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Australia: 11 July—Consolidating the Hawke Ascendancy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2014
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ON 11 JULY 1987 THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY (ALP) WAS returned, with an increased majority, to an unprecedented third term in federal government. The election result was doubly remarkable. First, the ALP has traditionally been unable to gain more than two terms in office. Schisms and factional conflict have generally ruined Labor's chances of a third period in office, as in 1949, when Ben Chifley failed to gain a third term, and in 1975, when the same fate befell Gough Whitlam, following a constitutional crisis. Secondly, the party retained office during a period of economic crisis unprecedented in Australia's modern history, a crisis which might have been expected to sweep the opposition Liberal–National coalition to power.
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References
1 The Labor Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, also breaks several records: in August 1987 he became the longest continuously serving Labor prime minister, breaking Chifley’s previous record of four years and five months; and in January 1988 he becomes the longest serving Labor prime minister outright, breaking Andrew Fisher’s record of four years and ten months, gained over three separate terms.
2 McAllister, Ian and Mughan, Anthony, ‘Party Commitment, Vote Switching and Liberal Decline in Australia’, Politics, Vol. 21 No. 1, 1987, pp. 75–83Google Scholar.
3 Rydon, Joan, A Federal Legislature, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1986, p. 156 Google Scholar.
4 Given the attacks Sinclair was subjected to, his tenacity in retaining the National party leadership was remarkable. In an interview, he quoted his philosophy as ‘never complain, never explain, and never resign. And remember, tomorrow is another day’ (Sydney Morning Herald, 5 June 1987).
5 The Constitution permits a double dissolution of both houses only when legislation emanating from the House of Representatives has twice been rejected by the Senate. This constitutional ‘trigger’ is easy to obtain. See Mackerras, Malcolm, ‘The Early Dissolution of the House of Representatives’, Politics, Vol. 19 No. 1, 1984, pp. 73–84Google Scholar.
6 The Australian, 11 June 1987.
7 Ibid.
8 Ramsey, Alan in Sydney Morning Herald, 13 06 1987 Google Scholar.
9 Steketee, Mike in Sydney Morning Herald, 26 06 1987 Google Scholar.
10 The Australian, 16 June 1987.
11 This was reflected in a Liberal financial crisis during the campaign. Their advertising was reputed to have cost $A 4 million, $A 2.5 million short of the funding they had available {Sydney Morning Herald, 1 July 1987).
12 See Mills, Stephen, The New Machine Men, Ringwood, Victoria, Penguin, 1986 Google Scholar. Mills suggests that ‘the Hawke government is the most extensive and successful user of public opinion polling of any Australian government’ (p. 43).
13 In a previous televised debate between Andrew Peacock and Bob Hawke during the 1984 federal election campaign, it was generally agreed that the exercise had damaged Labor, though they still won the election.
14 McAllister, Ian, ‘Compulsory Voting, Turnout and Party Advantage in Australia’, Politics, Vol. 21 No. 1, 1986, pp. 89–93Google Scholar.
15 See Peter Mair, ‘Adaptation and Control: Towards an Understanding of Party and Party System Change’ in Daalder, Hans and Mair, Peter (eds), Western European Parly Systems, London, Sage, 1983.Google Scholar