Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2019
Division of McEwen, Victoria

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North of Melbourne: Gisborne, Kilmore, Mernda, Sunbury, Whittlesea
State seats: Parts of Eildon, Euroa, Macedon, Sunbury, Thomastown and Yan Yean
Local government areas: Parts of Hume, Macedon Ranges, Mitchell, Nillumbik and Whittlesea
Enrolment at close of rolls: 108,064
1999 republic referendum: No 55.5
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 65.4

Sitting member: Rob Mitchell (Labor): Elected 2010, 2013, 2016

2007 Liberal majority over Labor: 0.0%
2010 Labor majority over Liberal: 5.3%
2013 Labor majority over Liberal: 0.2%
2016 Labor majority over Liberal: 7.8%
2019 notional Labor majority over Liberal: 5.3%

Status: Marginal Labor

  • 2016 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Candidates in ballot-paper order:

    1. Neil Barker
    Australian Greens
    2. Ruth Parramore
    Animal Justice Party
    3. Rob Mitchell
    Australian Labor Party
    4. Phillip Fusco
    Liberal Party
    5. Deb Butler
    Derryn Hinch's Justice Party
    6. Robert Hyndman
    Independent
    7. Ronnie Graham
    Pauline Hanson's One Nation
    8. Chris Hayman
    United Australia Party



    Candidate websites:

    Neil Barker
    Phillip Fusco
    Rob Mitchell

    Division of McEwen

    McEwen was created in 1984, covering an expanse of rural Victoria north and north-east of Melbourne, as well as some fast-growing outer suburbs. Although most of its area is semi-rural, it has the social characteristsics of an outer-suburban mortgage belt seat - a high proportions of families with dependent children and of dwellings being purchased, and a low level of people in non English speaking households. The seat has always been politically marginal, with its orientation usually being determined by which suburbs are included at each successive redistribution. The 2010 redistribution, by adding the strongly Labor-voting suburb of Craigieburn, tipped the seat towards Labor. The 2018 redistribution has removed Craigieburn, but also removed rural areas around Seymour. The result has been to reduce the Labor majority slightly.

    Fran Bailey, who held McEwen for the Liberals for most of the 1990s, was a junior minister in the Howard Government and well-regarded locally. As a result she was able, by the narrowest of margins, to retain the seat in 2007. When she retired in 2010, the seat was won by Labor. There was a swing back to the Liberals in 2013, but in 2016, aided by a poor Liberal candidate, Labor secured a swing of 7.6%.

    Rob Mitchell, Labor MP for McEwen since 2010, was variously a boot-maker, tow-truck operator and sales manager before entering politics. In 2002 he unexpectedly won the Victorian Legislative Council seat of Central Highlands, which he held until 2006. He narrowly failed to win McEwen in 2007, won it in 2010, and narrowly retained it in 2013. He was elected Second Deputy Speaker in 2013, and will probably become Speaker if Labor wins the 2019 election.

    The Liberal candidate is Phillip Fusco, a marketing manager. The Greens candidate is Neil Barker, a retired corporate executive.

    Demographics:

    Median weekly household income: $1,613 (Australia $1,438)
    People over 65: 10.6% (Australia 15.8%)
    Australian born: 72.7% (Australia 66.7%)
    Ancestry: Italian 5.9%
    Non-English-speaking households: 22.3% (Australia 22.2%)
    Catholics 28.7% (Australia 22.6%)
    No religion 28.4% (Australia 29.6%)
    University graduates: 16.7% (Australia 22.0%)
    Professional and managerial employment: 27.8% (Australia 35.2%)
    Employed in manufacturing and construction: 31.0% (Australia 22.9%)
    Paying a mortgage: 51.6% (Australia 34.5%)
    Renting: 21.1% (Australia 30.9%)
    Traditional families: 44.5% (Australia 32.8%)

    Members:

    Peter Cleeland (ALP) 1984-90
    Fran Bailey (Lib) 1990-93
    Peter Cleeland (ALP) 1993-96
    Hon Fran Bailey (Lib) 1996-2010
    Rob Mitchell (ALP) 2010-

    Boundaries following 2018 redistribution:




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