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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…]


Informal Vote Declines In Federal Election; Sydney Again Records Highest Rates

The percentage of informal votes in the 2016 House of Representatives elections dropped by 0.86% to 5.05%.

The informal vote is the lowest since 2004, when it was 5.2%. Informals declined in every State and Territory, apart from the Northern Territory, which has recorded the highest rate of 7.35%, an increase of 1.05%.

Other than NSW and the NT, all States and Territories recorded an informal vote of less than 5%. In NSW, the informal percentage was 6.17%.

Whilst the highest informal vote in an individual seat outside NSW is 8.84% in Murray (Vic), NSW has 9 seats with an informal vote above 8%. As in previous elections, these are all Labor-held electorates in Sydney with high proportions of non-English speaking residents.

The highest informal vote in an individual electorate was recorded in Lindsay, where it reached 11.77%. The seat of Blaxland, once held by former Labor prime minister Paul Keating, had 11.55%, the second highest.

The Victorian seat of Kooyong recorded the lowest informal vote of any of the country’s 150 electorates – just 1.99%. Kooyong was once held by former Liberal prime minister Sir Robert Menzies. [Read more…]


Anthony Albanese To Run Again In Grayndler

Anthony Albanese has announced that he will run again in his Sydney electorate of Grayndler

The proposed redistribution of NSW electoral boundaries led to speculation that Albanese might contest Barton but final changes have improved the ALP’s margin in Grayndler. The ABC’s Antony Green has calculated the new margin as 18.1% in the ALP’s favour.

Albanese has held Grayndler since 1996. A safe Labor seat, it was created in 1949 and has been represented by Fred Daly (1949-75), Tony Whitlam (1975-77), Frank Stewart (1977-79), Leo McLeay (1979-93) and Jeannette McHugh (1993-96).

  • Watch Albanese interviewed on the ABC (11m)

Statement by Anthony Albanese.

Albanese to nominate for Grayndler

I will be nominating for preselection to contest the next federal election as the Labor Candidate for Grayndler. [Read more…]


Anthony Albanese (ALP-Grayndler) – Maiden Speech

Anthony Albanese was first elected to the Sydney seat of Grayndler at the 1996 federal election.

  • Listen to Albanese’s maiden speech (22m)
  • Watch Albanese (22m)

Hansard transcript of Anthony Albanese’s Maiden Speech to the House of Representatives.

AlbaneseMr ALBANESE (5.00 p.m.) —I am very honoured to enter this chamber as the representative of the Australian Labor Party for the electorate of Grayndler. I would like to sincerely thank the electors of Grayndler for showing confidence in my ability to represent their interests. I would also like to thank the over 1,000 party members in Grayndler who worked so hard during the election campaign to ensure the seat remained with Labor. I believe that my campaign team, led by the best young campaign director in the country, Tim Gartrell, was second to none. [Read more…]