Adam Carr's guide to
The 2007 Australian federal election

The House of Representatives

Victoria
Hunter                

Division of Indi

                Isaacs


Sophie Mirabella (Lib)
Her Liberal Party
website


Zuvele Leschen (ALP)
Her ALP website



Sarah Benson (AD)
Her Democrats website


Dr Helen Robinson (Grn)
Her Greens website


Jim Rainey (FF)
His Family First website		 Location: Northern Vic: Mansfield, Benalla, Wangaratta, Wodonga
Division named for: Indigenous name for the upper Murray River
Median weekly family income: $804 (116th highest)
Persons born in non English speaking countries: 5.0% (104th highest)
Persons in professional occupations: 27.9% (51st highest)
Persons engaged in agriculture: 10.1% (19th highest)
Persons aged 65 and over: 13.6% (64th highest)
Couple families with dependent children: 37.8% (86th highest)
Dwellings being purchased: 26.1% (73rd highest)
Sitting member: Sophie Mirabella (Liberal), elected 2001, 2004
Born: 27 October 1968, Melbourne. Career: Barrister and solicitor
1996 two-party majority: Liberal 17.8
1998 two-party majority: Liberal 10.1
2001 two-party majority: Liberal 11.2
Effect of 2004 redistribution: 00.5 shift to Labor
2004 primary votes: Labor 26.3, Liberal 62.6, Green 6.4
2004 two-party majority: Liberal 16.3
2004 enrolment: 89,355
2007 enrolment: 90,871 (+01.7%)
Indi has existed since Federation, and has always occupied the north-eastern corner of Victoria. Like all rural seats, it has a low level of median family income and a low proportion of people born in non English speaking countries. Its proportion of people in professional occupations is higher than in most rural seats, while it also has a high proportion engaged in agriculture. Labor has not won Indi since 1929, and although there are pockets of Labor support, the main centres, Wangaratta, Wodonga and Benalla, vote heavily Liberal. The National Party used to win the seat on occasions, and was a threat until the 1980s, but since then it has faded away in this region. In 2004 the Liberals carried every booth except Stanley, and polled over 70% of the two-party vote in a number of small rural booths (85% in Tallangatta Valley). Sophie Panopoulos (now Sophie Mirabella) won Indi for the Liberals in 2001. Panopoulos, a Melbourne lawyer and the daughter of Greek immigrants, was an outsider when she ran for Liberal selection, but has now entrenched herself. She is in no danger from either Labor or the Nationals, but might be threatened by allegations of undisclosed donations and fundraising irregularities in Indi. She has denied the allegations, which as of September 2007 were still being investigated by the Australian Electoral Commission.
Candidates in ballot-paper order
  • Zuvele Leschen (Labor) breeds horses at Buffalo River, is a part-time teacher, and is an Alpine Shire councillor.
  • Dr Helen Robinson (Greens) is a Tallangatta veterinarian.
  • Sarah Benson (Democrats) is a student.
  • Sophie Mirabella (Liberal) is the sitting member: see biography above.
  • Jeremy Beck (CEC) is a researcher.
  • Jim Rainey (Family First) is self-employed.















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    Members for Indi


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