Editing Australian Democrats (section)

===1986–1990: Janine Haines' leadership===
[[File:HainesChipp.jpg|thumb|[[Janine Haines]] and [[Don Chipp]], the first two leaders of the Australian Democrats]]
Don Chipp resigned from the Senate on 18 August 1986, being succeeded as party leader by Janine Haines and replaced as a senator for Victoria by [[Janet Powell]].

At the [[1987 Australian federal election|1987 election]] following a [[double dissolution]], the reduced [[Australian Senate#Electoral system|quota]] of 7.7% necessary to win a seat assisted the election of three new senators. Six-year terms were won by [[Paul McLean (politician)|Paul McLean]] (NSW) and incumbents Janine Haines (South Australia) and Janet Powell (Victoria). In South Australia, a second senator, [[John Coulter (politician)|John Coulter]], was elected for a three-year term, as were incumbent [[Michael Macklin]] (Queensland) and [[Jean Jenkins (politician)|Jean Jenkins]] (Western Australia).

1990 saw the voluntary departure from the Senate of Janine Haines (a step with which not all Democrats agreed) and the failure of her strategic goal of winning the House of Representatives seat of [[Division of Kingston|Kingston]]. The casual vacancy was filled by [[Meg Lees]] several months before the election of [[Cheryl Kernot]] in place of retired deputy leader Michael Macklin. The ambitious Kernot immediately contested the party's national parliamentary deputy leadership. Being unemployed at the time, she requested and obtained party funds to pay for her travel to address members in all seven divisions.<ref>AD ''National Journal'' June 1990, p.5</ref> In the event, Victorian [[Janet Powell]] was elected as leader and [[John Coulter (politician)|John Coulter]] was chosen as deputy leader.