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| Teal numbers indicate booths with two-party majorities for the Liberal National Party. Red numbers would indicate booths with two-party majorities for Labor, if there were any. Click for larger image. Map boundaries courtesy of Ben Raue at The Tally Room. |
McPherson is the southernmost coastal electorate in Queensland, covering the Gold Coast from Coolangatta at the New South Wales border north through Tugun and Palm Beach to Burleigh Heads, and extending inland to Robina and Merrimac in the north and the semi-rural Tallebudgera and Currumbin river valleys further south. An area of intensive and ongoing population growth, the most recent redistribution before the 2010 election saw it lose 5600 voters at the inland end of the electorate to the newly created seat of Wright without it needing to receive any new territory in return. The regional is demographically unremarkable on most measures, excepting a lack of ethnic diversity and a slightly above-average median age.
The electorate was created with the expansion of parliament in 1949, prior to which the Gold Coast had been accommodated by Moreton, which was pushed over time into its present position in southern Brisbane. McPherson has since been anchored in the state’s south-eastern corner, at first extending much further inland to include Beaudesert and Warwick. Its inaugural member was Arthur Fadden, a leader of the Country Party who briefly served as Prime Minister after Robert Menzies’ resignation in August 1941. After six weeks in the role he was defeated in parliament when he lost the support of two key independents, although the beleagured United Australia Party continued to support him as Opposition Leader until the 1943 election defeat. Fadden moved to the newly created seat in 1949 after previously serving as member for Darling Downs, which has since been re-named as Groom. He held the seat until his retirement in 1958, at which point he was succeeded by another Country Party member, Charles Barnes.
The rapid development of the Gold Coast changed the electorate’s complexion in the decades following the war, drawing it away from its rural base and towards the coast and weakening its identity as a Country Party stronghold. When Charles Barnes retired in 1972, Liberal candidate Eric Robinson won the seat after narrowly edging out the Country Party candidate in the preference count. The electorate was at the centre of a political controversy in 1978 when it was alleged that Robinson, then a minister in Malcolm Fraser’s government, had sought to influence the electoral redistribution commissioners after they determined to change the electorate’s name to Gold Coast, which under the terms of the coalition agreement would have entitled the National Country Party to contest the “new” seat. A royal commission into the matter cleared Robinson of wrongdoing but found another minister, Reg Withers (who had won fame as the Opposition’s Senate leader during the 1975 crisis), to have acted improperly. This resulted in Withers’ dismissal by Fraser, to the chagrin of many in the Liberal Party. Robinson went on to resign from the ministry the following year over an unrelated falling-out with Fraser.
Robinson died in January 1981 and was succeeded at the ensuing by-election by Liberal candidate Peter White. White won an easy victory with help from Labor preferences over National Country Party candidate Glenister Sheil, who had resigned from the Senate to run at the by-election and would later return to it in 1984. Sheil had won a position in the ministry in 1977 only to lose it before being sworn in for expressing support for South Africa’s apartheid system. Peter White held the seat until his retirement at the 1990 election, by which time the National Party was no longer competitive in the area at the federal level. He was succeeded by John Bradford, who went on to quit the Liberal Party in 1998 to join Fred Nile’s Christian Democratic Party, standing unsuccessfully as its Queensland Senate candidate at the election later that year. The seat then passed on to Margaret May, who won Liberal preselection from a field that included former Brisbane lord mayor Sallyanne Atkinson.
When May announced her retirement ahead of the 2010 election, Liberal front-bencher Peter Dutton sought to move to the seat in preference to his ultra-marginal existing seat of Dickson in Brisbane’s outer north. However, it quickly became apparent that local party operatives who had been jockeying for the succession were not going to be deterred, despite Dutton’s move having the backing of John Howard and then-Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull. The result was a rebuff for Dutton, who was said to have come within a handful of votes of victory on the first round of the local preselection ballot but was ultimately defeated by Karen Andrews, a Gold Coast businesswoman and chair of the party’s local federal electorate council. The prospect of the party’s state executive intervening by refusing to ratify the result was promptly ruled out amid talk of a potential rebellion in the local party. Dutton was accordingly compelled to remain in Dickson, which he had no trouble retaining amid the much-changed political circumstances which prevailed by the time the election was held. Andrews meanwhile picked up successive swings of 1.6% and 2.7% to hold the seat by a margin of 13.0% after the 2013 election.
[Few more failures than successes our navy]
That collision was 100% the fault of the Evans.
Bushfire Bill
[I’m certain Prince Harry has seen and bedded a lot “hotter” than Tony Abbott’s daughters.
Their thighs are too big, suggesting “horsey” status at some point in the not too distant future, and their tits are too small.
Their noses are too long for their faces and they have no brains at all.
They are, frankly, average twenty-something girls, who look their best in their youth but who will rapidly go to seed.]
What a bloody disgraceful comment from a bloke who has written reams about the sexist bullshit aimed at Gillard.
And here you are demeaning these young women for their appearance, and whether or not you find them attractive.
And concluding that they are not intelligent at all based on your degrading observations.
Pathetic.
The celebrations on Sydney Harbour today and tonight marking 100 years of the RAN were just magnificent. The atmosphere among friends, rellies and the neighbourhood was one of pride and joy at our wonderful country and wonderful servicemen and women, a country now hopefully under proper governance as Sydney showcased our nation. It’s great to see a PM who shares the joy and aspiration. Imagine a shmuck like Keating being in power on such an occasion or another Labor leftie (Hawke would have been acceptable). So Rudd-Gillard deserve kudos for making sure they were voted out of our sight prior to this historic national event.
Now where in the world could one find people who would knock this celebration of our history, or bitch about it malevolently? Hey, I know, the loonie left brigade who post here, with no offence to William who nobly hosts this site or to the sane left posters who love their country. So hullo to … you know who your are – eat your hearts out! (Well, someone had to say it!)
Any idea what this is about?
Matt Cunningham @MattCunningham4 13m
Big scoop from James Campbell in tomorrow’s Sunday Herald Sun. Questions to answer tomorrow for @TonyAbbottMHR #auspol
‘Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel’, well hello there Mick
Tony doesn’t do answers
Yes it is good to see public servants (Navy personnel) being celebrated.
We are an island and need a strong navy, which is just another reason why the public service should be valued.
outside left@155
With Thick Mick, you have to wonder what country he is patriotic about. He has made his divided loyalties clear on numerous occasions.
Mick 77
You meanie!
I’m all choked up.
The bit about a Pug Monkey who shares joy and aspirations was especially touching.
All he has to do now is add a bit of integrity and competence and he’ll be a thoroughly well rounded leader.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/a-whole-lot-of-love-for-a-subject-of-hate-20131004-2uzqy.html
outside left
appropriate name for such a post
[Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel]
OMG there 23 million scoundrels in Oz … and a few who hate their country and its heritage who are very much on the “outside left”.
kezza2@152
I am surprised this is the first time you have noticed such things from this source.
The Sunday ToiletPaper can be avoided tomorrow going by the front page
http://twitter.com/sundayteleed/status/386446472553574400/photo/1
Mick, I love Australia, but I will never be called a patriot. That kind of jingoism is for lightweights like yourself
As I have said all along, and it is paraded in quantity here such as @153, the red necks love the “I honour the flag, serve the Queen blah, blah blah”
I saw so many graves in Flanders not so long ago – all so young – not to mention those in Anzac Cove. All so much waste for the Imperial Dream.
They all died for “King and Country”. The same crap as the right wing would want back today if it had its way.
The best comment I saw was at one place where an Aussie had written, “Such a long way to come to die for nothing”.
And to think the remnants of the “Your Country Wants You” guff come here and slag off at “the loonie left brigade”.
Scratch some conservatives and find nascent fascists underneath.
That’s the trouble with the red necks. The confuse love of country with love of the military and all that marching up and down – all that “discipline” they would dearly love to impose on everyone.
outside left@164
Well said!
Uri Avenery says he pities Netanyahu.at the UN ..so alone and friendless there
______________
Avenary,,,a noted Jewish writer,former MP in Israeli and founded of the Israeli” Peace Now Movement” .looks at the tedious ,over-bearing manner of Netanyahu before the UN..,.and understands why most delagetes left the hall….they have heard it all before…as obviously had Pres. Obama who looked tired and bored and cross in his Presser with Netanyahu…no smiles in the Oval Office for Netanyahu now…especially now with the new opening to Iran
A great article from a noted Jewish/Israeli writer
http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/10/04/netanyahu-at-the-un/
outside left
The thing that i find interesting about right wingers who get excited about the arm forces and how we should show respect and in the case of those that have actually been to a battlefield and been shot at do deserve respect but many of these right wingers then rant and rave that public servants are a blight on us all yet army personal are public servants.
The big mistake those in Sydney make, time and time again is to believe what happens in Sydney is what is happening in the rest of Australia.
I doubt whether anybody in Perth either watched or gave a stuff about the naval stuff.
Herald’s p1 headline is “Abbott refunds wedding money”
Mick77
By Jingo Mick!
It’s so good to be now under “proper governance”, continuing lies by Pug Monkey, silencing of the press, 8 or 10 broken promises in 3 weeks, many ministers doing 180 degree changes, Pug Monkey who still can’t make a ceremonial speech without crass political inclusions ……. things are so “adult” now.
And by osmosis, the border security crisis is over, the budget emergency have been cured, and now it’s quite OK for more debt to be run up.
Magic!
Mick, out of interest, do you have a flag pole in your front yard? Thought so. I considered one, but flying ‘the jolly roger’ or even ‘the Eureka stockade model’ probably would p**s off my elderly conservative neighbours, tempting as it may be
Tricot@169
I watched and enjoyed it from Melbourne.
It was well done.
My understanding is that a binding vote on marriage equality risks nothing less than a split in the party that would hand power to the Coalition for a generation – as those social conservatives in the Labor Right have indicated that they will cross the floor to vote against it, meaning they would be expelled from the party. No plausible Labor leader will attempt to reverse the conscience vote.
As far as Prince Harry being some kind of bell weather for the love of the monarchy that is really stretching a point.
He is a celebrity and if it was he or Donald Duck they would get equal billing.
I declare my hand.
I think Oliver Cromwell got it right those many years ago.
Patriotic Laborism, as exemplified by Curtin and Hawke, is the highest expression of this country’s values, and it’s a tradition I’m proud to be associated with.
Historical what if?
The first world war was arguably the most unnecessary of all time.
I know that is a big claim as there have been several which have been ridiculous.
Britain wasn’t at risk in 1914 or 1915, sure the Germans at various times looked like overrunning the French but were bogged down.
“We are Labor because we are Australian, and we are Australian because we are Labor.” Arthur Calwell
bemused
[I am surprised this is the first time you have noticed such things from this source.]
Don’t be absurd.
BB doesn’t often come across as a sexist cretin. In fact he’s written many times about his disgust at the crap aimed at Gillard, and women in general.
But to attack Abbott’s daughters, or any young women, especially because it reduces women yet again to their worth being evaluated by their looks alone, is beyond the pale.
And I’ve noticed some Labor women are now trashing the appearance of Coalition/Greens women as if it’s okay because the other side does it, while railing vehemently against that dished out to “our” side.
And they wonder why it continues.
145
The law about marrying Catholics is currently being changed, in all 16 realms (I believe all 16 have to change for the law to take effect), along with the gender neutrality of inheritance.
Bemused 162
Fancy you criticising BB.
Prefrontal cortex spontaneously disinhibiting again I see!
[Britain wasn’t at risk in 1914 or 1915, sure the Germans at various times looked like overrunning the French but were bogged down.]
Britain was one of the guarantors of Belgian neutrality, which the Germans wilfully violated. It’s called honour, old chap.
Bemused
Nothing wrong with a spectacle and the harbour looked great this morning on TV.
I get as much pleasure looking at some of the large liners come in.
It is the guff the militarists make up about this kind of pageant which I am having a go at.
When some of the US, and earlier, British carriers were here in Freo I went to have a look at them. I see them for what they are, instruments of global power, not some kind of throw back to Britannia Rules the Waves crap that red necks espouse.
Yeah that is true but Britain its self wasn’t really at risk.
The Germans did willfully violate Belgian neutrality.
One thing about the first world war, i know Sir John Monash became a the head of the SEC but it is surprising that he never entered parliament.
The Australian Navy and the 2nd Fisher Labor Govt
______________________
Andrew Fisher took office i 1908 and led a minority Labor Govt for 8 months…his Ist Labor Govt
Fisher was a passionate supporter of an Australian Navy…his cnservative opponents weren’t however and this in the end led to his fall in the House in 1909
They Empire Patriots of the Right as they were…wanted to have Australia put up the money to purchases warships for the British Navy….
which might have Australian names and crews..but be under Imperial control
Fisher rejected this nonsense
In 1910 Fisher won power and formed his 2nd Labor Govt with majorities in both Houses
The RAN emerged from his legislation and this anniversary
marks Fisher’s triumph over the local conservatives and their sycophantic attitude to Mother England…in whose name so many Australian would die in vain in the years that followed after 1914
Read full story in Prof David Day’s bio of Andrew Fisher
a Labor lesder of great stature
trawler
Are you referring to the sunday herald Sun?
[Yeah that is true but Britain its self wasn’t really at risk.]
Some countries go to war for reasons other than self-interest. But in fact it was always British policy to prevent any continental power gaining control of the Low Countries. They fought the Spanish and the French there for the same reason.
On the the commonwealth, i wonder if the commonwealth will ever have a free trade agreement.
If it did it would be a major trading block.
kezza2@179
He has on occasions used what I regard as disgusting terminology in referring to women.
Psephos, those are magnificent quotes . Whig, I am a practicing Catholic, with a wide contact range in the Christian Churches. The tide has turned , It is now just a matter of ‘when’
That has been true on many occasions.
The Low Countries have indeed been an important part of British foreign policy as far back as Elizabeth 1, maybe sooner.
Interesting about Sir John Monash. Probably our greatest general ever and he was essentially, a civilian who went to war. No Duntroon for him, though I think he was part of the militia prior to WW1.
His name is famous throughout the Latrobe Valley and his bust was front and centre when the town of Yallourn used to exist.
It makes for an interesting point of debate in a democracy to what extent standing armed forces are needed.
The red necks would have everyone in uniform if they could in the name of “patriotism”.
I wonder how long it will be before we hear calls for National Service to be brought back.
All that discipline sadly lacking currently in the masses doncha know.
Tricot@183
I didn’t find it jingoistic.
It was a quick run through of the history of the RAN which of course was largely on the times it was in action.
There was also a rather poignant remembrance of lost sailors.
[That collision was 100% the fault of the Evans.]
probably
but chop one destroyer in half…regrettable….two…getting a bit careless
Bemused, I am a proud ‘feminist man’ , but I still find myself occasionally say ing something ‘sexist’
outside left@190
Still practicing? Haven’t got it right yet? 😛
Bemused
So be it and I am glad you enjoyed it.
{It was well done.}
the sequencing fireworks with music has jumped aeons in the last few years
The Herald Sun headline. Credlin has Abbott cleaning up aspects of his past, maybe pollie pedal Travel Allowance claims are next?
http://twitter.com/MattCunningham4/status/386453347567276033/photo/1
Tricot@197
I think you would have too.
I was marvelling at the incredible devices they must have used to project images onto the Opera House sails.