| Bass |
Division of Batman | Bendigo |
 Hon Martin Ferguson (ALP) His ministerial website |  |
Location: Melbourne: Northcote, Preston, Reservoir, Thornbury Division named for: John Batman, co-founder of Melbourne Median weekly family income: $866 (91st highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 32.2% (9th highest) Persons in professional occupations: 28.3% (49th highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 15.7% (28th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 32.3% (135th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 19.0% (137th highest) Sitting member: Hon Martin Ferguson, AM (Labor), elected 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 Born: 12 December 1953, Sydney. Career: Research officer, assistant general secretary, general secretary Miscellaneous Workers' Union, Australian Council of Trade Unions Executive 1984-90, Vice-President 1985-90, President 1990-96. Order of Australia 1996. Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry 1996-2007. Shadow Minister for Employment and Training 1996-97, Shadow Minister for Employment, Training, Population and Immigration and Assistant to the Leader on Multicultural Affairs 1997-98, Shadow Minister for Employment, Training and Population 1998-99, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Services and Population 1999-2001, Shadow Minister for Regional and Urban Development and Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure 2001-04, Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Resources and Tourism 2004-06. Shadow Minister for Transport, Roads and Tourism 2006-07. Minister for Resources and Energy from 3 December 2007 Minister for Tourism from 3 December 2007 1996 two-party majority: Labor 21.3 1998 two-party majority: Labor 26.4 2001 two-party majority: Labor 25.1 Effect of 2004 redistribution: no change 2004 two-party majority: Labor 21.3 2007 two-party majority: Labor 26.0 
2004 enrolment: 85,747 2007 enrolment: 88,052 (+02.7%) Batman was created in 1906, when the old seat of Northern Melbourne was renamed, and since 1910 has failed to elect a Labor member only twice, in the UAP landslide year of 1931 and in 1966, when the sitting Labor member was expelled and retained the seat as an independent. Since the 1970s boundary changes have extended the seat to the north, making it even safer for Labor. In fact Batman is now the safest Labor seat in Australia in two-party terms. This is mainly because it is one of the most heavily "ethnic" and solidly working-class seats in Australia, with nearly 30% born in non English speaking countries. Brian Howe, who won Batman in 1977, was a stalwart of the Socialist Left, a senior minister in the Hawke and Keating governments and Deputy Prime Minister from 1991-1995. He was succeeded in 1996 by Martin Ferguson, the ACTU President (and a Sydney-sider), who was "parachuted" into the seat in the face of much local opposition. Despite his formal membership of the Left, Ferguson takes an independent line on many issues. He was on the Opposition front bench from 1996 to 2007, and in 2007 became Minister for Resources and Energy and Minister for Tourism. In 2007 Labor won every booth in the seat, the majority with more than 70% of the two-party vote. Labor polled 85% at Croxton, and more than 80% at Keon Park, four booths in Northcote, two booths in Preston and Thornbury, and Westgarth. The Liberals' best result was 44% at Bundoora South. The Greens polled a strong 17% in 2007, reaching 30% in Northcote, but Labor is so strong that they have no chance of an upset here. | | 
Two-party vote by booth, 2007
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