This is the maiden speech to the House of Representatives by Josh Burns, the ALP member Macnamara.
Burns, 32, was most recently a senior adviser to the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews.
A former state candidate, Burns succeeds Michael Danby in the seat formerly known as Melbourne Ports. Danby held Melbourne Ports for just over 20 years.
Raised in Caulfield, Burns, is the grandson of a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany. He attended Mt Scopus College and Monash University.
Macnamara is named after Dame Annie Jeam Macnamara DBE (1899-1968), a medical researched and doctor who worked on the polio virus. The electorate includes the suburbs of Port Melbourne, Albert Park, South Melbourne, St Kilda, Elsternwick and Caulfield.
Burns secured 56.25% of the two-party-preferred vote, a swing to the ALP of 5.04%. The ALP primary vote rose by 5.24% to 31.78%. The Liberal Party won 37.37% of the primary vote, a decline of 4.60%. The Greens polled 24.24%, an increase of 0.08%.
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Hansard transcript of maiden speech to the House of Representatives by Josh Burns, ALP member for Macnamara.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Andrews): The question is that the address be agreed to. Before I call the honourable member for Macnamara, I remind the House that this is the honourable member’s first speech and I ask members to extend to him the usual courtesies.
Mr BURNS (Macnamara) (16:03): I’m extremely grateful to be standing here in this place to represent the people of Macnamara. It is my privilege to stand here on the lands of the Ngunawal and Ngambri people, the traditional owners of this place, and I pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.
The electorate of Macnamara is set by the Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne on lands walked on for thousands of years by the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin nation. Today I come with a message for our parliament from the Boonwurrung. With your indulgence, I’d like to share their words: [Read more…]
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten was in Adelaide to claim victory in Hindmarsh with Steve Georganas (pictured), who returns to parliament as the member for the seat he represented between 2004 and 2013. At the close of counting today, the ALP’s lead was 588 votes, or 50.31%. There are 5,514 votes still to count but there is no doubt that Georganas will win. There are only 791 postal votes remaining and 2,663 absentee votes. The ALP is securing 56.06% of the latter. 
The inner Melbourne electorate includes Port Melbourne, Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, St. Kilda, Elwood, Balaclava and Caulfield, and has been held by the ALP since 1906. In that 110-year period, it has had just 5 members.