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Division of Hotham | Hughes |
 Hon Simon Crean (ALP) His ministerial website and his electorate website |  |
Location: Melbourne: Clayton, Heatherton, Oakleigh South, Springvale Division named for: Sir Charles Hotham, Governor of Victoria 1853-55 Median weekly family income: $951 (64th highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 31.7% (11th highest) Persons in professional occupations: 24.1% (88th highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 15.5% (29th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 37.4% (89th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 24.0% (88th highest) Sitting member: Hon Simon Crean (Labor), elected 1990, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 Born: 26 February 1949, Melbourne. Career: Assistant general secretary Federated Storemen and Packers Union of Australia, general secretary 1979-85, Vice-President Australian Council of Trade Unions 1981-83, Senior Vice-President 1983-85, President 1985-90. Minister for Science and Technology, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Science and Minister Assisting the Treasurer 1990-91, Minister for Primary Industries and Energy 1991-93, Minister for Employment, Education and Training 1993-96. Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry 1996-2007. Shadow Minister for Industry and Regional Development 1996-98, Shadow Treasurer 1998-01, Deputy Leader of the Opposition 1998-01, Leader of the Opposition 2001-03, Shadow Treasurer 2003-04, Shadow Minister for Trade 2004-05, Shadow Minister for Regional Development 2005-06, Shadow Minister for Trade and Regional Development 2006-07. Deputy Leader of the Labor Party 1998-2001, Leader of the Labor Party 2001-03 Minister for Trade from 3 December 2007 1996 two-party majority: Labor 10.6 1998 two-party majority: Labor 13.6 2001 two-party majority: Labor 11.0 Effect of 2004 redistribution: no change 2004 primary votes: Labor 51.2, Liberal 39.0, Green 5.4 2004 two-party majority: Labor 07.4 2007 two-party majority: Labor 13.0 
2004 enrolment: 87,846 2007 enrolment: 88,669 (+00.9%) (new boundaries) Hotham was created in 1969, when the old seat of Higinbotham, which had existed since 1949, was renamed (to avoid confusion with a state seat of the same name). Over successive redistributions it has been shifted around the south-eastern suburbs, moving from the Moorabbin-Sandringham area towards Clayton and Springvale. In the process it has taken in some of Melbourne's most heavily working-class and "ethnic" newer suburbs, while shedding older middle-class areas, and has moved from fairly safe Liberal to safe Labor. It now has nearly a third of its population born in non English speaking countries, including nearly 10% born in South-East Asia, and a workforce of which nearly 20% are employed in manufacturing. Simon Crean has held Hotham for Labor since 1990. Crean is the son of Frank Crean, Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government. He was President of the ACTU 1985-90, and was put into the Hawke ministry as soon as he was elected in 1990, then promoted to Cabinet in 1991. He was on the Opposition front bench from 1996, and was an unsuccessful Opposition Leader in 2001-03. His resignation paved the way for Mark Latham's rise to the Labor leadership, and he was shadow treasurer during the 2004 election campaign. Having fended off a preselection challenge in 2006, Crean (who been on the Labor front bench continuously since 1990, gained renewed influence after helping to arrange Kevin Rudd's election as leader in 2006. His reward was the Trade portfolio in the Rudd government. In 2007 Labor polled 83% of the two-party vote in Springvale West and topped 75% in Clayton South, Heatherhill, Spring Valley, Springvale, Springvale South and Westall. The Liberals polled 57% at Dingley Village and 56% at Kingswood. | | 
Two-party vote by booth, 2007
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