Electoral district of Bass

This article is about the Victorian state electorate. For the Tasmanian federal electorate, see Division of Bass. For the Tasmanian state electorate, see Division of Bass (state).
Bass
VictoriaLegislative Assembly

Location of Bass (dark green) in Victoria
State Victoria
Created 2002
MP Brian Paynter
Party Liberal Party of Australia
Electors 44,492 (2014)
Area 1,383 km2 (534.0 sq mi)
Demographic Rural

The Electoral district of Bass is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It covers an area of 1,383 square kilometres (534 sq mi) south east of Melbourne, stretching from outer suburban Pakenham through rural areas to the coast at Inverloch and Phillip Island. It includes the towns of Bass, Cape Patterson, Corinella, Cowes, Grantville, Inverloch, Kilcunda, Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Rhyll, San Remo, Ventnor, Wonthaggi, and part of suburban Pakenham. It lies within the Eastern Victoria Region of the upper house, the Legislative Council.[1]

Bass was created in a redistribution for the 2002 election. It largely replaced the abolished electorate of Gippsland West, held by independent Susan Davies. However, the seat is located in traditional Liberal territory, and on the new boundaries it was marginally Liberal on a "traditional" two-party basis. Davies contested Bass, but was defeated by Liberal candidate Ken Smith, who had been the member for the relevant Legislative Council seat of Gippsland Province since 1988. Smith's win was the only Liberal gain in an election which saw Labor score its biggest-ever victory in Victoria.

Smith did not face serious opposition at the 2006 election. at which Bass returned to being a safe Liberal seat as its predecessor had been. He was reelected almost as easily at the 2010 election. He subsequently served as Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 2010 to 2014.[2]

Smith retired at the 2014 state election after losing the speakership in February 2014, when he lost the support of balance of power independent MP Geoff Shaw. Brian Paynter, a local accountant, succeeded him as Liberal candidate and member for Bass.[2]

Members for Bass

MemberPartyTerm
  Ken Smith Liberal 2002–2014
  Brian Paynter Liberal 2014–present

Election results

Victorian state election, 2014: Bass
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Brian Paynter 18,008 45.3 −10.2
Labor Sanjay Nathan 11,659 29.4 +0.6
Independent Clare Le Serve 4,289 10.8 +10.8
Greens Ross Fairhurst 3,613 9.1 −2.6
Country Alliance David Amor 969 2.4 −0.9
Christians Paul Reid 651 1.6 +1.6
Rise Up Australia Angela Dorian 524 1.3 +1.3
Total formal votes 39,713 94.6 −0.7
Informal votes 2,272 5.4 +0.7
Turnout 41,985 94.4 +6.1
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Brian Paynter 21,664 54.6 −7.8
Labor Sanjay Nathan 18,049 45.4 +7.8
Liberal hold Swing −7.8

References

  1. "Bass District profile". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Bass - Victorian Election 2014". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 December 2014.

External links


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