Seat of the week: Parramatta

The electorate of Parramatta has existed without interruption since federation, shrinking over time from Sydney’s broad north-western outskirts into the immediate area of the town itself. It presently extends from the Parramatta town centre southwards to Granville, westwards to Wentworthville, northwards to Carlingford and eastwards to Rydalmere. This area is distinguished by a high level of ethnic diversity, being home to particularly large Chinese, Indian and Lebanese communities.

Parramatta was once a conservative stronghold, having only been won for Labor prior to 1977 with the election of Jim Scullin’s government in 1929. Notable members included Joseph Cook, who held the seat for its first 20 years and served as Liberal prime minister from June 1913 to September 1914; Sir Garfield Barwick, member from 1958 to 1964, who served as External Affairs Minister and Attorney-General in the Menzies government before going on to an immensely controversial tenure as Chief Justice of the High Court; and Philip Ruddock, who began his parliamentary career after winning the seat at a by-election in September 1973, adding 7.0% to what had been an extremely narrow margin in 1972.

The watershed in the seat’s history came with a redistribution in 1977 that effectively changed the existing seat’s name to Dundas, of which Philip Ruddock became the inaugural member, while creating a new seat of Parramatta that extended deep into Sydney’s Labor-voting west. The newly safe Labor seat was won by John Brown, the Hawke government Tourism Minister remembered for his dislike of koalas and inappropriate use of his ministerial desk. Brown resigned as minister in 1987 after admitting (which he would later retract) that he had misled parliament, and he was succeeded in Parramatta by Paul Elliott in 1990.

Redistributions in 1984 and 1993 returned the seat to the marginal column by pulling it back to the east, reducing the margin to 1.0% ahead of the 1993 election. Elliott was able to increase his margin on that occasion, but he was unseated by a 7.1% swing in 1996. Incoming Liberal member Ross Cameron held out against a relatively mild swing of 1.1% in 1998, and further survived a highly unfavourable redistribution that pushed the electorate southwards in 2001 by picking up a swing of 3.6%. Shortly before the 2004 election he felt compelled to tell Fairfax’s Good Weekend magazine that he had committed numerous infidelities throughout his married life, and he emerged from the election as one of only three Coalition members to have lost their seat.

Labor’s new member was Julie Owens, classically trained pianist, former chief executive of the Association of Independent Record Labels and member of the Left faction. Owens faced an early challenge when another substantial distribution ahead of the 2007 election pushed the seat back to the north, but she easily accounted for the notional Liberal margin of 0.8% with a 7.7% swing consistent with the western Sydney trend. The redistribution pendulum swung heavily the other way when the seat absorbed the northern half of its abolished southern neighbour Reid ahead of the 2010 election, boosting the margin to 9.5%. There were suggestions this might result in Owens contesting Greenway, which took over the western end of the old Parramatta around Pendle Hill and Kings Langley, with Parramatta going to Owens’ factional mentor, Reid MP Laurie Ferguson. However, Ferguson was instead accommodated in Werriwa and Owens stayed put, surviving a 5.5% swing that reduced her margin to 4.4%.

The Liberals have preselected Martin Zaiter, a 29-year-old partner in a local accountancy firm, who was chosen ahead of a field that included the unsuccessful candidate from 2010, engineer Charles Camenzuli. There has been ongoing speculation over the years that Ross Cameron might seek a return to politics, but invariably in relation to other seats.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

1,948 comments on “Seat of the week: Parramatta”

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  1. Bludgers may be interested to know that the photo of the toddler in Sydney holding the Behead all Enemies of the Prophet sign is getting lots of play in the world media. Such a great advertisement for Australia. It’s hard to think of how the Muslim community could have done itself more damage than by this stupid rampage.

  2. bluegreen

    I’m battling with my reluctance to let the riffraff in but agree it would be a killer campaign slogan!

    (…hand out HTVs for us and we’ll throw in a couple of slightly used virgins as well…)

  3. [It stretches credulity to its limits to suggest otherwise, regardless of whether you agree with the substance of the allegations.]

    You guys don’t get out much do you?

  4. A bit strange that rummel’s wife is away (and apparently has been for a couple of days) and yet he knows that the Abbott stuff hasn’t made any impact on her.

  5. [(…hand out HTVs for us and we’ll throw in a couple of slightly used virgins as well…)]

    Post their photos and we might have a deal 🙂

  6. Blue green

    I chose my friends that i am compataible with

    Then i don’t have to endeavor to just make small talk

    Of course many people we know nothing about just ships in the night

  9. [ I would not go that far. 🙂 ]

    OK! But maybe it mightn’t hurt to think a bit before posting something.

    Most of them here think you’re OK! There’s nothing wrong with having a reputation like that.

    Then again, there’s the alternative. Your choice. Hate to see you make the wrong one.

  12. [zoomster
    Posted Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 9:07 pm | Permalink

    A bit strange that rummel’s wife is away (and apparently has been for a couple of days) and yet he knows that the Abbott stuff hasn’t made any impact on her.]

    To be fair, I suspect he has worked out how to use a telephone.

  17. [zoomster
    Posted Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 9:07 pm | Permalink
    A bit strange that rummel’s wife is away (and apparently has been for a couple of days) and yet he knows that the Abbott stuff hasn’t made any impact on her.]

    You know they have invented phones and i do try and talk to my wife at least one day a week, the other six days are hers 🙂

  18. [zoomster
    Posted Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 9:07 pm | Permalink
    A bit strange that rummel’s wife is away (and apparently has been for a couple of days) and yet he knows that the Abbott stuff hasn’t made any impact on her.]
    rummel’s still in the stage of whispering sweet nothings in shell pinks – and not listening.

    He’ll probably find that his careless shit-stirring over politics was way out of line, but only when it’s too late.

    And then he say, in a bewildered tone: “What happened?”

  20. Kezza2

    I would prefer it if you read more widely, understood the issues better, and stopped selling JG short, that’s all.

    It’s not about what you or I prefer. It’s about what is. I’d prefer the electorate would see how well Gillard has managed a very precarious parliament. It doesn’t mean they should or they will.

    I’d prefer many people on here focused on the real problem which is how the PM is viewed by swinging voters and how ridiculously difficult it is to persuade them with a communication strategy designed to target the base instead of the centre. Will it happen? I severely doubt it

  23. [He’ll probably find that his careless shit-stirring over politics was way out of line, but only when it’s too late.]

    Thanks for the advice Kezza.

  24. rummel

    I realised that telephonic communications would have taken place…I still find it a bit of a stretch to assume that, because she didn’t mention Abbott thumping walls, she hadn’t registered the event.

    I’m a highly political person, and I don’t waste my phone calls home chattering about the political events of the last few days (as I assume my beloveds have access to newspapers and TV, those other modern inventions, and don’t need me to tell them what’s been happening..)

  28. [docantk
    Posted Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 9:16 pm | Permalink
    Only 15 sitting parliamentary days left this year.

    JG and LOTO in WA for the next 2.

    Only 13 more SOSO to go]

    I can’t believe I can actually follow this post.

    I seriously need to get a life.

  29. spur212

    yep, I see your problem.

    You can’t admit JG’s a star, and you don’t want to advocate for her.
    Whatever.

    You can’t even concede that Abbott’s horrific punchgate week will burst a few bubbles.

    Pity.You used to be a glass half-ful sort of guy.
    Now you’re a glass half-empty.

    Enjoy your moroseness.

    the rest of us will take up your slack, and you can thank us after the election in 2013.

    Okay?

  31. [Psephos
    Posted Sunday, September 16, 2012 at 9:05 pm | Permalink

    Bludgers may be interested to know that the photo of the toddler in Sydney holding the Behead all Enemies of the Prophet sign is getting lots of play in the world media. Such a great advertisement for Australia. It’s hard to think of how the Muslim community could have done itself more damage than by this stupid rampage.]

    It’s meant to intimidate, third world dictators use the same method on its population, respect through fear, violence solves all disputes.

    [Such a great advertisement for Australia]

    I think others will see it for what it is, radical Muslims extremists causing problems in a Australia.

  34. [I hardly think one idiot parent is somehow representative of the Muslim community. ]

    Well, it’s up to the rest of the Muslim community to demonstrate this is so. Let’s have a demo by Muslims for Freedom of Speech and Religion.

  35. Rossmore,

    [ Psephos I hardly think one idiot parent is somehow representative of the Muslim community. Show some bloody restraint. ]

    Blimey, could you imaging shoving one of your progeny out in front of the world’s media, gleefully holding such a sign up?

    I don’t think Psephos is out of order whatsoever here.

    Although I’ve often known to be wrong.

  37. [Well, it’s up to the rest of the Muslim community to demonstrate this is so. Let’s have a demo by Muslims for Freedom of Speech and Religion.]

    Why do those who didn’t attend have to do anything. Are there concentration camps and gas chambers for anyone who doesn’t pass your test of good person?

  38. [Well, it’s up to the rest of the Muslim community to demonstrate this is so. Let’s have a demo by Muslims for Freedom of Speech and Religion.]

    Do Christians who don’t fire bomb abortion clinics need to get out there and protest for abortion or face the wrath of Psephos?

    Please.

  39. Troy Bramston relates:

    [Troy Bramston‏@TroyBramston

    I’ll be reporting the latest #Newspoll tonight at 11pm on @SkyNewsAust + full details in tomorrow’s @australian (It’s a cracker!) #auspol]

    So perhaps we’ll be hearing something in half an hour or so.

  40. Scorpio one parent’s behavior should not not lead to the conclusion that an entire community/religion/race is somehow responsible for the parent’s actions.

  43. Psephos: Insult all those who prophesy beheading!

    I still remember standing on the mound in York where the Christian townsfolk burned all the local Jews to death. That was of course in the C3th

  45. Wot’s the MILF ever done for us?

    Aqueducts? Sanitation? Roads? Irrigation? Education? Public baths?

    Nah.

    Peace?

    Now you’re talking … utter wubbish.

  50. I am no apologist for any religion, I’m with the Christopher Hitchens school of thought on this subject, but when normally sane people start having a go at Muslims (or Christians or Jews) because of the actions of one silly parent I get VERY BLOODY CROSS. This is a big call, but I reckon it’s racist and has no place in a modern, secular, democratic society.

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