Indicative House of Representatives division allocation if the Northern Territory were granted two additional Senators upon statehood

The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 outlines the following formula to determine the number of members in the House of Representatives:

• The Electoral Commissioner ascertains the population of the Commonwealth (excluding the territories).
• The Commissioner then calculates an entitlement quota, by dividing this population figure by twice the number of state senators (72x2=144).¹
• The number of electorates for each state or territory is then established by dividing the population of each state by the quota. If this exercise leaves a remainder greater than one-half of the quota, one more Member shall be allocated to a state or territory.²

The table F.1 below shows the calculation by the Commonwealth Electoral Commissioner of the November 2005 quota determination using the Commonwealth population (excluding the territories) and the number of Senators from the states. Table F.2 uses the population of the states including the population of the Northern Territory and the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and the number of Senators from the states including four from the Northern Territory.

Table F.1 November 2005 quota determination (excluding the territories)

Table F.2 November 2005 quota determination

(including the NT population in the national population and four Senators from the NT)

Table F.3 below compares the outcome of the 2005 electoral determination and the impact of two additional Senators from the Northern Territory (if it were counted as a state), with the 2003 determination. The table indicates that, if the Northern Territory gained two additional Senators following statehood, redistributions may be required to create two additional electoral divisions in New South Wales , and one additional electoral division each in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, based on 2005 population data. Moreover, if the Northern Territory and Commonwealth Governments negotiated a minimum of five MPs from the Territory following statehood (the minimum for original states), a further three electoral divisions would need to be created in the Northern Territory. In sum, an additional two Senators from the Northern Territory upon statehood may require the creation of five or eight new electoral divisions.

Note that table F.3 provides an indicative assessment only. The actual implications for the House of Representatives of two additional Senators from the Northern Territory would differ to that shown in the table according to the agreed terms and conditions of statehood and the national and state populations at the time of the determination following a grant of statehood.

Table F.3 Potential implication of two additional Northern Territory Senators on House of Representatives electoral divisions³