Division of Casey

Casey Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Casey (green) in Victoria
Created	1969
MP	Tony Smith
Party	Liberal
Namesake	Richard Casey
Electors	97,707 (2013)[1]
Area	2,337 km^2 (902.3 sq mi)
Demographic	Outer Metropolitan

The Division of Casey is an Australian electoral division in the state of Victoria. The division was created in 1969 and is named for Richard Casey, who was Governor-General of Australia 1965–69.

The division is located in the outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne and extends into the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges. It covers an area of approximately 2,337 square kilometres (902 sq mi). Major suburbs and towns include Chirnside Park, Coldstream, Dixons Creek, Don Valley, Gladysdale, Gruyere, Healesville, Hoddles Creek, Kallista, Kalorama, Kilsyth, Kilsyth South, Launching Place, Lilydale, Millgrove, Monbulk, Mooroolbark, Mount Evelyn, Powelltown, Reefton, Seville, Seville East, Silvan, Wandin, Wandin East, Warburton, Wesburn, Woori Yallock, Yarra Glen, Yarra Junction and Yellingbo, and parts of Bayswater North, Croydon, Croydon South and Montrose.^[2]

The current Member for Casey, since the 2001 federal election, is Tony Smith, a member of the Liberal Party of Australia. Smith has been Speaker of the House since 2015; he is, after Bob Halverson, the second member for this electorate to occupy the chair.

History

When it was created it was a highly marginal seat, and at the 1972 federal election it was regarded as the "litmus seat", which the Australian Labor Party had to win to gain government. Lost when the Liberals won in 1975, Labor picked it up again when Labor regained government in 1983. However, a redistribution ahead of the following year's election made Casey marginally Liberal. The Liberals retook the seat in that election and have held it since then. Demographic changes have also contributed in making Casey a fairly safe seat for the Liberal Party, although in a redistribution ahead of the 2013 federal election pushed the seat further north into the upper Yarra Valley, estimated to halve the Liberal two-party preferred majority of 4.2 per cent.^[3]

Prominent members to have represented Casey include Bob Halverson, who was Speaker of the House of Representatives 1996–98; Michael Wooldridge, who served as Minister for Health in the first five years of the Howard government (1996–2001); and the present MP Tony Smith, Speaker since 2015.^[3]

Members

Member		Party	Term
	Peter Howson	Liberal	1969–1972
	Race Mathews	Labor	1972–1975
	Peter Falconer	Liberal	1975–1983
	Peter Steedman	Labor	1983–1984
	Bob Halverson	Liberal	1984–1998
	Michael Wooldridge	Liberal	1998–2001
	Tony Smith	Liberal	2001–present

Election results

Australian federal election, 2013: Casey[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Tony Smith	43,538	49.18	+3.06
	Labor	Cathy Farrell	24,651	27.85	−8.71
	Greens	Steve Meacher	9,641	10.89	−1.26
	Palmer United	Milton Wilde	4,413	4.98	+4.98
	Family First	Gary Coombes	2,370	2.68	−2.10
	Independent	Jeanette McRae	1,358	1.53	+1.53
	Christians	Mike Brown	1,126	1.27	+1.27
	Country Alliance	Jeffrey Leake	986	1.11	+1.11
	Rise Up Australia	Paul Barbieri	446	0.50	+0.50
Total formal votes			88,529	95.38	−0.23
Informal votes			4,291	4.62	+0.23
Turnout			92,820	95.00	+0.52
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Tony Smith	50,615	57.17	+5.31
	Labor	Cathy Farrell	37,914	42.83	−5.31
	Liberal hold		Swing	+5.31

References

1. "Two Party Preferred by division for Casey, Vic". Virtual Tally Room, Election 2013. Australian Electoral Commission. 27 September 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
2. "Profile of the electoral division of Casey (Vic)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
3. Green, Antony (11 October 2013). "Federal election 2013: Casey results". Australia Votes (Australia: ABC). Retrieved 25 November 2013.

External links

• Division of Casey - Australian Electoral Commission

Coordinates: 37°46′23″S 145°24′00″E / 37.773°S 145.400°E