Division of Casey

Casey
Australian House of Representatives Division

Division of Casey in Victoria, as of the 2016 federal election.
Created 1969
MP Tony Smith
Party Liberal
Namesake Richard Casey
Electors 102,919 (2016)
Area 2,337 km2 (902.3 sq mi)
Demographic Outer Metropolitan

The Division of Casey is an Australian electoral division in the state of Victoria. The division was created in 1969 and is named for Richard Casey, who was Governor-General of Australia 1965–69.

The division is located in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne and extends into the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. It covers an area of approximately 2,337 square kilometres (902 sq mi). Major suburbs and towns include Chirnside Park, Coldstream, Dixons Creek, Don Valley, Gladysdale, Gruyere, Healesville, Hoddles Creek, Kallista, Kalorama, Kilsyth, Kilsyth South, Launching Place, Lilydale, Millgrove, Monbulk, Mooroolbark, Mount Evelyn, Powelltown, Reefton, Seville, Seville East, Silvan, Wandin, Wandin East, Warburton, Wesburn, Woori Yallock, Yarra Glen, Yarra Junction and Yellingbo, and parts of Bayswater North, Croydon, Croydon South and Montrose.[1]

The current Member for Casey, since the 2001 federal election, is Tony Smith, a member of the Liberal Party of Australia. Smith has been Speaker of the House since 2015; he is, after Bob Halverson, the second member for this electorate to occupy the chair.

History

When it was created it was a highly marginal seat, and at the 1972 federal election it was regarded as the "litmus seat", which the Australian Labor Party had to win to gain government. Lost when the Liberals won in 1975, Labor picked it up again when Labor regained government in 1983. However, a redistribution ahead of the following year's election made Casey marginally Liberal. The Liberals retook the seat in that election and have held it since then. Demographic changes have also contributed in making Casey a fairly safe seat for the Liberal Party, although a redistribution ahead of the 2013 federal election pushed the seat further north into the upper Yarra Valley, estimated to halve the Liberal two-party preferred majority of 4.2 per cent.[2]

Prominent members to have represented Casey include Bob Halverson, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives 1996–98; Michael Wooldridge, who served as Minister for Health in the first five years of the Howard government (1996–2001); and the present MP Tony Smith, Speaker since 2015.[2]

Members

MemberPartyTerm
  Peter Howson Liberal 1969–1972
  Race Mathews Labor 1972–1975
  Peter Falconer Liberal 1975–1983
  Peter Steedman Labor 1983–1984
  Bob Halverson Liberal 1984–1998
  Michael Wooldridge Liberal 1998–2001
  Tony Smith Liberal 2001–present

Election results

Australian federal election, 2016: Casey[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Tony Smith 45,680 49.53 +0.35
Labor Hovig Melkonian 26,165 28.37 +0.52
Greens Elissa Sutherland 10,781 11.69 +0.80
Animal Justice Kristin Bacon 4,176 4.53 +4.53
Independent Peter Charleton 2,878 3.12 +3.12
Rise Up Australia Angela Dorian 2,551 2.77 +2.27
Total formal votes 92,231 96.22 +0.84
Informal votes 3,620 3.78 −0.84
Turnout 95,851 93.13 −1.82
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Tony Smith 51,703 56.06 −1.11
Labor Hovig Melkonian 40,528 43.94 +1.11
Liberal hold Swing −1.11

References

  1. ↑ "Profile of the electoral division of Casey (Vic)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 Green, Antony (11 October 2013). "Federal election 2013: Casey results". Australia Votes. Australia: ABC. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  3. ↑ Casey, VIC, Virtual Tally Room 2016, Australian Electoral Commission.

External links

Coordinates: 37°46′23″S 145°24′00″E / 37.773°S 145.400°E / -37.773; 145.400

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