Australian federal election, May 2019

The Australian federal election, May 2019 was held on Saturday 4 May 2019 to elect members of the 12th Parliament of Australia. The election was called on the 19 April 2019 when the Governor-General Electrumns dissolved the 11th Parliament of Australia. Following a redistribution, 15 of the House of Representatives and 3 of the 7 seats in the Senate were up for election.

The first-term incumbent Democratic Coalition Government, led by Prime Minister Youmaton, suffered a wipe out against the Socialist Party of Australia opposition, led by Drunk_King_Robert, and the Liberal Democratic Party, surging from one seat to five. This election marked the first contest of the new Australian Greens, who became the third-largest party in the House.

Background
The Democratic Coalition – comprising of the Social and United Democratic Parties – won the March 2019 election with 13 of the 19 seats in the House of Representatives, on an aggregate swing of 4.18% against the two parties. Rather than working with the Socialists, who represented the minor partner in first Youmaton Government, the Social Democrats agreed to form a Democratic Coalition in order to legislate centrist principles in the upcoming term of parliament.

The Liberal Party, under n4ziporriidge, suffered another electoral blow after the December 2018 election, with numerous narrow defeats against various parties. Subsequently, the party returned to the House of Representatives with only 1 of the 19 seats in the chamber. Despite polling higher than the Liberals, United Australia – led by BellmanTGM – failed to gain any seats. During the parliamentary term, the Liberal and United Australia Parties opened negotiations to merge; in what will eventuate into the Liberal Democrats.

With the Social Democrats drifting towards the centre, the National Conference of the Socialists passed without opposition a motion stating that the Socialists will “never enter government with the reformist sellout traitors” of the Social Democrats, and that a future alliance between the two parties shall be “limited to supply and confidence deals, and no more”.

Redistribution
An electoral redistribution reduced the number of seats in the House of Representatives from 19 to 15, and the seats in the Senate from 9 to 7. In the House of Representatives, the Division of Perth was abolished and merged with the Division of Pearce, the Division of Parramatta was abolished and divided between the divisions of Cunningham, Sydney, and the newly-created Robertson, which, aside from areas in Parramatta, replaced the abolished Division of Shortland. The Division of Cunningham also lost a significant chunk of land in the western part of the electorate, which was absorbed into the Division of Cowper. The Division of Corangamite and the Division of Indi were also merged to create the new Division of Nicholls. In the Senate, the amount of seats up for election was modified from the 5 that would have been up for election with no change in numbers to 3, to remove 2 members from the Senate.

Retiring members

 * Captain-Feathersword, MP for Pearce
 * Eehee333, MP for Lingiari

Divisions changing party
Members in italics did not re-contest their House of Representatives seats at this election.



Aftermath
See First Drunk_King_Robert Ministry.