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Division of Lalor | Leichhardt |
 Hon Julia Gillard (ALP) Her ministerial website |  |
Location: Melbourne: Hoppers Crossing, Laverton, Melton, Werribee Division named for: Peter Lalor, leader of Eureka Rebellion Median weekly family income: $998 (52nd highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 13.7% (57th highest) Persons in professional occupations: 17.4% (135th highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 6.4% (146th highest) Couple families with dependent children: 46.4% (11th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 42.0% (6th highest) Sitting member: Hon Julia Gillard (Labor), elected 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 Born: 29 September 1961, Britain. Career: Educated University of Melbourne. Solicitor, chief of Staff to John Brumby MLA. Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry 2001-07. Shadow Minister for Population and Immigration 2001-03, Shadow Minister for Reconciliation and Indigenous Affairs 2003, Shadow Minister for Health 2003-07, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Employment, Industrial Relations and Social Inclusion from 2006-07. Deputy Leader of Labor Party from 4 December 2006 Deputy Prime Minister from 3 December 2007 Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations from 3 December 2007 Minister for Education from 3 December 2007 Minister for Social Inclusion from 3 December 2007 1996 two-party majority: Labor 18.5 1998 two-party majority: Labor 19.8 2001 two-party majority: Labor 15.6 Effect of 2004 redistribution: 03.5 shift to Liberal 2004 two-party majority: Labor 08.8 2007 two-party majority: Labor 15.5 
2004 enrolment: 90,331 2007 enrolment: 103,761 (+14.9%) Lalor was created in 1949, originally as a semi-rural seat extending as far north as Seymour. Later redistributions cut it back to Melbourne's fast-growing outer western suburbs, based on the satellite town of Werribee. The 2004 redistribution pushed the seat further out again, adding the outer suburb of Melton. On these boundaries Lalor, although having a higher level of median family income than other western suburbs seats, is one of the country's leading lower-income mortgage belt seats, with very high levels of families with dependent children and of dwellings being purchased. Its very low levels of people in professional occupations and of people aged over 65 show that it is overwhelmingly a seat of young families buying their first homes. Lalor has nearly always been a Labor seat, although it was lost in 1966, when it still had substantial rural areas in it. Members for Lalor, a Labor "leadership seat," have included Labor ministers Reg Pollard, Dr Jim Cairns (Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government) and Barry Jones. Julia Gillard has held the seat since 1998. Gillard, a leading member of the Socialist Left faction, was on the Opposition front bench 2001-07 and made her reputation as shadow minister for health. In 2006 she formed a leadership ticket with Kevin Rudd and was elected Deputy Labor Leader, in succession to Jenny Macklin. In December 2007 she became Australia's first female Deputy Prime Minister, taking on the key portfolios of industrial relations and education. Lalor is thus the only seat to have been held by two deputy prime ministers. In 2007 Labor gained a swing of 6.7% and won every booth except Toolern and Werribee South, most by wide margins. Labor polled 78% of the two-party vote at Laverton North and polled more than 70% at Glenorden, Kurunjang, Laverton and Mossfiel. The Liberals polled 62% at Werribee South. | | 
Two-party vote by booth, 2007
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