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@silverfaun wrote:

Labor really should have been removed last election, everybody expected it.

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Was discussing along those lines earlier tonight. In 2010, Labor got the minority of actual votes, both first preferences, and 2 party preferred after preferences, yet an overwhelming majority of seats. One of the flaws (IMO) in the Westminster system. You can win with less votes.

Yes, like last year's election. Primary votes were:

Labor ALP 4,311,341

Liberal LIB 4,134,865

Yet the Libs claim a whitewash.

Federal election 1998

house of reps

ALP             4,454,306    40.10%

liberal Party 3,764,707   33.89 %

One Nation     936,621   8.43 %

 

senate alp                          4,182,963

liberal national (joint ticket) 2,452,407

liberal party                        1,528,730

one nation                          1,007,439

 

in the lower house percentages do not equate to seats. Despite winning almost 51 percent of the two-party-preferred vote and regaining much of what it had lost in its severe defeat of two years earlier, Labor fell short of forming government. The government was re-elected with 49.02% of the two-party-preferred vote, compared to 50.98% for the Australian Labor Party, the largest difference of six election results where the winner did not gain a two-party preferred majority, since 2PP results first estimated from 1937.