Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2019
Division of Stirling, Western Australia

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Northern Perth: Balcatta, Balga, Dianella, Scarborough, Yokine
State seats: All of Balcatta, parts of Carine, Mirrabooka, Morley, Mount Lawley and Scarborough
Local government areas: Parts of Bayswater and Stirling
Enrolment at close of rolls: 101,183
1999 republic referendum: No 51.6
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 61.1

Sitting member: Hon Michael Keenan (Liberal): Elected 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016. Retiring 2019

2007 Liberal majority over Labor: 1.3%
2010 Liberal majority over Labor: 5.6%
2013 Liberal majority over Labor: 10.3%
2016 Liberal majority over Labor: 6.6%

Status: Marginal Liberal

  • 2016 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Candidates in ballot-paper order:

    1. Angus Young
    Pauline Hanson's One Nation
    2. Judith Cullity
    Australian Greens
    3. Dorothy Hutton
    United Australia Party
    4. Vince Connelly
    Liberal Party
    5. Elizabeth Re
    Western Australia Party
    6. Kevin Host
    Australian Christians
    7. Melita Markey
    Australian Labor Party



    Candidate websites:

    Vince Connelly
    Judith Cullity
    Melita Markey

    Division of Stirling

    Stirling was created in 1955, covering at that time most of Perth's new northern suburbs. Since then it has been cut back to a block of northern suburbia, with prosperous Liberal-voting beachside suburbs balanced by more marginal areas inland, including some strong Labor areas. Stirling has a fairly low level of median family income and a fairly high level of people in non English speaking housholds for a non-industrial seat. It also has a strikingly low level of families with dependent children, so it is not a mortgage belt seat.

    Stirling has always been a marginal seat, changing hands regularly - every member for the seat has been defeated eventually, including Ian Viner, who was a senior minister in the Fraser Government. Labor's strength is in the north-east of the seat, around Mirrabooka and Nollamara, while the Liberals dominate the beachside suburbs such as North Beach and also the Yokine area in the south-east.

    Michael Keenan, Liberal MP for Stirling since 2004, was a property conultant and ministerial adviser before his election. He had also been deputy director of the WA Liberal Party. He was on the opposition front bench from 2007, and a minister throughout the Abbott-Turnbull Government, mostly as Minister for Justice. In the Morrison ministry he was demoted from Cabinet as Minister for Human Services and Digital Transformation. In late January he announced that he would retire at the 2019 election.

    In late February the Liberals chose Vince Connelly, a former Army officer, as their new candidate, passing over four women candidates, one of them supported by Keenan. The Labor candidate for 2019 is Melita Markey, who works at the Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia. The Greens candidate is Judith Cullity. The Australian Christians candidate is Kevin Host, a plumber.

    Demographics:

    Median weekly household income: $1,475 (Australia $1,438)
    People over 65: 15.8% (Australia 15.8%)
    Australian born: 53.6% (Australia 66.7%)
    Ancestry: Italian 7.5%
    Non-English-speaking households: 32.3% (Australia 22.2%)
    Catholics 26.5% (Australia 22.6%)
    No religion 26.3% (Australia 29.6%)
    University graduates: 25.7% (Australia 22.0%)
    Professional and managerial employment: 35.6% (Australia 35.2%)
    Employed in manufacturing and construction: 22.6% (Australia 22.9%)
    Paying a mortgage: 34.5% (Australia 34.5%)
    Renting: 32.2% (Australia 30.9%)
    Traditional families: 29.2% (Australia 32.8%)

    Members:

    Harry Webb (ALP) 1955-58
    Earl Cash (Lib) 1958-61
    Harry Webb (ALP) 1961-72
    Hon Ian Viner (Lib) 1972-83
    Ron Edwards (ALP) 1983-93
    Eoin Cameron (Lib) 1993-98
    Jann McFarlane (ALP) 1998-2004
    Hon Michael Keenan (Lib) 2004-19

    Boundaries following 2016 redistribution:




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