Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2019
Division of McMahon, New South Wales

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Western Sydney: Fairfield, Greystanes, Guildford, Smithfield, St Clair
State seats: Parts of Fairfield, Granville, Mulgoa and Prospect
Local government areas: Parts of Blacktown, Fairfield, Holroyd and Penrith
Enrolment at close of rolls: 106,806
1999 republic referendum: No 50.2
2018 same-sex marriage survey: No 64.9

Sitting member: Hon Chris Bowen (Labor): Elected 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016

2007 Labor majority over Liberal: 13.5% *
2010 Labor majority over Liberal: 6.9%
2013 Liberal majority over Labor: 0.3%
2016 Labor majority over Liberal 12.1%

* as Prospect

Status: Safe Labor

  • 2016 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Candidates in ballot-paper order:

    1. Meg Wrightson
    United Australia Party
    2. Damian Commane
    Pauline Hanson's One Nation
    3. Zeeshan Francis
    Christian Democratic Party
    4. Hon Chris Bowen
    Australian LaborParty
    5. Astrid O'Neill
    Australian Greens
    6. Vivek Singha
    Liberal Party



    Candidate websites:

    Hon Chris Bowen
    Astrid O'Neill
    Vivek Singha

    Division of McMahon

    McMahon was created in 2010, when the old seat of Prospect was renamed. Prospect had been created in 1969, occupying a block of what was then new working-class suburbia in western Sydney. Its borders have changed considerably at successive redistributions, but it has always been centred on the Labor stronghold of Fairfield. The seat has average level of median family income, but a very low proportion of graduates and of people in professional and managerial occupations. It also has a high proportion of people non English speaking households, including 9% born in South-East Asia, and high level of families with dependent children. It also has the highest proportion of Catholics of any seat in Australia, and conversely one of the lowest proportions of people professing no religion.

    Chris Bowen, Labor MP for Prospect from 2004 to 2010 and for McMahon since 2010, was an industrial officer with the Finance Sector Union and an adviser to NSW state ministers before his election. He was on the opposition front bench from 2006 and a minister in the Rudd-Gillard Government. He resigned in February 2013 after the first failed Rudd counter-coup against Gillard, but returned with Rudd in June and became Treasurer. He is now Shadow Treasurer.

    The Labor margin in McMahon has declined in recent years as the western suburbs of Sydney become generally less reliable for Labor. But having survived the 2013 defeat and secured a healthy swing to Labor in 2016, Bowen is probably secure in this seat.

    The Liberal candidate is Vivek Singha, whose occupation is not stated. The Greens candidate is Astrid O'Neill, a TAFE college principal who has been a Greens candidate many times. The One Nation candidate is Damian Commane, whose occupation is not stated.

    Demographics:

    Median weekly household income: $1,412 (Australia $1,438)
    People over 65: 12.9% (Australia 15.8%)
    Australian born: 51.0% (Australia 66.7%)
    Ancestry: Lebanese 7.2%, Chinese 5.0%
    Non-English-speaking households: 57.3% (Australia 22.2%)
    Catholics 36.1% (Australia 22.6%)
    Muslim 11.5%
    No religion 12.0% (Australia 29.6%)
    University graduates: 14.5% (Australia 22.0%)
    Professional and managerial employment: 24.8% (Australia 35.2%)
    Employed in manufacturing and construction: 29.7% (Australia 22.9%)
    Paying a mortgage: 34.3% (Australia 34.5%)
    Renting: 32.2% (Australia 30.9%)
    Traditional families: 45.8% (Australia 32.8%)

    Members:

    Dr Richard Klugman (ALP) 1969-90
    Hon Janice Crosio (ALP) 1990-2004
    Hon Chris Bowen (ALP) 2004-

    Boundaries following 2016 redistribution:




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