| Capricornia |
Division of Casey | Charlton |
 Hon Tony Smith (Lib) His electorate website |  |
Location: Melbourne: Croydon, Monbulk, Mt Evelyn, Olinda Division named for: Rt Hon Richard Casey, Baron Casey, Governor-General of Australia 1965-69 Median weekly family income: $1,055 (41st highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 7.7% (86th highest) Persons in professional occupations: 22.9% (99th highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 9.3% (120th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 43.9% (24th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 41.5% (8th highest) Sitting member: Hon Tony Smith (Liberal), elected 2001, 2004, 2007 Born: 13 March 1967, Melbourne. Career: Research Assistant Institute of Public Affairs, media adviser and political adviser Hon Peter Costello MHR. Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister 2007. Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry from 2007. Shadow Minister for Education, Apprenticeships and Training 2007-08. Shadow Assistant Treasurer from 22 September 2008 1996 two-party majority: Liberal 06.6 1998 two-party majority: Liberal 04.9 2001 two-party majority: Liberal 07.2 Effect of 2004 redistribution: no change 2004 two-party majority: Liberal 11.2 2007 two-party majority: Liberal 05.9 
2004 enrolment: 86,943 2007 enrolment: 89,313 (+02.7%) Casey was created in 1969, taking in a stretch of Melbourne's new and fast-growing outer north-eastern suburbs. During the Whitlam years Casey was the classic "litmus" seat, where Whitlam's appeal to suburban voters on issues like schools and sewerage had the greatest impact. Since the 1980s, however, this area has become increasingly wealthy, and voters are more concerned about interest rates - Casey has among the highest levels of traditional families with children, and of people paying mortgages, of any electorate. These trends have made the seat increasingly secure for the Liberal Party in recent years. The Liberals dominate in the more heavily suburban parts of the seat around Croydon, Lilydale and Mooroolbark, while Labor retains some strength in the Dandenong Ranges part of the seat in the south. Tony Smith has held the seat for the Liberals since 2001. Smith was briefly Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in the last months of the Howard govwernment. He was shadow education minister under Brendan Nelson, but following Malcolm Turnbull's accession to the Liberal leadership he was demoted from the Shadow Cabinet. In 2007 the Liberals polled 70% of the two-party vote at Gruyere, and topped 60% at Chirnside Park, Croydon Hills, Silvan, Wandin Yallock and Yarra Road. Labor polled 63% at Kallista and 61% at Mount Dandenong. | | 
Two-party vote by booth, 2007
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