^The election of NDP Senator Robert Wood was void. Irina Dunn was elected in his place but was expelled from the NDP & served out the remainder of her term as an independent.
In accordance with section 13 of the Constitution,[2] following a double dissolution of Parliament, the terms for senators commence on 1 July preceding the election – i.e., on 1 July 1987. The Senate decides which senators were allocated the full six-year terms ending on 30 June 1993 and which senators were allocated three-year terms ending on 30 June 1990. In 1983 the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 had been amended to include provision for a recount of ballot papers to determine the senators to get the long term vacancies.[3] This was the result of a unanimous recommendation from the Joint Select Committee on Electoral Reform.[4] Despite the unanimous recommendation for reform, Labor and the Democrats maintained the previous system where the first six senators elected in each state were allocated the full six-year terms ending on 30 June 1993 while the other half were allocated three-year terms ending on 30 June 1990. The effect of this system was that Democrat Senators Paul McLean and Janet Powell got a long term instead of National Senators David Brownhill and Julian McGauran. There was no net effect on Labor and Liberal in that in South Australia, Labor Senator Graham Maguire got a long term instead of Liberal Senator Robert Hill, while in Queensland, Liberal Senator Warwick Parer got a long term instead of Labor Senator Gerry Jones.[5][6] Senators took their seats immediately following the election on 11 July 1987. The four territory senators were elected in July 1987 and their terms ended at the next federal election, which was March 1990.
^ abTasmanian Democrat Senator Norm Sanders resigned on 1 March 1990. Robert Bell was appointed as his replacement on 9 March.
^ abWestern Australian Liberal Senator Fred Chaney resigned on 27 February 1990. Ian Campbell was appointed as his replacement on 16 May.
^ abcdeThe term of a territory senator ends at the dissolution of the House of Representatives, which was March 1990.
^ abThe election of New South Wales NDP Senator Robert Wood was declared void by the Court of Disputed Returns on 12 May 1988, after it was discovered that he was not an Australian citizen. The High Court had previously held that the presence of a person whose election was void did not invalidate the proceedings of the Senate.[7]Irina Dunn, who had been the second candidate for the NDP on the Senate ballot paper, was elected on a re-count on 21 July. Dunn refused a request from the NDP to step down when Wood became a citizen (and thus eligible for appointment to the Senate), and was expelled from the party. Dunn served out the remainder of her term as an independent.