Senate majority

Between 1910 and 1949, the government party controlled both houses for most years. If a government controls both houses of parliament it is likely to have unfettered power to push its legislation through the upper house. In the years since the 1949 election it has been more usual that neither major party has had an absolute majority. In fact, since 1949 the only periods of a government majority in the Senate have been 1951–6, 1959–62, 1975–81 and 2005 to 2007. In the periods when the government has not had control of the upper house the Senate is often accused of being 'obstructionist'.

The shaded rows in the table, sourced from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Handbook, indicate when the Government had an absolute majority in the Senate.

Date	Govt(a)	ALP	FT	PROT	LIB	NAT	CP	UAP	Others(b)	Total
29/30.3.1901	PROT	8	17	11	-	-	-	-	-	36
1.1.1904	PROT	14	12	8	-	-	-	-	2	36
1.1.1907	PROT	15	12	6	-	-	-	-	3	36
1.7.1910	ALP	23	-	-	13(c)	-	-	-	-	36
1.7.1913	LIB	29	-	-	7	-	-	-	-	36
5.9.1914	ALP	31	-	-	5	-	-	-	-	36
1.7.1917	NAT	12	-	-	-	24	-	-	-	36
1.7.1920	NAT	1	-	-	-	35	-	-	-	36
1.7.1923	NAT/CP	12	-	-	-	24	-	-	-	36
1.7.1926	NAT/CP	8	-	-	-	25	3	-	-	36
1.7.1929	NAT/CP	7	-	-	-	24	5	-	-	36
1.7.1932	UAP	10	-	-	-	-	5	21	-	36
1.7.1935	UAP/CP	3	-	-	-	-	7	26	-	36
1.7.1938	UAP/CP	16	-	-	-	-	4	16	-	36
1.7.1941	UAP/CP	17	-	-	-	-	3	16	-	36
1.7.1944	ALP	22	-	-	-	-	2	12	-	36
1.7.1947	ALP	33	-	-	2	-	1	-	-	36

Date	Govt(a)	ALP	LIB	NP(d) /CLP	DLP	AD	GRN	PHON	FFP	Others(b)	Total
1.7.1950	LIB/CP	34	20	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	60
28.4.1951	LIB/CP	28	26	6	-	-	-	-	-	-	60
1.7.1953(e)	LIB/CP	29	26	5	-	-	-	-	-	-	60
1.7.1956	LIB/CP	28	24	6	2	-	-	-	-	-	60
1.7.1959	LIB/CP	26	25	7	2	-	-	-	-	-	60
1.7.1962	LIB/CP	28	24	6	1	-	-	-	-	1	60
1.7.1965(e)	LIB/CP	27	23	7	2	-	-	-	-	1	60
1.7.1968(e)	LIB/CP	27	21	7	4	-	-	-	-	1	60
1.7.1971(e)	LIB/CP	26	21	5	5	-	-	-	-	3	60
18.5.1974	ALP	29	23	6	-	-	-	-	-	2	60
13.12.1975	LIB/NCP	27	27	8	-	-	-	-	-	2	64
1.7.1978	LIB/NCP	26	29	6	-	2	-	-	-	1	64
1.7.1981	LIB/NCP	27	28	3	-	5	-	-	-	1	64
5.3.1983	ALP	30	24	4	-	5	-	-	-	1	64
1.7.1985	ALP	34	28	5	-	7	-	-	-	2	76
11.7.1987	ALP	32	27	7	-	7	-	-	-	3	76
1.7.1990	ALP	32	29	5	-	8	1	-	-	1	76
1.7.1993	ALP	30	30	6	-	7	2	-	-	1	76
1.7.1996	LIB/NPA	29	31	6	-	7	2	-	-	1	76
1.7.1999	LIB/NPA	29	31	4	-	9	1	1	-	1	76
1.7.2002	LIB/NPA	28	31	4	-	8	2	1	-	2	76
1.7.2005	LIB/NP	28	33	6	-	4	4	-	1	-	76
1.7.2008	ALP	32	32	5	-	-	5	-	1	1	76

Shading denotes elections when the government gained an absolute majority in the Senate. Simultaneous dissolution election years are in bold.

(a) Government after election.

(b) Others include: various Independents such as Senators Turnbull and Harradine and Nuclear Disarmament Party members.

(c) Known as 'Fusion' in 1910.

(d) Country Party (CP) until May 1975; National Country Party (NCP) from May 1975 to October 1982; National Party of Australia from October 1982 to October 2003; The Nationals from October 2003.

(e) Separate half-Senate election.

Elections: Except for simultaneous dissolutions, or as noted, elections are simultaneously held for the House of Representatives and half of the Senate. Voting system: 1901-18 first-past-the-post voting; 1919-48 preferential voting; from 1949 proportional representation.

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