Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2016
Division of Shortland, New South Wales
North Central New South Wales: Belmont, Budgewoi, Charlestown, Swansea
Sitting member: Jill Hall (Labor), elected 1998. Retiring 2016
Enrolment at close of rolls: 110,159
2013 Labor majority over Liberal: 7.2%
2016 notional Labor majority over Liberal: 7.4%

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Candidates in ballot-paper order:

1. Pat Conroy
Australian Labor Party
2. Jenny Barrie
Liberal Party
3. Ivan MacFadyen
Australian Greens
4. Morgan Cox
Christian Democrats



  • 2013 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Shortland was created in 1949, based in the southern and western suburbs of Newcastle. Subsequent redistributions have extended the seat southwards to take in the mining and retirement communities around Lake Macquarie and Tuggerah Lake. These areas have a high proportion of people over 65, both because they are popular retirment areas and because of the movement of younger people to Sydney as traditional employment in the Newcastle area has declined. This explains the seat's low level of median family income and its low proportion of people in professional occupations and of families with dependent children. The seat has always been fairly safe for Labor.

    Jill Hall, Labor MP for Shortland since 1998, was a rehabilitation counsellor and deputy mayor, Lake Macquarie City Council before entering politixs. She was state member for Swansea for three years before winning Shortland. She has been Labor Deputy Whip, in government and opposition, since 2004. She is retiring at this election.

    The 2016 redistribution has abolished the seat of Charlton, across Lake Macquarie from Shortland, and absorbed most of it into Hunter and Paterson. This has forced Pat Conroy, the sitting member for Charlton, to find a new seat, and he has gained Labor preselection for Shortland.

    Pat Conroy, Labor MP for Charlton since 2013, worked for both the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union as an organiser and policy officer. He was also an adviser to several Labor MPs, including his predecessor as MP for Charlton, Greg Combet. The redistribution has made Shortland slightly stronger for Labor. The Liberal candidate is Jenny Barrie, a professional event organiser.







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