Adam Carr's guide to
The 2007 Australian federal election
The House of Representatives
South Australia
South Australia
| Stirling |
Division of Sturt | Swan |
| Stirling |
Division of Sturt | Swan |
 Christopher Pyne (Lib) His ministerial website, his Liberal Party website and his campaign website  Mia Handshin (ALP) Her ALP website and her campaign website  Carol Jansen (FF) Her Family First website  Paul Rowse (Dem) His Democrats website  Sally Reid (Grn) Her Greens website  Felicity Tilbrook (LDP) Her Liberty and Democracy website |
 |
Location: Adelaide: Burnside, Gilles Plains, Magill, Payneham Division named for: Captain Charles Sturt, explorer of the Murray River Median weekly family income: $960 (60th highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 18.2% (40th highest) Persons in professional occupations: 32.3% (32nd highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 17.4% (10th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 35.5% (113th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 29.3% (48th highest) Sitting member: Hon Christopher Pyne (Liberal), elected 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 Born: 13 August 1967, Adelaide. Career: Solicitor, research assistant to Senator Amanda Vanstone. Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry 1994-96. Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Social Security 1994-96. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Family and Community Services 2003-04, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing 2004-07, Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing 2007 Minister for Ageing from 21 March 2007 1996 two-party majority: Liberal 10.0 1998 two-party majority: Liberal 07.3 Effect of 2001 redistribution: 00.4 shift to Liberal 2001 two-party majority: Liberal 08.6 Effect of 2004 redistribution: 00.4 shift to Liberal 2004 primary votes: Labor 34.5, Liberal 51.7, Green 6.1 2004 two-party majority: Liberal 06.8 2004 enrolment: 96,785 2007 enrolment: 98,154 (+01.4%) Sturt was created in 1949, and has always occupied a block of territory in Adelaide's eastern suburbs, between the city and the hills. It includes some very wealthy areas in the south and in the fringes of the Adelaide Hills, but is mostly middle class suburbia. It combines a fairly high median family income level, a fairly high proportion of people born in non English speaking countries and a fairly high proportion of people in professional occupations. This is usually a dangerous combination for a Liberal member. Although Sturt has usually been a marginal seat, Labor has only won it twice, in 1954 and 1969. In 2004 the Liberals polled over 70% of the two-party vote at Beaumont, Glen Osmond and Stonyfell, while Labor did best at Gilles Plains East, Klemzig and Hectorville. Although Labor carried a number of booths on the western side of the seat, nowhere did it get better than 53% of the vote. Christopher Pyne has held Sturt for the Liberals since 1993, when he succeeded the veteran former minister Ian Wilson. Pyne, who was 26 when he was first elected, had a long wait for his recent promotion to Minister for Ageing, held back by the over-representation of South Australia in the Howard ministry. His margin of nearly 7% would normally be considered comfortable, but with polls in Adelaide suggesting a strong swing to Labor, Sturt must be regarded as at risk for the first time since 1983. Candidates in ballot-paper order Campaign newsChristopher Pyne |
|  Two-party vote by booth, 2004
Click to enlarge map
|
