Division of Paterson

Paterson Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Paterson (green) within New South Wales
Created	1949
Dates current	1949–84, 1992–present
MP	Bob Baldwin
Party	Liberal
Namesake	Banjo Paterson
Electors	97,107 (2013)[1]
Area	6,652 km^2 (2,568.4 sq mi)
Demographic	Rural
Coordinates	32°24′25″S 151°55′5″E / 32.40694°S 151.91806°ECoordinates: 32°24′25″S 151°55′5″E / 32.40694°S 151.91806°E

The Division of Paterson is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. It is located just north of Newcastle, on the coast of the Tasman Sea. The division is named after federation-era poet and author Banjo Paterson and was originally created in 1949 and abolished in 1984. It was recreated after a redistribution in 1992.

The division extends to the Hunter Valley in the south, the Manning River in the north, and the Great Dividing Range in the west. It includes the towns of Forster, Nelson Bay, Raymond Terrace and Paterson.

The current Member for Paterson, since the 2001 federal election, is Bob Baldwin, a member of the Liberal Party of Australia.

History

Paterson was first created at the redistribution of 11 May 1949. It was named after Banjo Paterson although there is conjecture that it was originally named after Colonel William Paterson who also gave his name to the Paterson River and the town of Paterson, both of which were situated within the electorate.^[2] It was first contested at the 1949 election. At the time it included the towns of Singleton, Maitland and Muswellbrook. Redistributions eventually moved the electorate north until it included Gunnedah and Mudgee. The original electorate was abolished at the 11 October 1984 redistribution.

At the redistribution of 31 January 1992 the electorate was recreated, covering a similar area to the original electorate. It was first contested at the 1993 federal election and was narrowly won by Bob Horne (Labor). After 1993 the seat was continuously exchanged between Horne and Bob Baldwin (Liberal); the seat changed hands in 1996, in 1998 and again in 2001. During this period both Bobs became so well known that name recognition in the division was often in excess of 90% in private party polling.

Horne did not contest the seat at the 2004 election at which Baldwin comfortably defeated a new Labor candidate, former Port Stephens councillor Giovanna Kozary, to retain the seat for the first time. At the 2007 election, Baldwin narrowly defeated new Labor candidate Jim Arneman, a Health Services Union organiser.^[3] Baldwin faced Arneman again in 2010 election and was reelected on a swing of four percent, garnering enough votes to win on the first count. At the 2013 election, Baldwin further consolidated his hold on the seat, again winning enough votes to win on the first count. His nearest competitor was Bay Marshall (Labor).^[1][4]

2015 redistribution

In 2015 the Australian Electoral Commission announced plans to abolish the federation seat of Hunter. Electors in the north of Hunter will join New England. The roughly 40 percent remainder will become part of Paterson, where the Liberal margin is set to be notionally reduced from 9.8 percent to just 0.5 percent as a result. As Hunter is a federation seat, first contested at the inaugural 1901 federal election, the Commission is required to make every effort to retain the name of Hunter. The commission proposes renaming Charlton to Hunter, and in honour of deceased Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, renaming Throsby to Whitlam. Due to changing populations, overall New South Wales loses a seat while Western Australia gets an extra seat.^[5][6]

Members

First incarnation (1949–1984)
Member		Party	Term
	Allen Fairhall	Liberal	1949–1969
	Frank O'Keefe	Country	1969–1975
		National Country	1975–1982
		National	1982–1984
Second incarnation (1993–present)
Member		Party	Term
	Bob Horne	Labor	1993–1996
	Bob Baldwin	Liberal	1996–1998
	Bob Horne	Labor	1998–2001
	Bob Baldwin	Liberal	2001–present

Election results

Australian federal election, 2013: Paterson[1]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Bob Baldwin	46,922	53.86	+2.56
	Labor	Bay Marshall	25,811	29.63	−8.63
	Greens	John Brown	5,812	6.67	+0.68
	Palmer United	Jayson Packett	5,451	6.26	+6.26
	Christian Democrats	Anna Balfour	1,854	2.13	+1.07
	Rise Up Australia	Bob Holz	877	1.01	+1.01
	CEC	Peter Davis	390	0.45	+0.45
Total formal votes			87,117	94.83	+0.47
Informal votes			4,746	5.17	−0.47
Turnout			91,863	94.60	−0.16
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Bob Baldwin	52,080	59.78	+4.45
	Labor	Bay Marshall	35,037	40.22	−4.45
	Liberal hold		Swing	+4.45

References

1. "NSW Division – Paterson, NSW". Virtual Tally Room, Election 2013. Australian Electoral Commission. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
2. "Divisional Profiles: Paterson". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 January 2008.
3. Smee, Ben (22 February 2010). "Bob Baldwin labels challenger Jim Arneman 'union hack'". The Newcastle Herald (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 28 February 2010.
4. Davis, Belinda-Jane (9 April 2013). "Labor selects Marshall in federal battle for Paterson". Maitland Mercury (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 14 April 2013.
5. Australian Electoral Commission to abolish Federal NSW seat of Hunter: ABC 16 October 2015
6. Draft federal redistribution of New South Wales: Poll Bludger

External links

• Division of Paterson – Australian Electoral Commission