Google has been a huge aid in research, but I haven’t found a good site with a chronological set of Australian state and federal election results. I’m trying to check my recollection that, in about 1995, we had the opposite situation to that of today with Labor in office nationally but nowhere else. I’m sure about everywhere except NSW and Queensland – I can’t remember whether Fahey outlasted Goss.

So if anyone can answer the specific question or point me to a good site, I’d be grateful.

My view, for what it’s worth, is that the 1995 situation was a fluke, and the current alignment reflects more fundamental developments with public opinion to the left of the major parties on domestic issues, but not on foreign policy.

Update Thanks to Tim Dymond for pointing me to this database. At the beginning of 1995, Labor was in office in the ACT and Queensland, as well as nationally. Labor lost the ACT in February and Queensland in July, but, in the meantime, they won NSW in March. Labor’s winning streak started in June 1998 – they’ve won every state and territory election since then. Assuming Carr wins again next March, and there are no early elections, the run will extend into 2004. I’ll have a piece on the meaning of all this in Thursday’s Fin.

Further updateThe Psephologist aids my failing memory by reminding me of the Mundingburra fiasco. Goss actually hung on by one seat, but the 16-vote win in Mundingburra was overturned by the Court of Disputed Returns. At the same time, the member for Mundingburra got into some financial trouble and was dumped by Labor, which, not surprisingly, lost the ensuing by-election. The dirty tricks associated with campaign, while par for the course in NQ (one of our local MPs later went to prison for bogus electoral enrolments), gave rise to a lengthy inquiry. Since I voted in Mundingburra both times, I have no excuse for forgetting all this.