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| Australian federal election, 2016
Division of Banks, New South Wales
South-western Sydney: Allawah, Panania, Padstow, Peakhurst
Sitting member: David Coleman (Liberal), elected 2013
Enrolment at close of rolls: 104,959
2013 Liberal majority over Labor: 1.8%
2016 notional Liberal majority over Labor: 2.8%
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Candidates in ballot-paper order:
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1. Chris Gambian
Australian Labor Party |
2. Sharon Wu
Family First |
3. Philippa Clark
Australian Greens |
4. David Coleman
Liberal Party |
5. Greg Bondar
Christian Democrats |
6. Roy Barnes
Animal Justice Party |
7. Bob Spanswick
Independent |
2013 results
Statistics and history
Banks was created in 1949, and its boundaries and social composition have changed very little since. It has always taken in a block of Sydney's south-western suburbs, areas which now have a stable, home- owning and ageing population, with a relatively high proportion born in non-English speaking countries. Until 2013 the seat was always held by Labor, although the Liberals came close to winning it several times. The inclusion of solid Labor territory in Bankstown and Condell Park at the 2006 redistribution somewhat improved the seat for Labor, but this was more than reversed by the 2010 redistribution, which shifted Banks eastwards into Liberal-voting Blakehurst and Condells Point. This, combined with the increasing influx of high-income voters into the suburbs along the Georges River, was enough to give the seat to the Liberals for the first time in 2013.
David Coleman, Liberal MHR for Banks since 2013, is a lawyer and company director, and previously held senior positions at PBL Media and the Nine Network. He is a relative moderate in the NSW Liberal Party - he supports marriage equality, for example. In 2013 he defeated Daryl Melham, who had held the seat since 1990. Melham was an outspoken left-winger who twice resigned from the Labor front- bench in opposition but was never promoted while Labor was in office. He was an increasingly poor fit for a seat rapidly filling with "aspirational" voters.
The 2016 redistribution has again shifted Banks westwards, removing some Liberal territory in Condells Point but adding even stronger Liberal areas in Revesby and Picnic Point, formerly in Hughes. This has increased the Liberal majority from 1.8% in 2013 to a notional 2.8% in 2016. To this must be added the loss of Melham's personal vote and the benefit of incumbency for Coleman. Demographics and politics are working against Labor in this part of Sydney, as was shown at the 2015 state election when the Liberals retained East Hills and Oatley in the same area. Labor will only regain Banks if there is a substantial swing against the Turnbull government across Sydney.
Labor's candidate is Chris Gambian, a former official with the Finance Sector Union and the Community and Public Sector Union. If elected he would be the first member of the House of Representatives of Indian descent.
These maps are the property of Adam Carr and may not be reproduced without his permission.
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Prospective pendulum, showing all candidates
State and territory maps, showing new boundaries
The thirty seats that will decide the election
Other seats of interest
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