result: 14.19 The election followed the dismissal of the Whitlam government by
Governor-General Sir
John Kerr in the
1975 constitutional crisis. Labor campaigners hoped that the electorate would "maintain [its] rage" and punish the Coalition for its part in bringing down the government, proclaiming "Shame Fraser, Shame". However, the Coalition focused on economic issues following the
1973 oil crisis and
1973–75 recession, the
Loans Affair, alleged Labor mismanagement of inflation, and campaigned under the slogan "Turn on the lights, Australia" (drawing on a contemporary cynicism: "Would the last businessman leaving Australia please turn out the lights?"). Printers at
News Limited went on strike to protest against anti-Labor editorials in the company's papers. News Limited's support for Fraser and the Liberals during the campaign resulted in its journalists conducting a two-day strike beginning on 8 December 1975 in protest at "bias and dishonesty" in the company’s coverage of the election. The
Australian Capital Territory and the
Northern Territory received an entitlement to elect two senators each as a consequence of the
Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973, passed during the
1974 Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament. ==See also==