Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive

Adam Carr's Election Archive

Australian federal election, 2025
Division of McMahon, New South Wales

Named for: Rt Hon Sir William McMahon (1908-88), federal MP 1949-82, Prime Minister 1971-72


< Mackellar previous seat | next seat Macnamara >
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Western Sydney: Blacktown, Fairfield, Greystanes, Smithfield, St Clair

Enrolment at 2019 election: 106,806
Enrolment at 2022 election: 107,217 (+00.5)
1999 republic referendum: No 50.2
2018 same-sex marriage survey: No 64.9
2023 Voice referendum: No 65.9


Sitting member: Hon Chris Bowen (Labor): Elected (for Prospect) 2007, (for McMahon) 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022

Minister for Climate Change and Energy


2007 Labor majority over Liberal: 13.5% *
2010 Labor majority over Liberal: 7.8%
2013 Labor majority over Liberal: 5.3%
2016 Labor majority over Liberal 12.1%
2019 Labor majority over Liberal 6.6%
2022 Labor majority over Liberal 9.5%
2022 Labor majority over Liberal 10.5%

* as Prospect

Status: Fairly safe Labor
Labor two-party vote 1983-2022


  • 2022 results
  • Statistics and history

  • Announced candidates:

    Hon Chris Bowen
    Australian Labor Party

    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. This helps explain McMahon's No vote in the 2018 same-sex marriage survey.

    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 was Shadow Treasurer from 2013, but resigned after the 2019 election defeat, for which Labor's tax policies were blamed. He is now Minister for Climate Change and Energy.

    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 and 2019 defeats, Bowen is probably secure in this seat. The 2024 redistribution has extended the seat northwards, strengthening Labor's position.

    Boundaries following most recent redistribution:



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