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| Australian federal election, 2016
Division of Bendigo, Victoria
Central Victoria: Bendigo, Castlemaine, Maldon, Woodend
Sitting member: Lisa Chesters (Labor), elected 2013
Enrolment at close of rolls: 109,615
2013 Labor majority over Liberal: 1.3%
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Candidates in ballot-paper order:
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1. Andy Maddison
The Nationals |
2. Rosemary Glaisher
Australian Greens |
3. Sandy Caddy
Rise Up Australia |
4. Lisa Chesters
Australian Labor Party |
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5. Megan Purcell
Liberal Party |
6. Ruth Parramore
Animal Justice Party |
7. Anita Donlon
Independent |
8. Alan Howard
Family First |
2013 results
Statistics and history
Bendigo has existed since Federation and has always occupied a block of territory in central Victoria around the historic goldfields city. Like most
country seats, it combines a fairly low income level with a very low proportion of people born in non English speaking countries. From 1937 to 1949
it included Echuca and the Murray Valley and was a safe Country Party seat, but for the rest of its history it has been politically marginal.
In recent times the seat has been trending towards Labor as the area is colonised by wealthy professionals from Melbourne: even in the Liberal
landslide year of 1996, the Liberal majority was less than 1%. Labor's strength lies in the city of Bendigo and in Castlemaine and Maryborough. The
Liberals win most of the smaller rural booths.
Bendigo's most distinguished member was Nationalist Prime Minister Billy Hughes, who held the seat from 1917 to 1922 before moving back to Sydney.
John Brumby, later Premier of Victoria, held Bendigo for Labor from 1983 to 1990. Steve Gibbons won the seat for Labor in 1998 and held it until his
retirement in 2013, although he had a close call in 2004.
Lisa Chesters, Labor MP for Bendigo since 2013, was an organiser with the union United Voice for ten years before her election. At the 2013 election
she survived a sharp swing to the Liberals. She has had three years to establish herself in the seat, and will probably be safe unless there a swing to
the Liberals in Victoria. The Liberal candidate is Megan Purcell, an army reservist who owns a public relations company and a homewares store in Maldon.
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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