Maribyrnong                 |
Division of Mayo |                 Melbourne |
Jamie Briggs (Lib) No website | Location: East of Adelaide: Lobethal, Mt Barker, Strathalbyn, Victor Harbor Division named for: Helen Mayo, first woman elected to a university council in Australia Median weekly family income: $895 (78th highest) Persons born in non English speaking countries: 4.9% (107th highest) Persons in professional occupations: 30.8% (35th highest) Persons aged 65 and over: 12.8% (82nd highest) Couple families with dependent children: 39.8% (50th highest) Dwellings being purchased: 36.0% (20th highest) Sitting member: Jamie Briggs (Liberal), elected 2008 by-election Born: 9 June 1977, Kyneton, Victoria. Career: Employment relations adviser. Research Assistant to Hon Rob Lucas MLC 2002-03. Adviser to Hon Kevin Andrews MP 2003-04. Senior Adviser to Hon John Howard MP 2004-07. 1996 two-party majority: Liberal 15.2 1998 two-party majority: Liberal over Democrat 01.5 Effect of 2001 redistribution: cannot be calculated 2001 two-party majority: Liberal 12.9 Effect of 2004 redistribution: 01.4 shift to Liberal 2004 two-candidate majority: Liberal over Independent 11.8 2007 two-party majority: Liberal 07.1 2008 by-election two-candidate majority: Liberal over Green 03.0 2004 enrolment: 91,418 2007 enrolment: 96,401 (+05.5%) Mayo was created in 1984, in the Adelaide Hills area east of Adelaide. This is one of the wealthiest suburban areas in Australia, and the seat has always been very safe for the Liberal Party vis a vis Labor. On its current boundaries the seat extends southwards to take in the farming areas of the Flerieu Peninsula and and Kangaroo Island, and the retirement centre of Victor Harbor. These areas lower the overall median family income of the seat, without much affecting it politically. Mayo used to be one of the Australian Democrats' best seats, and in 1990 and again in 1998 they gave the Liberals a scare, nearly stealing the seat on Labor preferences. With the collapse of the Democrats, however, the Liberals can feel more secure, although a strong Green or independent candidate could be a threat. Mayo's first member was Alexander Downer (Liberal), whose father Sir Alexander Downer represented much the same area as member for Angas 1949-64. Downer was briefly Liberal Party leader in the 1990s, and went to become Australia's longest-serving Foreign Minister from 1996 to 2007. He resigned his seat after the defeat of the Howard government in 2007, and at the 2008 by-election he was succeeded by Jamie Briggs, a former senior adviser to John Howard. The Greens candidate came close to winning the by-election, which Labor didn't contest. In 2007 the Liberals polled 74% of the two-party vote at Langhorne Creek, and also polled over 65% at Ashnourne, Charleston, Currency Creek, Gosse, Hahndorf, Hindmarsh Valley, Hope Forest and Prospect Hill. Labor polled 53% at Aldgate and Bridgewater. At the 2008 by-election the Greens won a number of suburban booths, polling 64% of the two-candidate vote at Norton Summit. |   | Two-party vote by booth, 2007
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