Adam Carr's guide to
The 2007 Australian federal election
The House of Representatives
Tasmania
Tasmania
| Deakin |
Division of Denison | Dickson |
| Deakin |
Division of Denison | Dickson |
 Duncan Kerr (ALP) His ALP website and his campaign website  Leigh Gray (Lib) His Liberal Party website  Susan Austin (SA) Her Socialist Alliance website  Helen Hutchinson (Grn) Her Greens website  Robyn Munro (FF) Her Family First website |
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Location: Hobart: Glenorchy, Hobart, New Town, Taroona Division named for: Sir William Denison, Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land 1847-1855 Median weekly family income: $862 (93rd highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 7.1% (88th highest) Persons in professional occupations: 31.2% (33rd highest) Persons in government employment: 25.7% (5th highest)* Persons aged 65 and over: 15.0% (37th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 34.5% (119th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 25.9% (76th highest) Sitting member: Hon Duncan Kerr (Labor), elected 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 Born: 26 February 1952, Hobart. Career: Lawyer, social worker. Crown Counsel Tasmanian Solicitor-General's Department, Dean Faculty of Law University of Papua New Guinea, Principal Solicitor NSW Aboriginal Legal Service, Legal Officer Hobart Community Legal Service. Minister for Justice 1993-96, Attorney-General 1993. Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry 1996-2001. Shadow Minister for Immigration from 1996-97, Shadow Minister for Population and Immigration 1997, Assistant to the Leader of the Opposition on Multicultural Affairs 1996-97, Shadow Minister for the Environment 1997-98, Shadow Minister for the Arts 1998-2000, Shadow Minister for Justice and Customs 1998-2001, Shadow Minister Assisting the Shadow Minister for Population 2000-01 1996 two-party majority: Labor 11.8 1998 two-party majority: Labor 14.5 Effect of 2001 redistribution: no change 2001 two-party majority: Labor 14.3 2004 primary votes: Labor 49.5, Liberal 32.6, Green 14.6 2004 two-party majority: Labor 13.3 2004 enrolment: 69,146 2007 enrolment: 68,881 (-00.4%) Denison has existed since Tasmania was first divided into electorates in 1903, and has always taken in the city of Hobert and its suburbs on the western shore of the Derwent River. Its boundaries have expanded and contracted over successive redistributions but the character of the seat has changed very little. Although it has a relatively low median income level, like all Tasmanian seats, it has a high proportion of people in professional occupations, and particularly, as both a state capital and a hub for Commonwealth administration, a high level of government employment. This has contributed to the consolidation of the Labor vote in recent times, even as traditional blue-collar employment has disappeared from inner urban areas. In 2004 Labor carried nearly every booth, gaining over 70% of the two-party vote at the inner Hobert booths, reaching 78% in Hobart West. The Liberals carried only three booths at the southern end of the seat: the two Sandy Bay booths and Waimea Heights. In 2004 there was a strong swing to the Liberals in the northern, more working-class part of the seat, while the more affluent central and southern parts pf the seat swung to Labor. Members for Denison have included Liberal ministers Athol Townley and Michael Hodgman. Duncan Kerr has held the seat for Labor since 1987, and was a junior minister in the Keating government. Denison used to be one of the most consistently marginal seats in the country (it has had 15 members, the equal highest number, with Bendigo), but since Kerr won it in 1987 it has become reliably Labor. Kerr was on the Opposition front bench 1996-2001, and it is something of a mystery why he is now on the backbench. Candidates in ballot-paper order |
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Two-party vote by booth, 2004
Click to enlarge map
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