[2] In October 1975 the Australian constitutional crisis was evolving, with speculation about the possibility of an early election,[4][5] through blocking supply in the Senate.
In February 1975 Townley joined the Liberal party and two Coalition premiers would break longstanding convention in the replacement of two Labor senators.
Lionel Murphy, who had resigned to take up an appointment to the High Court, was replaced by independent Cleaver Bunton; and Bertie Milliner, who had died, was replaced by Albert Field, a Labor member who was opposed to Whitlam.
This gave the Coalition an effective majority, holding 30 of the 59 seats, allowing them to block supply in the Senate.
Does section 70 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act provide that a nominee for the House of Representatives or the Senate must not have been a member of a State parliament at any time within fourteen days prior to the date of nomination for a House of Representatives seat or a Senate vacancy?