2013 Australian federal election

2013 Australian federal election
Commonwealth of Australia · CC BY 3.0 au · source
Election name	2013 Australian federal election
Country	Australia
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	2010 Australian federal election
Previous year	2010
Next election	2016 Australian federal election
Next year	2016
Election date	7 September 2013

2013 Australian federal election was held on 7 September 2013 to elect members of the House of Representatives of Australia and half of the Australian Senate. The contest resulted in a change of administration from the incumbent coalition of the Australian Labor Party leadership under Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd to the opposition Liberal Party of Australia and its coalition partner the National Party of Australia led by Tony Abbott. The outcome reshaped representation across federal electorates such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Warringah.

Background

The election followed a turbulent parliamentary term marked by leadership spills within the Australian Labor Party (ALP), transfers of the prime ministership between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd, and shifting alliances involving figures like Wayne Swan and Simon Crean. Preceding polls reflected volatile support amid economic debates involving the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, and responses to the global financial crisis. Parliamentary dynamics were also influenced by crossbenchers elected at the 2010 Australian federal election such as Andrew Wilkie, Tony Windsor, and Bob Katter, and by policy disputes over measures introduced by ministers including Penny Wong and Craig Emerson.

The electoral context incorporated recent institutional changes like reforms to the Australian Electoral Commission procedures, ongoing debates over the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme and the later Clean Energy Act, as well as litigation involving the High Court of Australia interpreting constitutional provisions on parliamentary eligibility. State and territory politics in places such as New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory, and the Northern Territory shaped local campaigns and candidate selections.

Campaign and key issues

The opposition Liberal–National Coalition under Tony Abbott campaigned on issues including a proposed repeal of the carbon pricing scheme, fiscal management critiques targeting Treasurer Wayne Swan, and commitments to border protection policies rooted in precedents set during the Howard era and operations like Operation Sovereign Borders. The Coalition’s platform featured policy announcements from shadow ministers such as Joe Hockey, Julie Bishop, Barnaby Joyce, and Kevin Andrews.

Labor’s campaign, led initially by Julia Gillard and later by Kevin Rudd following a leadership change, emphasised programs associated with ministers Bill Shorten, Anthony Albanese, Katy Gallagher and Tanya Plibersek, including investments tied to the National Broadband Network project, health funding linked to Medicare, and education reforms referencing the Gonski Report. High-profile debates involved the roles of Peter Dutton, Scott Morrison, and media figures at outlets like Australian Broadcasting Corporation, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Sky News Australia and Nine Network.

Key campaign events included leaders’ debates, policy launches at venues in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, and regional centres such as Townsville and Launceston. Independent candidates and minor parties, including the Australian Greens, Family First Party, Palmer United Party founded by Clive Palmer, and the Country Liberal Party, contested seats and raised issues like climate change, social policy, and resource taxation debates tied to corporations such as BHP and Rio Tinto.

Results

The election returned a decisive swing against the Australian Labor Party and in favour of the Liberal–National Coalition, delivering the Coalition an outright majority in the House of Representatives of Australia. Prominent Coalition victories included seats held by former Labor ministers and backbenchers across urban and regional divisions. Labor retained seats in inner-city electorates such as Melbourne and Sydney, while the Australian Greens consolidated positions in areas like Sydney-adjacent electorates and secured Senate representation in multiple states.

The Australian Senate result produced a crossbench with representatives from the Australian Greens, Family First Party, Liberal Democratic Party, and state-based minor parties. Notable individual outcomes involved the defeat or retirement of figures such as Kevin Rudd in seat contests and the election of newcomers who later influenced parliamentary committees and inquiries. The Australian Electoral Commission declared formal counts and two-party-preferred figures that confirmed swings recorded by polling organisations including Newspoll, YouGov, Roy Morgan Research, and Essential Polling.

Aftermath and government formation

Following the declaration of results, Tony Abbott was commissioned by the Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce, to form a government, and his ministry included appointments of members such as Julie Bishop as Foreign Minister and Joe Hockey as Treasurer. The transition prompted parliamentary adjustments in committees chaired by figures like Andrew Robb and reshaping of opposition leadership with Bill Shorten succeeding as Labor leader.

Policy reversals included moves to repeal the carbon pricing legislation and to revisit projects associated with the National Broadband Network and industrial relations frameworks influenced by references to the WorkChoices legacy. The new government faced immediate legislative tests in the Senate, negotiations with crossbench senators such as Nick Xenophon, Richard Di Natale, and state-based independents, and scrutiny from institutions including the Commonwealth Ombudsman and the Parliamentary Budget Office.

Electoral pendulum and voting changes

Post-election analysis used an electoral pendulum to map seat marginalities across divisions like Wills, Rankin, Kooyong, and Bennelong. Redistributions by the Australian Electoral Commission ahead of future contests altered boundaries in states such as New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. Voting changes debated during the campaign and after included discussions on compulsory enrolment enforcement, Senate group voting tickets, optional preferential voting in some jurisdictions, and proposals to adjust funding arrangements governed by the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

Electoral reform advocates referenced experiences from past federal elections, state referendums, and international models such as those in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada to argue for changes in counting methods, ballot design, and public funding for parties. The 2013 outcome influenced subsequent debates culminating in legislative and administrative adjustments affecting the conduct of elections and the composition of future parliaments.

Category:Federal elections in Australia