| Dickson |
Division of Dobell | Dunkley |
 Craig Thomson (ALP) His ALP website |  |
Location: Central Coast: Bateau Bay, Ourimbah, The Entrance, Wyong Division named for: Sir William Dobell, painter Median weekly family income: $846 (101st highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 4.4% (122nd highest) Persons in professional occupations: 21.0% (120th highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 17.0% (15th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 36.4% (100th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 27.3% (64th highest) Sitting member: Craig Thomson (Labor), elected 2007 Born 31 July 1964, Wellington, New Zealand. Career: educated University of UNSW), University of Technology Sydney. Lawyer. Industrial Officer and Assistant Secretary, Health Services Union NSW. National Secretary, Health Services Union 2002-07. 1996 two-party majority: Labor 00.1 1998 two-party majority: Labor 03.3 Effect of 2001 redistribution: 01.8 shift to Liberal 2001 two-party majority: Liberal 00.4 2004 two-party majority: Liberal 05.9 Effect of 2006 redistribution: 01.1 shift to Labor 2007 notional two-party majority: Liberal 04.8 2007 two-party majority: Labor 03.9 
2004 enrolment: 85,659 2007 enrolment: 90,328 (+05.5%) (new boundaries) Dobell was created in 1984, carved out of the seats of Robertson and Shortland. It is a mix of Sydney exurbia and tourism and retirement centres such as Bateau Bay, and has a high proportion of over-65s and a low proportion of people born in non English speaking countries and of people in professional occupations. Dobell was a fairly safe seat for the rising Labor star Michael Lee until 1996, when he very nearly lost it in that year's Howard landslide. He recovered in 1998, but in 2001 he was unexpectedly beaten by the Liberals' Ken Ticehurst. Despite being a very low-profile member, Ticehurst gained a solid swing in 2004, aided by Mark Latham, the area's changing demographics and a weak Labor candidate. But in 2007 Labor's Craig Thomson easily regained the seat, helped by the addition at the 2006 redistribution of Labor-voting Toukley. Labor polled 66% of the two-aprty vote at Bateau Bay West, and over 60% at Blue Haven, Kanwal, Killarney Vale South, Toukley East, Watanobbi and Wyongah. The Liberals polled 64% at Wyong Creek. There were two-party swings of over 15% at Blue Haven and Tuggerah. | |  Two-party vote by booth, 2007
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