|
|
|
|
| Adam Carr's Election Archive
|
Australian federal election, 2025
Division of Gippsland, Victoria
Named for: Regional name (after Sir George Gipps (1791-1847), Governor of NSW 1838-46). Named in 1840 by Paul Strzelecki.
Eastern Victoria: Bairnsdale, Morwell, Sale, Traralgon
Enrolment at 2019 election: 110,581
Enrolment at 2022 election: 114,405 (+03.6)
1999 republic referendum: No 65.2
2018 same-sex marriage survey: Yes 60.2
2023 Voice referendum: No 72.1
 |
Sitting member: Hon Darren Chester (Nationals): Elected 2008 by-election, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022
|
2007 Nationals majority over Labor: 5.9%
2008 by-election Nationals majority over Labor: 12.0%
2010 Nationals majority over Labor: 11.5%
2013 Nationals majority over Labor: 15.8%
2016 Nationals majority over Labor: 18.4%
2019 Nationals majority over Labor: 16.7%
2022 Nationals majority over Labor: 20.6%
2025 notional Nationals majority over Labor: 20.6%
Status 2022: Very safe Nationals
Nationals two-party vote 1983-2022
2022 results
Statistics and history
Announced candidates:
 |
Hon Darren Chester
The Nationals |
Division of Gippsland
Gippsland has existed since Federation and has always occupied the eastern third of Victoria, the heavily agricultural
Gippsland region. Before 1949 the seat included the industrial towns of the Latrobe Valley, and Labor nearly won it in
1943. The 1949 redistribution moved the Valley into McMillan, cutting the Labor vote. But as Gippsland's share of
Victoria's population has declined, the seat has had to expand, firstly into the dairying country of South Gippsland,
and in 2004 back into the Valley, when the 2004 redistribution moved Morwell and Traralgon from McMillan into Gippsland.
Morwell was a strongly Labor town, Traralgon usually a moderately Labor one, although the Labor vote in both has declined
as the Valley has deindustrialised in recent years. The seat has not been changed by the 2024 redistribution.
Gippsland has never elected a Labor member. It has been held by the Country Party and its successor the Nationals
continuously since 1922, longer than any other seat. Past members have included ministers
Tom Paterson and
Peter Nixon.
Peter McGauran won the seat for the Nationals 1983, and was a minister in the Howard Government. He resigned after the
2007 election defeat.
Darren Chester, Nationals MP for Gippsland since the 2008 by-election which followed McGauran's resignation, was a
newspaper and television journalist, a marketing consultant, and chief of staff to Victorian Nationals leader
Peter Ryan before his election. As one of the Nationals' younger talents, he was promoted rapidly. He was on the opposition
front bench from 2010 and in 2016 entered Cabinet as Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. In December 2017 he was
sacked for no apparent reason by Nationals leader
Barnaby Joyce: part of the pattern of erratic behaviour that soon cost
Joyce his job. Chester was rehabilitated by
Michael McCormack and became Minister for Veterans' Affairs and
Minister for Defence Personnel. But when Joyce regained the Nationals leadership in June 2021, Chester was again
dropped from the ministry. He contested the Nationals leadership after the 2022 election, but was defeated by
David Littelproud. He is now Shadow Minister for Regional Education and Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories.
Back to main page
| |