DID THE 1996 FEDERAL-ELECTION SEE A BLUE-COLLAR REVOLT AGAINST LABOR - A QUEENSLAND CASE-STUDY

in the immediate wake of the 1996 Australian federal elections pundits variously attributed the ALP's defeat to the loss of its 'heartlands' , to the party's failure in government to retain the support of 'battl ers', or even to the collapse of Labor's traditional blue-collar 'core ' constituency. Using Queens land as a case-study, and drawing on aggr egate as well as survey data, this research note provides support for claims that Labor's traditional support base deserted it in 1996.