Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2025
Division of Barker, South Australia

Named for: Captain Collet Barker (1784-1831), explorer of the mouth of the Murray


< Banks previous seat | next seat Barton >
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South-eastern SA: Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Renmark, Tanunda, Waikerie

Enrolment at 2019 election: 118,371
Enrolment at 2022 election: 123,518 (+04.4)
1999 republic referendum: No 67.6
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 52.3
2023 Voice referendum: No 78.1


Sitting member: Tony Pasin (Liberal): Elected 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022


2007 Liberal majority over Labor: 9.5%
2010 Liberal majority over Labor: 12.9%
2013 Liberal majority over Labor: 16.6%
2016 Liberal majority over NXT: 4.7%
2019 Liberal majority over Labor: 18.9%
2022 Liberal majority over Labor: 16.6%

Status: Very safe Liberal
Liberal two-party vote 1983-2022


  • 2022 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Announced candidates:

    Tony Pasin
    Liberal Party

    Division of Barker

    Barker has existed since South Australia was first divided into electorates in 1903. It has always been a rural seat occupying the south-eastern corner of South Australia, and is still one of the most heavily agricultural seats in Australia. Recent redistributions have expanded it northwards to take in the Riverland area, without changing its highly conservative political character. It has the usual rural combination of a relatively low weekly family income level and a low levels of people born in non English speaking countries and people in professional occupations. (Ten percent claim German ancestry, but they are descendants of 19th century immigrants.) Barker has one of the lowest levels of university graduates in the country.

    In 120 years Barker has never elected a Labor member, coming close only in 1943, and no member for Barker has ever been defeated. Archie Cameron was Country Party Leader in 1939-40 and later Speaker. Recent members have included Liberal ministers Dr Jim Forbes and Ian McLachlan, Defence Minister in the first Howard Government. Patrick Secker won the seat after McLachlan's retirement in 1998. He was a very inconspicuous backbencher, and was dumped in 2013.

    Tony Pasin, Liberal MP for Barker since 2013, was a Mt Gambier barrister and member of the Mt Gambier City Council before his election. In 2016 the Xenophon Team candidate came second, sharply cutting Pasin's majority, but with Nick Xenophon's departure from politics the seat returned to its traditional Liberal loyalty in 2019. Unless he is dropped by his own party, Pasin will hold this seat as long as he likes. He is currently Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.


    Boundaries following most recent redistribution:



    See full-size map of this Division



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