston (SA), Stirling (WA) and Wakefield (SA). Labor won four seats from the Coalition: Adelaide (SA), Hindmarsh (SA), Parramatta (NSW) and Richmond (NSW). The Coalition thus had a net gain of four seats. The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian liberal conservative political party. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party, originally called the Country Party, adopting the name of National Country Party in 1975 and adopting its present name in 1982. ... In Australian politics, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) is the Northern Territory equivalent to the Liberal and National parties - the Country part of the partys name is a relic of when the National Party was called the Country Party. ... The Coalition in Australian politics refers to the grouping of two political parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922, with only brief breaks (e. ... The Australian Labor Party or ALP is Australias oldest political party. ... The Australian Greens is the national Greens party in Australia. ... The Australian Democrats (in regular parlance, just the Democrats), is an Australian social liberal party formed in 1977 from the earlier Australia Party by Don Chipp, who left the Liberal Party of Australia to do so. ... One Nation is a conservative, nationalist and protectionist political group in Australia. ... The Family First Party is a political party in Australia. ... The Division of Bass is an Australian Electoral Division northern Tasmania, Australia. ... The Division of Bonner is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. ... The Division of Braddon is an Australian Electoral Division in Tasmania. ... The Division of Greenway is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. ... The Division of Hasluck is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia. ... The Division of Kingston is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. ... Stirling is an Australian federal electoral division in the inner northern and beachside suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. ... The Division of Wakefield is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of South Australia. ... The Division of Adelaide is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. ... The Division of Hindmarsh is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia. ... The Division of Parramatta is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. ... The Division of Richmond is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. ...

The Liberal and National parties run joint tickets in some states. The figures under "Seats" show the number of Senate seats won at this election. These have been added to the number of seats won in 2001 to give the total number of seats in Senate which each party will hold after July 1 2005, when the new Senators take their seats.

The National and Liberal Parties won the fifth and sixth seats respectively in Queensland, thus giving the Coalition 39 seats and outright control of the Senate. Labor won the final seats in New South Wales and South Australia, giving it 28 seats. The Greens won the final seats in Western Australia and Tasmania.

See Results of the Australian legislative election, 2004 These tables reflect the state of counting at 16 October 2004 House of Representatives National summary Enrolled voters: 13,038,764 Votes counted: 12,354,781 94. ...

The campaign

The Prime Minister, John Howard, announced the election at a press conference in Canberra on 29 August, after meeting with the Governor-General, Major-General (ret) Michael Jeffery, at Government House. The current (25th) Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard (sitting, fifth from left), with his Cabinet, 1999 The office of Prime Minister is in practice the most powerful political office in the Commonwealth of Australia. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician and 25th Prime Minister of Australia, came to office on 11 March 1996, and gained re-election in 1998, 2001 and 2004. ... Canberra is the capital city of Australia and, with a population of just over 323,000, is also Australias largest inland city. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... Michael Jeffery, Governor-General of Australia The Governor-General of Australia is the representative in Australia of Australias head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, who lives in the United Kingdom. ... H.E. Maj-Gen Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC His Excellency Major General Philip Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC (Retd) (born 12 December 1937), 24th Governor-General of Australia, was born in Wiluna, Western Australia and was educated at state schools in Perth. ... Government House from the lookout on Lady Denman Drive Government House Locality Map within the ACT Government House, Canberra, commonly known as Yarralumla is the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia, located in the suburb of Yarralumla, Canberra. ...

John Howard told the press conference that the election would be about trust. "Who do you trust to keep the economy strong and protect family living standards?" he asked "Who do you trust to keep interest rates low? Who do you trust to lead the fight on Australia's behalf against international terrorism?"

Howard, who turned 65 in July, declined to answer questions about whether he would serve a full three-year term if his government was re-elected. "I will serve as long as my party wants me to," he said. (See full report and transcript of Howard's press conference).

At a press conference in Sydney half an hour after Howard's announcement, Opposition Leader Mark Latham welcomed the election, saying the Howard Government had been in power too long. He said the main issue would be truth in government. "We've had too much dishonesty from the Howard Government," he said. "The election is about trust. The Government has been dishonest for too long." (See full report and transcript of Latham's press conference). Sydney is the capital city of the Australian state of New South Wales and Australias largest and oldest city (founded in 1788). ... Mark Latham Mark William Latham (born February 28, 1961) is a former Australian politician who served as leader of the federal parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005. ...

The campaign began with Labor leading in all published national opinion polls. On 31 August the Newspoll published in The Australian newspaper gave Labor a lead of 52% to 48% nationwide, which would translate into a comfortable win for Labor in terms of seats. Most commentators, however, expected the election to be very close, pointing out that Labor was also ahead in the polls at the comparable point of the 1998 election, which Howard won. Howard had also consistently out-polled Latham as preferred Prime Minister by an average of 11.7 percentage points in polls taken this year. August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... The Australian is a national daily broadsheet newspaper published by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... Legislative elections were held in Australia on 3 October 1998. ...

After the first week of campaigning, a Newspoll conducted for News Corporation newspapers indicated that the Coalition held a lead on a two-party preferred basis of 52% to 48% in the government's twelve most marginal held seats. To secure government in its own right, Labor needed to win twelve more seats than in the 2001 election. In the same poll, John Howard increased his lead over Mark Latham as preferred Prime Minister by four points. Meanwhile, the Taverner poll conducted for The Sun-Herald newspaper revealed that younger voters were more likely to support Labor, with 41% of those aged 18 to 24 supporting Labor, compared with 36% who support the Coalition. News Corporation (abbreviated to News Corp) NYSE: NWS is one of the worlds largest media conglomerates. ... The Sydney Morning Herald is one of the most prestigious and important newspapers in Australia, published daily in Sydney, the largest city in Australia. ...

On September 9, during the second week of campaigning the election was rocked by a terrorist attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia. John Howard expressed his "utter dismay at this event" and dispatched Foreign Minister Alexander Downer to Jakarta to assist in the investigation. Mark Latham committed the Labor's "full support to all efforts by the Australian and Indonesian governments to ensure that happens". The parties reached an agreement that campaigning would cease for September 10 out of respect for the victims of this attack and that this would be in addition to the cessation of campaigning already agreed upon for September 11 out of respect for the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Most commentators believe that this terrorist attack increased the Coalition's chances of victory because it refocused the election on the issue of national security, which is generally considered to be a Coalition strength. September 9 is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years). ... The bomb left a crater in the road three metres deep The Jakarta embassy bombing took place on September 9, 2004 in Jakarta, Indonesia. ... A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ... Motto: Jaya Raya (Indonesian): Prosper and Great Founded 22 June 1527 Governor Sutiyoso Area 661. ... The Hon. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

A debate between John Howard and Mark Latham was televised commercial-free on the Nine Network at 7:30 PM on Sunday September 12. In a change from previous election debates, which involved a single moderator, the leaders were questioned by a five member panel representing each of the major media groups in Australia. There was a representative from commercial television (Laurie Oakes), the ABC (Jim Middleton), News Limited (Malcolm Farr), John Fairfax Holdings (Michelle Grattan) and radio (Neil Mitchell). After an opening address, Howard and Latham responded to questions posed by the panel and had the opportunity to make a closing statement. The Nine Network permitted other television organisations to transmit the feed, but only the ABC decided to. The Nine Network is an Australian television network, available in major markets across Australia. ... Sunday is considered either the first or the seventh day of the week, between Saturday and Monday, and the second day of the weekend in some cultures. ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... Laurie Oakes Laurie Oakes is acknowledged as one of Australias foremost political commentators, with a career in journalism spanning more than 30 years. ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australias national public broadcaster. ... News Corporation (abbreviated to News Corp) NYSE: NWS is one of the worlds largest media conglomerates. ... John Fairfax Holdings Limited is an Australian-based newspaper publisher. ... Michelle Grattan AO is one of the most respected journalists in Australia. ...

The debate was followed (only on the Nine Network) by an analysis of the leaders' performance by the "worm". The worm works by analysing the approval or disapproval of a select group of undecided voters to each statement that a leader makes. Throughout the debate, according to the worm," Latham performed strongly and Howard performed poorly. A final poll of the focus group found that 67% of the focus group believed that Latham won the debate and that 33% of the focus group believed that Howard won. Major media outlets generally agreed that Latham had won the debate, although they pointed out that with no further debates scheduled and nearly four weeks of the campaign remaining, Latham's gain in the momentum from the debate was unlikely to be decisive. Political commentators noted that the 2001 election debate, between Howard and then opposition leader Kim Beazley, gave the same worm results yet Labor still lost that election. The Nine Network is an Australian television network, available in major markets across Australia. ... The worm is a market research analysis tool developed by Roy Morgan Research, with the purpose of gauging an audiences reaction to some visual stimuli over some time period. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Hon Kim Beazley Kim Christian Beazley (born December 14, 1948), Australian politician, is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, and has been Leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition since 28 January 2005. ...

By the midpoint of the campaign, after Labor had released its policies on taxation and education, polls showed that the election was still too close to call. The Newspoll in The Australian, showed (September 21) Labor leading with 52.5% of the two-party vote. The ACNielsen poll published in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age showed the Coalition ahead on 52%. The Morgan poll, which has a poor recent record of predicting federal elections, showed Labor ahead with 53% on the weekend of 18-19 September. A Galaxy Poll in the Melbourne Herald Sun showed the Coalition ahead with 51%, but showed Labor gaining ground. I took this myself This image has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its creator, Adam Carr. ... I took this myself This image has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its creator, Adam Carr. ... The Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections. ... Melbourne Ports is an Australian federal electoral division in the inner south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... The Australian is a national daily broadsheet newspaper published by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... The Sydney Morning Herald is a prestigious and important newspaper in Australia, published daily in Sydney, the most populous city in Australia. ... The Age is a broadsheet daily newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. ... (Redirected from 18 September) September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... September 19 is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years). ... The Herald Sun is a newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that is published by The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ...

Despite Latham's strong performance in the debate, most political commentators argued that he had not gained a clear advantage over Howard. They pointed to anomalies in Labor's tax policy and the controversy surrounding Labor's policy of reducing government funding to some non-government schools as issues which Howard was successfully exploiting.

John Howard and John Anderson launched the Coalition election campaign at a joint function in Brisbane on 26 September. Howard's policy speech (PDF) can be read at the Liberal Party website. Anderson's policy speech can be read at the National Party website. Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format developed by Adobe Systems for representing documents in a manner that is independent of the original application software, hardware, and operating system used to create those documents. ...

Mark Latham's policy speech was delivered, also in Brisbane, on 29 September. His policy speech can be read at the Australian Labor Party website. September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ...

During the fourth week of the campaign contradictory polls continued to appear. The ACNielsen poll published in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on 25 September showed the Coalition ahead with 54%, which would translate into a large majority for the government. The Newspoll in The Australian on 28 September showed Labor ahead with 52%, which would give Labor a comfortable majority. The Sydney Morning Herald is a prestigious and important newspaper in Australia, published daily in Sydney, the most populous city in Australia. ... The Age is a broadsheet daily newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. ... September 25 is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years). ... The Australian is a national daily broadsheet newspaper published by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... September 28 is the 271st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (272nd in leap years). ...

In the last days of the campaign the environment policies regarding the logging of Tasmania's old-growth forests were released by both major parties, allowing the Greens to determine their preference flows on the how-to-vote cards in many electorates. Treasury and the Department of Finance reported on the validity of Labor's costings of their promises. They claimed to identify a different flaw to that identified by Liberal Treasurer Costello, but overall Labor was satisfied with the report.

The final opinion polls continued to be somewhat contradictory, with Newspoll showing a 50-50 tie and the Fairfax papers reporting 54-46 to the Coalition. Most Australian major daily newspaper editorials backed a return of the Howard government, with the notable exceptions of The Sydney Morning Herald which backed no party and The Canberra Times which backed Labor [1]. The Sydney Morning Herald is a prestigious and important newspaper in Australia, published daily in Sydney, the most populous city in Australia. ... The Canberra Times newspaper was founded in 1926 in Canberra, Australia by a local family called the Shakesperes. ...

Preference deals

As in all Australian elections, the second-preference votes of minor parties were crucial in determining the outcome of this election, and the close of nominations was followed by a period of bargaining among the parties. Howard made a pitch for the preferences of the Australian Greens by appearing to offer concessions on the issue of logging in old-growth forests in Tasmania, and the Coalition directed its preferences to the Greens ahead of Labor in the Senate, but the Greens nevertheless decided to allocate preferences to Labor in most electorates. In exchange, Labor agreed to direct its preferences in the Senate to the Greens, increasing the chances that the Greens would displace Australian Democrats Senators in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. The Australian Greens is the national Greens party in Australia. ... Motto: Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Nickname: The Apple Isle Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Governor Premier Const. ... The Australian Democrats (in regular parlance, just the Democrats), is an Australian social liberal party formed in 1977 from the earlier Australia Party by Don Chipp, who left the Liberal Party of Australia to do so. ...

The Democrats in turn did a preference deal with the Family First Party, despite the great ideological differences between the two parties. The Coalition expected to gain preferences from the Family First Party, the Christian Democratic Party, the Democratic Labor Party and One Nation. The Family First Party is a political party in Australia. ... The Family First Party is a political party in Australia. ... The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) is a minor political party in Australia. ... For alternative meanings, see Democratic Labour Party The Democratic Labor Party (DLP) is a minor political party in Australia. ... One Nation is a conservative, nationalist and protectionist political group in Australia. ...

In Victoria, however, Family First, the Christian Democrats and the DLP allocated their senate preferences to Labor, in order to help ensure the re-election of the number three Labor Senate candidate, Jacinta Collins, a Catholic who has conservative views on some social issues such as abortion. In exchange, Labor gave its Senate preferences in Victoria to Family First ahead of the Greens, expecting Family First to be eliminated before these preferences were distributed. In the event, however, Labor and Democrat preferences helped Family First win a Victorian Senate seat. Jacinta Collins Jacinta Mary Ann Collins (born 4 September 1962), has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since May 1995, representing the state of Victoria. ...

In Tasmania, Family First and the Democrats also directed their Senate preferences to Labor, apparently to preclude the possibility of the Liberals winning a majority in the Senate and thus reducing the influence of the minor parties.

Party leaders

Howard and Brown were thus the only leaders of Parliamentary parties to make gains at the elections, and the only ones who retained their leadership positions ten months after the elections. John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician and 25th Prime Minister of Australia, came to office on 11 March 1996, and gained re-election in 1998, 2001 and 2004. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hon John Anderson John Duncan Anderson (born 14 November 1956) is an Australian politician. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Australias second-highest ranked political post is the position of Deputy Prime Minister of Australia. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mark Latham Mark William Latham (born February 28, 1961) is a former Australian politician who served as leader of the federal parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Andrew Bartlett Andrew John Julian Bartlett (born 4 August 1964), Australian politician, has been a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Queensland since 1997, representing the Australian Democrats, of which he is Deputy Leader and Party Whip. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2002(MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jeannie Margaret Ferris (born 14 March 1941), Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian Senate since July 1996, representing South Australia. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lyn Allison Lynette Fay Lyn Allison (born 21 October 1946), has been an Australian Democrats member of the Australian Senate since July 1996, representing the state of Victoria. ... Bob Brown Robert James Brown (born 27 December 1944), is an Australian Senator, the unofficial leader of the Australian Greens and the first openly homosexual member of the Parliament of Australia. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... This article covers invasion specifics. ... For the direction left, see left and right. ...

Disclosure

Dates for financial disclosure for the 2004 Federal election were specified by the Australian Electoral Commission. Broadcasters and publishers had to lodge their returns by December 6, while candidates and Senate groups needed to lodge by January 24, 2005. This information was made available for public scrutiny on March 28, 2005. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Australian Electoral Commission, or the AEC, is the federal government agency in charge of organising and supervising federal elections. ... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

External links

Electoral sites

Antony Green is a respected election commentator for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). ... Malcolm Hugh Mackerras (1939 - ) is an academic (psephologist) and commentator on Australian and American politics. ...

Party sites

Election commentary and voter assistance

Categories: Elections in Australia | 2004 elections ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... The Parliament of Australia is the legislative branch of Australia. ... Australian House of Representatives chamber Entrance to the House of Representatives The Australian House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers) of the Parliament of Australia. ... Australian Senate chamber Entrance to the Senate The Australian Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. ... Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, in 1952 and 2002 The title Queen of Australia has existed since 1973, when the Parliament of Australia passed the Royal Style and Titles Act (1973). ... Michael Jeffery, Governor-General of Australia The Governor-General of Australia is the representative in Australia of Australias head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, who lives in the United Kingdom. ... A how-to-vote card from the Australian federal election of 2004, showing voters how to fill in the squares on the ballot paper if they wish to vote for the Liberal Party of Australia. ... The Australian House of Representatives is elected from 150 single-member districts called Divisions. ... Elections in Australia gives information on elections and election results in Australia. ... Legislative elections were held in Australia on March 13, 1993. ... Legislative elections were held in Australia on 2 March 1996. ... Legislative elections were held in Australia on 3 October 1998. ... Legislative elections were held in Australia on 10 November 2001. ... The next Australian legislative election is expected to take place in 2007. ... The Australian States and Territories comprise the Commonwealth of Australia under a federal system of government. ... The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then. ... Official crest of the Northern Territory The Government of the Northern Territory is a unicameral parliament (i. ... Queensland Government Logo The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the Queensland Government. ... The form of the Government of South Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then. ... The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then. ... The form of the Government of Victoria is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1855, although it has been amended many times since then. ... The form of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then. ... The legislatures of the Australian states and territories all follow the Westminster model described in the Australian electoral system. ... Australia has two tiers of subnational government: state (or territory) government and local government. ... Political parties in Australia lists political parties in Australia. ... The Australian Democrats (in regular parlance, just the Democrats), is an Australian social liberal party formed in 1977 from the earlier Australia Party by Don Chipp, who left the Liberal Party of Australia to do so. ... The Australian Greens is the national Greens party in Australia. ... The Australian Labor Party or ALP is Australias oldest political party. ... The Australian Progressive Alliance (APA) was a minor liberal party in Australia. ... In Australian politics, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) is the Northern Territory equivalent to the Liberal and National parties - the Country part of the partys name is a relic of when the National Party was called the Country Party. ... The Family First Party is a political party in Australia. ... The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian liberal conservative political party. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party, originally called the Country Party, adopting the name of National Country Party in 1975 and adopting its present name in 1982. ... One Nation is a conservative, nationalist and protectionist political group in Australia. ...

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