Lyn Allison - The 2007 Election

The 2007 Election

The 2007 federal election, including a half-Senate election was called for 24 November, and the Democrats national campaign launched in Melbourne, Sen. Allison's home state, on 10 November. The official slogan 'bring back balance' referred to the contest for the balance of power in the Senate. Along with three other Democrats senators Natasha Stott-Despoja, Andrew Murray and Andrew Bartlett, Lyn Allison's seat was up for election in this round, and commentators agreed that she faced a serious challenge, particularly from the Greens, Family First and the major parties for her Senate seat, which was considered highly vulnerable after the Democrats disappointing performance in the 2004 election when the last Senate seat was won by Family First. As a result of that election where the government gained control of the senate for the first time in over 25 years, there was significant attention to the Senate contest.

During the 2007 election campaign, Lyn Allison announced a national preference deal with the Greens to increase the chance of a progressive party taking the balance of power in the Senate. Senator Allison also joined Bob Brown and Kate Lundy in a joint political advertisement sponsored by GetUp! urging voters to prevent the Senate from becoming a rubber stamp for the government of the day.

During the 2007 election campaign Lyn Allison received the support of a number of community and interest groups such as the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre who gave her an A+ for her support for refugees and asylum seekers; the Friends of the ABC for promoting public broadcasting, as well as endorsements by prominent women and feminists such as Barbara Spalding and Anne Summers.

During 2007 Senator Allison also noticeably increased the representation of young people in the party, with a third of Victorian candidates for the House of Representatives aged under thirty years of age.

In the 2007 federal election, the Democrats, however, failed to retain their position in the Senate, with Lyn Allison among the casualties. Her seat was won by the resurgent Labor Party. Senator Allison's term expired on 30 June 2008.