Adam Carr's guide to
The 2007 Australian federal election

The House of Representatives

Victoria

Gippsland
Division of Goldstein
Gorton

Andrew Robb (Lib)

His Liberal Party
website and his
campaign website

Julia Mason (ALP)

Her ALP website

Michael Bailey (AD)

His Democrats website

Joyce Khoo (FF)

Her Family First website

Neil Pilling (Grn)

His Greens website

Location: Melbourne: Beaumaris, Bentleigh, Brighton, Sandringham
Division named for: Vida Goldstein, socialist feminist and parliamentary candidate
Median weekly family income: $1,389 (13th highest)
Persons born in non English speaking countries: 15.3% (51st highest)
Persons in professional occupations: 42.9% (11th highest)
Persons aged 65 and over: 16.4% (21st highest)
Couple families with dependent children: 41.5% (37th highest)
Dwellings being purchased: 24.3% (86th highest)
Sitting member: Hon Andrew Robb, AO (Liberal), elected 2004
Born: 20 August 1951, Melbourne. Career: Animal health officer, Vic Department of Agriculture, agricultural economist, tutor La Trobe University, economist, National Farmers’ Federation 1980, executive director, executive director Cattle Council of Australia, deputy federal director Liberal Party 1988-89, Chief of Staff to Hon Andrew Peacock 1989-90, federal director Liberal Party 1990-97, business executive and adviser 1997-2004. Officer of the Order of Australia 2003. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs 2006-07
Minister for Vocational and Technical Education from 30 January 2007
1996 two-party majority: Liberal 10.9
1998 two-party majority: Liberal 08.1
2001 two-party majority: Liberal 09.5
Effect of 2004 redistribution: no change
2004 primary votes: Labor 30.5, Liberal 56.0, Green 8.9
2004 two-party majority: Liberal 10.0
2004 enrolment: 89,587
2007 enrolment: 92,014 (+02.7%)
Goldstein was created in 1984, but is in fact the old federation seat of Balaclava renamed. It has always been located ed in the affluent bayside suburbs of Melbourne, based on the Liberal strongholds of Brighton and Sandringham. Successive redistributions have extended it into somewhat more marginal territory to the east of the Nepean Highway, but it remains one of most affluent seats in Australia, with a high level of median family income and a high proportion of in professional occupations. The seat is becoming more multicultural, but is not so far showing the kind of erosion in the base Liberal vote that other high income seats such as Kooyong are showing. In 2004 the Liberals polled more than 70% of the two-party vote in three Brighton booths, and more than 65% in booths in Beaumaris, Black Rock and Gardenvale. Labor carried only five booths, two in the Carnegie-Ormond area and three in Highett and West Moorabbin. The seat is the only one in Australia which has been won by the major non-Labor party of the day (Protectionist, Liberal, Nationalist, UAP, Liberal) at every election since Federation. Seven of its nine members have been ministers, from the first federal Treasurer, Sir George Turner to Liberal Cabinet ministers Ian Macphee and Dr David Kemp. Andrew Robb, who was elected when Kemp retired in 2004, is a former Federal Director of the Liberal Party and a very influential figure in the party. He has been rapidly promoted and is now Minister for Vocational and Further Education.
Candidates in ballot-paper order

Michael Bailey (Democrats) is a payroll officer.
Julia Mason (Labor) has an MBA from the University of Chicago and is Group Manager, Corporate Strategy with Sensis.
Neil Pilling (Greens) is a storeman.
Joyce Khoo (Family First) is a solicitor.
Andrew Robb AO is the sitting member: see biography above.
Colin Horne (CEC)