Adam Carr's guide to
The 2007 Australian federal election
The House of Representatives
Victoria
Victoria
| Corangamite |
Division of Corio | Cowan |
| Corangamite |
Division of Corio | Cowan |
 Richard Marles (ALP) His ALP website and his campaign website  Angelo Kakouros (Lib) His Liberal Party website  Gordon Alderson (FF) Her Family First website  Chris Johnston (SA) Her Socialist Alliance website  Rob Leach (Grn) His Greens website  Erica Menheere-Thomson (Dem) His Democrats website  Gavan O'Connor (Ind) No website |
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Location: South-west Vic: Corio, Geelong, Leopold, Norlane Division named for: Corio Bay, an Indigenous word meaning "small marsupial" Median weekly family income: $828 (106th highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 11.0% (69th highest) Persons in professional occupations: 20.7% (123rd highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 14.3% (50th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 36.0% (108th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 28.7% (51st highest) Sitting member: Gavan O’Connor (Independent), elected 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004. Born: 2 December 1947, Colac. Farmer and high-school teacher. Electorate officer to Senator John Button. Colac City Council. Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition 1996-98, and to the Shadow Minister for Primary Industries 1997-98. Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry 1998-2006. Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forests 1998-2001, for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government 2001-03, for Tourism 2002-03, for Local Government and Housing 2003, for Agriculture and Fisheries 2003-06. 1996 two-party majority: Labor 06.8 1998 two-party majority: Labor 11.4 2001 two-party majority: Labor 08.7 Effect of 2004 redistribution: 00.2 shift to Liberal 2004 primary votes: Labor 46.7, Liberal 40.3, Green 5.9 2004 two-party majority: Labor 05.6 2004 enrolment: 88,186 2007 enrolment: 90,454 (+02.6%) Corio has existed since Federation, and has always been based on the provincial city of Geelong, though at times it has also included most of the western suburbs of Melbourne. Since the 1980s is has consisted only of Geelong and a few rural areas to the north. Like most regional seats it has a relatively low median income level and a low proportion of people in professional occupations. As a manufacturing centre, however, Geelong has a higher level of people born in non English speaking countries than most regional cities. After being held by the Liberals through the 1950s and '60s, Corio has become a steadily stronger seat for Labor over the past 30 years. In 2004 Labor polled more than 70% of the two-party vote in Norlane and the three Corio booths, while the Liberals polled more than 60% in rural booths like Anakie and Fyans Park. Members have included Liberal minister Sir Hubert Opperman and Labor ministers Jack Dedman and Gordon Scholes. Gavan O'Connor has held the seat since 1993. In retrospect it seems that Opperman, a former Olympic cyclist, held what was basically a Labor seat on his personal vote alone. O'Connor, a former farmer, was on the Labor front bench from 1998 to 2006, and was one of the few Labor members who had first-hand knowledge of agricultural matters, but in 2006 he lost his preselection to ACTU assistant secretary Richard Marles in a well-organised factional coup. In October he announced that he would contest the seat as an independent (see link below). Candidates in ballot-paper order Campaign newsRichard Marles |
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Two-party vote by booth, 2004
Click to enlarge map
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