Key facts in the 2019 federal election

Labor and the coalition will vie for their share of 151 lower house seats and 76 Senate spots at the 2019 federal election.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten speaks during a Labor caucus meeting.

The Labor opposition is leading the polls ahead of the federal election. (AAP)

ELECTION 2019 KEY POINTS

* Will be a half Senate and full House election, unlike the last election in 2016 when it was a double dissolution.

* Polls show Labor is the favourite, averaging just under 54 per cent of the two-party result.

* To be held under new House of Representatives seat boundaries

* 151 seats instead of current 150, due to population growth

* Victoria (Fraser) and ACT (Bean) gain a seat. SA loses a seat (Port Adelaide; Sitting member Labor's Mark Butler to run in Hindmarsh instead)

* Liberal-Nationals government starts with 74 seats, Labor 69, 7 others - four independent (Wilkie, McGowan, Phelps, Banks), one Centre Alliance (Sharkie), one Green (Bandt), one Katter's Australian Party (Katter).]

* Under redrawn boundaries, Labor expected to start favourite in new seats in ACT and Victoria, giving it a two-seat head start.

* It is the first major electoral test for Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Last one in 2016 ended in a one-seat majority for the coalition under Malcolm Turnbull.

* Bill Shorten is longest serving opposition leader since Kim Beazley. His seat of Maribyrnong has been made more marginal due to boundary changes.

* Senate numbers (76 total): 31 coalition; 26 Labor; 9 Greens; 2 Pauline Hanson's One Nation; 2 Centre Alliance; 1 Liberal Democrats; 1 Derryn Hinch's Justice Party; 1 Australian Conservatives; 1 Katter's Australian Party; 1 United Australia Party; 1 Independent.

* Minor parties will find it harder to win or retain seats as there is a higher vote quota in the Senate than during the double-dissolution election.

* First time in four decades that the PM and Treasurer are working dads with young children. Last pair of this nature was Malcolm Fraser and John Howard.


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Published 5 April 2019 5:36am
Source: AAP


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