Adam Carr's guide to
The 2007 Australian federal election

The House of Representatives

Victoria
Moreton                        

Division of Murray

                New England


Dr Sharman Stone (Lib)
Her ministerial
website, her Liberal
Party website and her
campaign website


Bob Scates (ALP)
His ALP website



Ian Christoe (Grn)
His Greens website


Sarina Isgro (AD)
His Democrats website


Serena Moore (FF)
Her Family First website		 Location: Northern Vic: Echuca, Kyabram, Shepparton, Yarrawonga
Division named for: The Murray River, named in 1830 after Sir George Murray, Colonial Secretary
Median weekly family income: $808 (114th highest)
Persons born in non English speaking countries: 4.9% (106th highest)
Persons in professional occupations: 30.5% (36th highest)
Persons engaged in agriculture: 18.9% (9th highest)
Persons aged 65 and over: 14.4% (43rd highest)
Couple families with dependent children: 38.6% (68th highest)
Dwellings being purchased: 26.2% (72nd highest)
Sitting member: Hon Dr Sharman Stone (Liberal), elected 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004
Born: 23 April 1951, Pyramid Hill, Victoria. Career: Farmer, manager International Development University of Melbourne. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage 1998-2004, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance and Administration 2004-06
Minister for Workforce Participation from 27 January 2006
1996 two-candidate majority: Liberal over National 03.7
1998 two-party majority: Liberal 22.1
2001 two-party majority: Liberal 23.9
Effect of 2004 redistribution: 02.0 shift to Labor
2004 primary votes: Labor 19.8, Liberal 65.5, Green 3.0
2004 two-party majority: Liberal 24.1
2004 enrolment: 87,631
2007 enrolment: 88,890 (+01.4%)
Murray has existed since 1949, and has always occupied the central part of the Murray Valley, based on Shepparton. This is one of the most heavily agricultural parts of Australia, and also one of the most politically conservative. Murray has always been an ulra-safe seat for the non-Labor parties. Like most reural seats, it has a low level of median family income, and a low proportion of people born in non English speaking countries. The Murray Valley was one of the birthplaces of the Country Party, and the old seat of Echuca, which covered much the same territory, first elected a Country Party member in 1919. The loss of Murray to the Liberals in 1996 was thus a shock, and a symbol of the decline of the Nationals in Victoria. In 2004 the Liberals carried every booth, most of them with over 70% of the two-party vote (92% at Ky Valley). Labor got over 40% only in Barmah. The first member for Murray was Sir John McEwen, who was briefly Prime Minister in 1967-68 (McEwen had previously been member for Echuca and Indi since 1934). Dr Sharman Stone won the seat for the Liberals in 1996. Stone, who has a doctorate in sociology, is now Minister for Workforce Participation.
Candidates in ballot-paper order
  • Bob Scates (Labor) has a Master of Arts degree and works in the disability sector.
  • Rob Bryant (Independent) is a company director.
  • Diane Teasdale (Independent) is a retailer.
  • Dr Serena Moore (Family First) is a veterinarian.
  • Dr Sharman Stone (Liberal) is the sitting member: see biography above.
  • Ian Christoe (Greens) runs an irrigated cropping and sheep property at Undera.
  • Sarina Isgro (Democrats) is self-employed.
  • Jeff Davy (CEC) is a farmer.
  • Paul Merrigan (Independent) is a poet.















    		•  

    Members for Murray


    Return to front page
    Return to Victorian seats index