Seat of the week: Corangamite
Corangamite has covered a shifting area around Colac 150 kilometres west of Melbourne since its creation at federation, its complexion changing somewhat with the absorption of the Geelong suburbs of South Barwon and Belmont in 1955. It was one of Labor’s two gains in Victoria when Kevin Rudd came to power in 2007, giving Labor its first win in the seat since the Great Depression. In its current form the electorate includes the Geelong suburbs south-west of the Barwon River and the Great Ocean Road as far as Apollo Bay, together with rural areas to the west and north. The Geelong suburbs, which include Liberal-leaning Highton and marginal Belmont and Grovedale, contain a little over a third of the electorate’s voters, and are distinguished (along with Torquay) by a younger demographic profile and a preponderance of mortgage payers. Growth in Geelong, Torquay and the Bellarine Peninsula left the seat over quota at the redistribution to take effect at the next election, resulting in the transfer of most of the Bellarine Peninsula (accounting for about 5700 voters) to Corio. This has had a negligible impact on the Labor margin, which on Antony Green’s calculation goes from 0.4% to 0.3%.
Labor’s only wins in Corangamite prior to 2007 were in 1910, when future Prime Minister Jim Scullin became member for a term (he would return as member for the inner Melbourne seat of Yarra in 1922), and at the 1929 election when Scullin’s short-lived government came to power. The Country Party held the seat for one term from 1931, after which it was held by the United Australia Party and then the Liberal Party. The enlargement of parliament in 1984 cost the electorate its most conservative rural territory in the west, but it took another 23 years before Labor was able to realise its hopes of gaining the seat. It was assisted to this end by the “sea change” phenomenon, the ABC TV series of that name having been set in the electorate at Barwon Heads. This has drained about 10% from the Liberal primary vote in the Great Ocean Road towns since the early 1990s, with the Greens vote there burgeoning to 17% at the 2010 election.
Corangamite was held from 1984 to 2007 by Stewart McArthur, who to the dismay of some in the Liberal Party sought another term in 2007 at the age of 70. His Labor challenger was 31-year-old Darren Cheeseman, an official with the Left faction Community and Public Sector Union who won a hotly contested preselection over Peter McMullin, the Right-backed mayor of Geelong and candidate from 2004. Cheeseman went on to overwhelm McArthur’s 5.3% margin with a 6.2% swing that was evenly distributed throughout the electorate. Faced at the 2010 election by a fresh Liberal candidate in Sarah Henderson, a former state host of The 7.30 Report and daughter of former state MP Ann Henderson, Cheeseman was brought within 771 votes of defeat by a 0.4% swing that went slightly against the trend of a 1.0% statewide swing to Labor. Cheeseman went on to receive substantial publicity in February 2012 when he declared Labor would be “decimated” if Julia Gillard led it to the election, which set the ball rolling on Kevin Rudd’s unsuccessful leadership challenge a week later.
Sarah Henderson will again represent the Liberals at the next election after winning a fiercely contested struggle for Liberal preselection against Rod Nockles, an internet security expert and former Peter Costello staffer who also sought preselection in 2010. Henderson’s backers reportedly included Tony Abbott and Michael Kroger, with Nockles having support from Peter Costello, Andrew Robb, Senators Arthur Sinodinos and Scott Ryan and Higgins MP Kelly O’Dwyer. In the event, Henderson won a surprisingly easy victory with an absolute majority on the first round.
Categories: Federal Election 2013, Federal Politics 2010-
RE. my 1443: the facilities the government builds at first instance should be EXACTLY what the Opposition built when in government.
by Bushfire Bill on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:51 am
Mod Lib @ 1446
Name names.
by bemused on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:52 am
Watching Milne on Sky this morning I had exactly the same thought. Plus, she is very hard to listen to because of the strident tone she has in her voice.
I always said when Brown retired it would be a test for the Greens to see if they could continue to appeal to mainstream voters.
by confessions on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:52 am
ML
As you may have noticed in the last few days I am not one of them. I can and will criticise the media for being unprofessional and not telling the people the truth. Farr on Insiders has finally done so. Why not earlier? Answer free kick to the Coaliton.
by guytaur on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:52 am
ModLib
I know of only two instances where the word was used.
One (the one you bang on about) where she clearly wanted to get on with the discussion rather than stay bogged down in a semantical argument.
The other today.
The journos on Insiders today admitted that it’s not a tax, that they’ve always known it wasn’t a tax. Yet Barrie Cassidy referred to it as a tax in the preceding interview.
Journalists are meant to hold politicians to account. That doesn’t give them a license for inaccuracy. They are supposed to be reliable sources of information.
In this case, journalists created the idea that it was a ‘tax’. They refused to change their terminology, even when they were questioned on it, and badgered the PM on the point until, in an effort to get the more important messages out, she caved (once).
Now they’re admitting that they knew all along that they were using inaccurate and misleading terminology.
That’s simply unprofessional behaviour.
by zoomster on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:52 am
confessions
Hilarious indeed. It appears that the likes of Neil Mitchell and some of the msm are not appreciating the good humour. Goodness, what do they want people to do? Curl up im the foetal position and suck their thumb!
by victoria on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:53 am
BB & zoomster for starters….Frank and Gus (where are they now?) for mains.
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:54 am
Albo appearing on THE BOLT REPORT at 10.00 AM on Channel 10.
by Thornleigh Labor Man on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:54 am
btw I believe Albo is going to be on the Bolt Report this morning
by victoria on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:55 am
TLM
SNAP!
by victoria on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:55 am
Frank has his own board/site.
Not sure what happened to Gusface?
by Thornleigh Labor Man on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:55 am
The journalists created the idea did they?
Not the opposition? Not the Prime Minister herself? Not the Ministers of the government who used the term?
Just blame the media, eh?
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:56 am
Steve Lewis friend Fran shut down the question on the media role in Ashby affair.
by guytaur on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:56 am
I miss Glen/Gary Sparrow
by Thornleigh Labor Man on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:56 am
BB @ 1443
Good suggestion.
I have been thinking it would be a good idea to send a small test batch of AS to Nauru so that a HC challenge could be raised. The Govt might even fund such a challenge in the interests of getting the matter resolved BEFORE major expenditure at Nauru.
by bemused on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:56 am
TLM
Glen was posting a few days ago
by victoria on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:57 am
ML
No the idea was created by Abbott. The unprofessional media took the ball and ran with it. The unprofessional media did not expelling to people you cannot trade a tax.
This is a clear example of media bias.
by guytaur on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:57 am
BB @ 1443
I would go even further although I don’t know if they can. Send the next lot to Nauru, await the inevitable injunction stopping them and then NOT defend it in the High Court. Let the LNP fund that fight.
by hugh moran on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:58 am
expelling = explain
by guytaur on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:58 am
“STOP THE STOATS!!”
Mike Bowers on Bronnie Bishop.
by BK on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:58 am
Abbott’s doorstop on 27 April, 2011
http://www.liberal.org.au/Latest-News/2011/04/27/Tony-Abbott-Doorstop.aspx
by victoria on Jul 1, 2012 at 9:59 am
guytaur:
This is a classic example of what I mean that you want the media to act as the ALP PR machine and spout whatever lines best suit the government position.
YOUR PM USED THE TERM
YOUR MINISTERS USED THE TERM
YOUR PM SAID SHE WAS HAPPY TO USE THE TERM
YOUR PM THIS VERY MORNING SAID (wtte) “AT THE TIME I MEANT WHAT I SAID” (in other words I understand I promised not to do it and did it but at the time I meant what I said”)
Now, you are criticising the media for using the term!
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:00 am
Nonsense.
I’m not asking for the media to act as PR for the government, or to avoid asking the difficult questions.
I’m asking them to be truthful, accurate and to report events fairly.
We now have a situation where members of the media admit that they haven’t been doing that, and all sides of politics should condemn them for that.
by zoomster on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:02 am
Russia and China agree to Syria peace deal. Maybe finally the killing may stop.
by guytaur on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:02 am
Mod Lib @ 1455
Frank and Gus have gone to a better place (for them).
Your suggestion of BB & zoomster is just preposterous and needs no further comment.
by bemused on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:02 am
by victoria on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:03 am
So you think the media should be condemned for using the exact terminology of the PM and Ministers, but the PM and Ministers should not be condemned, just the media, eh?
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:03 am
Oh, and for the record….
When the Sophie Mirabella scandal was in the news, an on line article claimed that she had broken up Colin Howard’s marriage and made several other inaccurate claims about the affair.
I contacted the journalist involved and pointed out that these were errors of fact, and demanded that those claims be withdrawn.
As a direct result of my actions, the article was corrected.
No one here can doubt my deep and sincere dislike of Ms Mirabella. Like the rest of us, however, she is entitled to fair treatment by the media.
by zoomster on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:04 am
Good on you zoomster, I commend you on that.
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:05 am
Shellbell
I am well aware of the Appellate Jurisdiction. It is NA to what I was talking about.
by psyclaw on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:05 am
victoria:
Thanks for posting that reminder.
Doesnt Kezza live in La Trobe? She hasn’t been seen today! O_O
by confessions on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:06 am
ModLib
Er, whether they did or not does not excuse them perpetuating something they know to be inaccurate.
You’re now arguing that it’s OK for journos to repeat Liberal spin, having argued seconds ago that it’s not OK for them to ‘spin’ things Labor’s way.
Of course, what should happen is that they’re professional in their use of language.
by zoomster on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:07 am
confessions
You do recall we had an earthquake here in Vic a few weeks ago, the epicentre was in and around the Latrobe Valley area!!
by victoria on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:08 am
Mod Lib @ 1470 & 1475
OK, so the media bias was made easier by the inept handling of it by the PM, in particular her agreeing it was OK to call Carbon Pricing a tax.
The media has codes of conduct that for instance insist on the clear distinction between fact and opinion. The media habitually don’t do that. This is a major media fail.
by bemused on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:10 am
I didn’t mention ‘Liberal’ I was talking about the media using the term that the PM used.
Had the PM said it was not a tax, that she was not happy to use the word tax and no ministers had used the word tax, and they had explained why, then you could mount your case (but it would still be fine for any media outlet to use that word if they could justify it themselves).
It has nothing to do with the opposition, it is the government themselves that have given permission for this term to be used.
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:11 am
Albo engaging in intellectual combat with an unarmed man.
Being dragged down to his level but calling him out.
by bemused on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:11 am
Scrap going on between Albo and Bolt on Bolt!
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:12 am
TheFinnigans天地有道人无道 @Thefinnigans
The BISONs say that’s diversity. On Foxtel, you get: #Slynews, ABC, BBC, CNN, Foxnews, Al Jezeera, CCTV, SBS (with PBS) and Blooberg
by The Finnigans on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:12 am
Right, ModLib.
An apology for your false allegation that I want the media to run PR for the government would also be nice.
by zoomster on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:12 am
If you can read this post, then the world has not ended due to the Carbon Price.
by Greensborough Growler on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:12 am
ML
That argument could be used for Liberal terminology with fairness.
It cannot be used for the media whose job is to be accurate fair and balanced. They are supposed to be the watchdogs telling the people the truth. Not using a term they know is not true.
by guytaur on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:13 am
Sorry, mod lib, but your whole assumption is wrong. Where have been the dramatic policy differences between Latham, Rudd and Gillard? That’s why most ALP members support their party, rather than the individual leader. Do you want to get rid of Abbott because you don’t want him specifically or do you want to change your party’s current “policies”. Why would you vote for a party which changes it’s policies at the whim of its leader of the day?
by It’s Time on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:13 am
That is exactly what you are doing on the carbon tax issue, you are wanting the media to do what you want, not what the PM herself has given the OK to do, and all because you don’t think it suits the ALP PR agenda.
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:13 am
Isn’t debating and changing policies what a robust democracy is all about?
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:14 am
ModLib
You admit that the term was created by Abbott, and that the media ran with it.
So you’re saying that’s OK.
On the other hand, you don’t think that the media should run PR for the government.
Well, I agree; my point is, by using the term ‘carbon tax’ when they knew it was inaccurate, they ran PR for the Liberals.
But apparently you’re OK with that, and OK with unprofessional conduct by the media.
by zoomster on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:15 am
Bolt calling the Coalition advertisement on carbon a “scare advertisement”
by guytaur on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:16 am
Any truth in the rumor that Fran Barlow is Christine Milne’s new speech writer? They sound eerily similar…..
by Rossmore on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:16 am
Mod Lib
You are very vociferous this morning. But missed some great comments last night.
See 1088, 1105, 1128, 1152.
I liked 1152 best.
Cheers.
by psyclaw on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:16 am
Isn’t it interesting that the two omissions in the summary above is that the Prime Minister said she was happy to use the term and the her Ministers have used the term.
Says it all really…
by Mod Lib on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:17 am
Rossmore
Don’t tell me I’m wrong!!!!!!
Curses! Foiled again!
I thought FB in fact WAS Ms Milne.
by psyclaw on Jul 1, 2012 at 10:18 am