The 2013 Australian federal election to elect the members of the 44th Parliament of Australia took place on 7 September 2013. The centre-right Liberal/National Coalition opposition led by Opposition leader Tony Abbott of the Liberal Party of Australia and Coalition partner the National Party of Australia, led by Warren Truss, defeated the incumbent centre-left Labor Party government of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in a landslide. Labor had been in government for six years since being elected in the 2007 election. This election marked the end of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd Labor government and the start of the 9 year long Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Liberal-National Coalition government. Abbott was sworn in by the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, as Australia's new Prime Minister on 18 September 2013, along with the Abbott Ministry. The 44th Parliament of Australia opened on 12 November 2013, with the members of the House of Representatives and territory senators sworn in. The state senators were sworn in by the next Governor-General Peter Cosgrove on 7 July 2014, with their six-year terms commencing on 1 July. The proclamation dissolving the House of Representatives and formally beginning the election period had been issued by Governor-General Bryce on 5 August 2013. The writs of election were subsequently issued by Bryce for the election of members of the House of Representatives and territory senators, and by the state governors for the senators for each state. Voting in Australia's federal elections has been compulsory since 1925. For the House of Representatives, a preferential ballot system has been in use since 1919, in single-member seats. For the Senate—the proportionally representative upper house—a single transferable vote system has been in use since 1949, with optional group voting tickets since 1984. Elections are conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). A special half-Senate election was conducted on 5 April 2014 in Western Australia as a result of 1,375 lost ballot papers. Key dates Governor-General accepted Kevin Rudd's advice to dissolve Parliament and hold a general election – 4 August 2013 Prorogation of 43rd Parliament – 5:29 pm Monday 5 August 2013 Dissolution of House of Representatives – 5:30 pm Monday 5 August 2013 Issue of writs – Monday 5 August 2013 Close of rolls – 8 pm Monday 12 August 2013 Close of candidate nominations – 12 noon Thursday 15 August 2013 Declaration of candidate nominations – 12 noon Friday 16 August 2013 Election day or Polling day – Saturday 7