Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2022
Division of Bean, Australian Capital Territory

Named for: Charles Bean (1879-1968), war correspondent and historian


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Southern Canberra: Kambah, Molonglo Valley, Tuggeranong, Weston Creek, Woden Valley
Territory seats: All of Brindabella, parts of Kurrajong and Murrumbidgee
Local government areas: None
Borders with: Canberra, Eden-Monaro and Fenner
Enrolment at 2019 election: 104,482
Enrolment at 2022 election: 109,557 (+04.9)

Sitting member: David Smith (Labor): Elected 2019


2019 Labor majority over Liberal: 7.5%

Liberal two-party vote 1983-2019


Status: Marginal Labor

Best Labor booths, two-party vote: Duffy (71.2), Waramanga (66.7), Lyons (66.0), Waramanga West (65.7), Kambah South (65.3)
Best Liberal booths, two-party vote: Norfolk Island PPVC (57.3), Norfolk Island (52.5), Gordon North (51.7), Gunghalin PPVC (51.6), Tharwa (49.1)

  • 2019 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Candidates in ballot-paper order:

    1. Sean Conway
    United Australia Party
    2. Benjamin Ambard
    Pauline Hanson's One Nation
    3. David Smith
    Australian Labor Party
    4. Dr Jamie Christie
    Independent
    5. Kathryn Savery
    Australian Greens
    6. Jane Hiatt
    Liberal Party


    Candidate websites:

    Dr Jamie Christie
    Sean Conway
    Jane Hiatt
    Kathryn Savery
    David Smith

    Division of Bean

    Bean was created at the 2018 redistribution when the Australian Capital Territory became eligible for a third seat as a result of Canberra's rapid growth. It covers the southern half of the old seat of Canberra, inluding the city's southern suburbs and the thinly-populated rural south of the territory, which is mostly national park. It is roughly analogous to the seat of Namadgi, which existed from 1996 to 1998, the last time the ACT qualified (briefly) for three seats.

    Like the rest of Canberra, Bean has a high proportion of government employees, a high level of income and a high level of education. However, it is less affluent and less public-service oriented than the other two ACT seats, Canberra and Fenner, and has a fairly high level of traditional families paying mortgages. It is therefore more politically marginal than Canberra and Fenner, though still basically a Labor seat. The Liberals have not won a federal seat in the ACT since the Canberra by-election of 1995.

    Gai Brodtmann, Labor MP for Canberra, announced that she would be transferring to Bean at the 2019 election. But in August 2018 she announced that instead she would be retiring for personal reasons. Labor then endorsed Senator David Smith, who had inherited Katy Gallagher's Senate seat when she was knocked out by the High Court over section 44.

    David Smith, Labor MP for Bean since 2019, was born and educated in Canberra, and was a public servant and advisor before entering politics. Most recently he was director of the ACT branch of Professionals Australia. At the 2016 election he was chosen for the unwinnable second position on the Labor Senate ticket in the ACT. He was declared elected in May 2018 when Senator Gallagher was found to be ineligible. He resigned from the Senate in April 2019 and was elected for Bean. Although the seat in marginal, he is unlikely to be seriously threatened. The Liberal candidate is Jane Hiatt, a businesswoman. The Greens candidate is Kathryn Savery, an accountant and artist.

    Demographics:

    Bean is a new seat and no demographic data are available. These data are for the ACT electorate of Brindabella, which covers much of the same territory.

    Median weekly household income: $2,075 (Australia $1,438)
    People over 65: 11.3% (Australia 15.8%)
    Indigenous: 2.4% (Australia 2.8%)
    Australian born: 75.6% (Australia 66.7%)
    Non-English-speaking households: 18.0% (Australia 22.2%)
    Catholics 27.0% (Australia 22.6%)
    No religion 31.8% (Australia 29.6%)
    University graduates: 23.6% (Australia 22.0%)
    Professional and managerial employment: 36.1% (Australia 35.2%)
    Employed in manufacturing and construction: 18.0% (Australia 22.9%)
    Paying a mortgage: 46.5% (Australia 34.5%)
    Renting: 22.1% (Australia 30.9%)
    Traditional families: 38.4% (Australia 32.8%)



    Gallery of Members for Bean



    Boundaries following most recent redistribution:



    See full-size map of this Division



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