Celia Hammond (Lib-Curtin) – Maiden Speech

This is the maiden speech to the House of Representatives by the Liberal member for Curtin, Celia Hammond.

Hammond won the Western Australian seat at the May 18, 2019 elections. A lawyer, she is the former vice-chancellor of the University of Notre Dame. She succeeds the former deputy leader of the Liberal Party, Julie Bishop, who held the seat between 1998 and 2019.

Curtin is an inner metropolitan electorate in Perth. It includes suburbs such as Churchlands, Claremont, Cotteslow, Glendalough, Mosman Part, Nedlands, Peppermint Grove, Subiaco and Woodlands. Created in 1949, Hammond is its fifth member. The seat has always been held by the Liberal Party, except for the 1996 election, when the disendorsed Liberal member, Allan Rocher, was re-elected as an independent member.

There was a 6.37% two-party-preferred swing against the Liberal Party. Hammond finished with 64.33% of the two-party vote. The Liberal Party won 54.18% of the primary vote, a decrease of 11.32%. The ALP’s primary vote was 17.62%, an increase of 1.91%. The Greens polled 15.55%, up 1.35%.

Listen to Hammond’s speech (27m):

Watch Hammond’s speech (31m):

Transcript of maiden speech by Celia Hammond, Liberal member for Curtin.

The SPEAKER: Before I call the honourable member for Curtin, I remind honourable members that this is her first speech. I therefore ask that the usual courtesies be extended to her.

Ms HAMMOND (Curtin) (12:26): The House of Representatives begins each day with an acknowledgement of the traditional custodians of the land and the opportunity to say a prayer. And so I start my first speech here today by acknowledging and paying my respects to the elders of the Ngunawal and Nambri peoples, who are the traditional custodians of the Canberra area; the Whadjuk Noongar people, who are the traditional custodians of the land I call home; and the Ballardong Noongar people, the traditional custodians of the land on which I was born. As a person of faith, I also start by giving thanks to God. [Read more…]


MPs Who Won Their Seats On First Preferences In The 2016 Federal Election

Just under a third of the seats in the House of Representatives were decided on first preference (primary) votes at the 2016 Federal Election.

By definition, these seats are the most secure for the various parties, since preference distribution cannot change the result. The winner has already secured an absolute majority of at least 50%+1 over every other candidate.

Of the 150 electorates, 48 (32%) were won on the primary vote. There were 53 such seats (35%) at the 2013 election. In 2004, 89 seats (59%) were decided on first preferences.

The Liberal Party was most successful, winning 27 of the 48 seats (56%), including 12 in NSW. The Liberal wins covered 4 states.

The Nationals won 5 seats (10%), including 3 in NSW, giving the coalition 32, or 67% of the total.

The ALP won 16 (33%) of the seats, including 10 in NSW. It won 6 seats in Victoria, but failed to win any more in other states or territories.

Seats Won On Primary Votes – 2016 Federal Election
Party NSW Vic Qld WA Total
Liberal Party
12
8
4
3
27
The Nationals
3
2
5
Australian Labor Party
10
6
16
TOTAL
25
16
4
3
48

 
NSW was the only state to have a majority of seats (25 of 47, or 53%) won on primary votes. In Victoria, 16 seats out of 37 (43%) were won on first preferences. Western Australia recorded 19% and Queensland 13%.

The two smallest states, South Australia and Tasmania, had no seats decided on primaries. The four seats in the two territories all went to preferences. [Read more…]


Seats That Swung To The Coalition In The 2016 Federal Election

As counting proceeds in the 2016 House of Representatives elections, it appears that only 16 seats resisted the nationwide swing to the ALP.

Fifteen seats held by the Liberal Party and 1 seat held by The Nationals recorded swings away from the ALP. Thirteen of these seats were already held by the Coalition.

The swings range from 0.09% in Cook to 3.04% in Deakin.

The Liberal Party won just one seat from the ALP, the Melbourne electorate of Chisholm, with a swing of 2.91%.

The national two-party-preferred swing against the Coalition currently stands at 3.16%. Every State and Territory swung to the ALP, ranging from 0.72% in the Australian Capital Territory to 8.90% in South Australia.

The Coalition won the State two-party-preferred contest in NSW (50.42%), Queensland (53.95%) and Western Australia (54.54%). [Read more…]