| Cowan |
Division of Cowper | Cunningham |
 Luke Hartsuyker (Nat) His electorate website |  |
Location: North Coast NSW: Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Macksville, Nambucca Heads Division named for: Charles Cowper, Premier of NSW Median weekly family income: $617 (149th highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 3.5% (133rd highest) Persons in professional occupations: 23.9% (90th highest) Persons employed in tourism: 8.0% (7th highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 17.3% (11th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 33.2% (129th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 20.2% (128th highest) Sitting member: Luke Hartsuyker (National), elected 2001, 2004, 2007 Born: 28 February 1959. Career: Accountant and businessman. Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry from 2007. Shadow Minister for Business Development, Independent Contractors and Consumer Affairs 2007-08. Shadow Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs from 22 September 2008 1996 two-party majority: National 11.6 1998 two-party majority: National 06.4 Effect of 2001 redistribution: 00.7 shift to Labor 2001 two-party majority: National 04.8 2004 two-party majority: National 06.4 Effect of 2006 redistribution: 00.2 shift to National 2007 notional two-party majority: National 06.6 2007 two-party majority: National 01.2 
2004 enrolment: 85,043 2007 enrolment: 92,767 (+09.1%) (new boundaries) Cowper has existed since Federation, at one time occupying virtually the whole North Coast of NSW, which in the early years of the Commonwealth was a remote and thinly settled area. Since 1949 it has been steadily cut back as the North Coast has grown rapidly, so that it now comprises only the tourism and retirement centres of Coffs Harbour, Kempsey and Nambucca Heads and a few adjacent rural areas: once one of the most rural seats in Australia, it now has only 7.1% of its workforce engaged in agriculture, while 8.5% work in tourism. Cowper's large retired population means it has the 8th highest proportion of over-65s of any electorate, and this combined with its rural element give it the 2nd lowest median family income level of any electorate. Coffs Harbour and Kempsey are both reliable for the Nationals. Labor support comes mainly from coastal areas, hippy colonies in the Bellinger Valley and sawmilling towns such as Ulong and Lowanna. Cowper was one of the birthplaces of the Country Party. Sir Earle Page, leader of the party 1921-39 and briefly Prime Minister in 1939, was member for Cowper 1919-61. His defeat in 1961 was one of the great upsets of Australian electoral history. Luke Hartsuyker (pronounced Hartseeker) has held the seat since 2001. The Nationals majority in Cowper is seldom very large, and like Page and Richmond to the north, it seems increasingly vulnerable to Labor. Labor gained a swing of 5.3% in 2007 but the Nationals hung on. The Nationals polled 67% of the two-party vote at Utungun, and also topped 60% at Cowper, Deervale, Gladstone, Smithtown, Ulmara and Worrell Creek. Labor polled 67% at Repton and 65% at Belligen Hospital. | |  Two-party vote by booth, 2007
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