Seat of the week: Curtin

Despite bearing the name of one of Labor’s greatest heroes, and covering his old home turf of Cottesloe, the Perth seat of Curtin is blue in tooth and claw. Julie Bishop has held the seat since she unseated a conservative independent in 1998.

Blue and red numbers respectively indicate booths with two-party majorities for the Liberal and Labor parties. Click for larger image. Map boundaries courtesy of Ben Raue at The Tally Room.

Julie Bishop’s seat of Curtin covers Perth’s most affluent and Liberal-friendly areas, from Mosman Park and Cottesloe north along the coast to the southern part of Scarborough, and along the northern shore of the Swan River through the prestige suburbs of Peppermint Grove and Dalkeith. An area of relative Labor strength is provided by the area immediately west of the city. The electorate was created with the expansion of parliament in 1949, prior to which the Perth metropolitan area had been divided in highly variable fashion between Perth and Fremantle, with each consistently accounting for some of the area of modern Curtin. Curtin was originally limited to Perth’s inner west, with Fremantle continuing to extend up the coast as far as City Beach, before acquiring its coastal orientation with the redistribution of 1955. Fremantle was thereafter concentrated more to the south of the river, although its present northern limit at the suburban boundary of North Fremantle and Mosman Park was not established until 1984.

Despite bearing the name of a Labor Party legend, Curtin has been a blue-ribbon Liberal seat since its creation, being held first by prime ministerial contender and future Governor-General Paul Hasluck, and then by Victor Garland, a minister in the McMahon and Fraser governments. Garland’s resignation in early 1981 led to a preselection brawl in which the then Premier, Sir Charles Court, marshaled forces behind Allan Rocher to thwart Fred Chaney’s ambition to move from the Senate to the House, which he would eventually realise when he became member for Pearce in 1990. Rocher was defeated for preselection ahead of the 1996 election by Ken Court, son of the aforementioned Charles and brother of Richard, who was then Premier. This greatly displeased the newly reinstalled federal Liberal leader, John Howard, who did little to assist Court’s election campaign or to dispel the conception that he owed his preselection to controversial party powerbroker Noel Crichton-Browne. Rocher was thus easily able to retain his seat as an independent on Labor preferences, while a similar story played out in the northern suburbs seat of Moore.

Curtin returned to the Liberal fold in 1998 when Rocher was defeated by a new Liberal candidate, Julie Bishop, who had previously been a managing partner at law firm Clayton Utz. Bishop’s early career progress within the Howard government was reckoned to have been constrained by her ties to Peter Costello, and in the wake of the Coalition’s 2001 state election defeat she signed on to an abortive scheme to move into state politics to succeed Richard Court as Liberal leader. She eventually won promotion to Ageing Minister in 2003, and attained cabinet rank as Education, Science and Training Minister in January 2006. Reflecting the continuing strong performance of the party’s Western Australian branch, she was elevated to the deputy leadership in the wake of the 2007 election defeat. Her success in maintaining that position under three leaders reportedly led internal critics to dub her “the cockroach”, although dissatisfaction with her performance as Shadow Treasurer caused her to be reassigned to foreign affairs in January 2009. She retained the portfolio throughout the remaining years in opposition, further serving in the shadow portfolio of trade after the 2010 election, and was confirmed as Foreign Minister with the election of the Abbott government in September 2013.

UPDATE: Channel Seven has reported the ReachTEL poll conducted on Thursday night found only 28% believe the government’s new policies to stop boat arrivals were working versus 49% who don’t, while 56% say the government should announce boat arrivals when they happen. Last night it was reported that 53% think the Prime Minister should deliver the explanation for spying activities demanded by Indonesia, while 34% say he shouldn’t; and that 38% support Australia’s bugging activities with 39% opposed. It appears Channel Seven are sitting on voting intention numbers.

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.

1,517 comments on “Seat of the week: Curtin”

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  1. [Mod Lib
    Posted Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 8:49 pm | PERMALINK
    What a fantastic weekend! 😉

    Ashes win: tick
    Golf World Cup win: tick
    Fantastic Dr Who unifying episode: tick]

    And the Libs have demonstrated that they wont get rid of the PM at the first ripple of rough water.

  3. don@1430


    Having had lunch moored at West White Beach, with maybe a swim for the crew, I hope so, poor buggers, Ocean Protector is now back on patrol, back and forth, back and forth, in front of Christmas Island.

    Geez it must be boring.

    Taxpayers money ‘at work’…..but its all a so called secret according to morrison.

  5. rummel@1451

    Mod Lib

    And the Libs have demonstrated that they wont get rid of the PM at the first ripple of rough water.

    Depends on the reaction of SBY to the letter, doesn’t it?

    And whether the Nats like having their meat trade disrupted.

  6. [ Psephos
    Posted Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 8:46 pm | Permalink

    …

    It differs to the extent that the people who believe in the return of the Hidden Imam are running Iran and building nuclear weapons.
    ]

    So says Psephos; who seems to love to hate.

    Have you ever considered that taking extreme position on the left and then the right might be an indication of deeper problems and they may not be with the extreme left and right. Politics in my view is circular I get the feeling your political views haven’t moved much at all.

  9. Boerwar. I shudder to think about the suffering that members of your family endured during the Japanese occupation. If you ever make it to Jakarta, a visit to Cimahi is well worth while. It’s not the easiest place to find, but very very moving. There is a similar cemetery at Menteng Pulo, in Jakarta, with many Dutch graves and a beautiful chapel. Menteng Pulo is also the location of a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery, where many Australians are buried, including a number of the nurses who survived the sinking of the ship (whose name escapes me – the Viner Brooke?) off Bangka but died in Japanese captivity. Some of the nurses were massacred on the beach, although Vivian Bulwinkle survived. Others died in captivity and are buried in Menteng Pulo now. Terribly terribly sad places, both. The annual Anzac Day service is held at Menteng Pulo.

  11. [It differs to the extent that the people who believe in the return of the Hidden Imam are running Iran and building nuclear weapons.]

    Do they really believe in the return of the Hidden Imam though? Or is it more like the way Christians believe in the return of Christ?

    Leftists always used to say that George W. Bush wanted war in the middle east and the destruction of the Palestinians because he believed that Israel regaining its lost territory would usher in the return of JC.

    My instinct is to think that people who say the Iranians are motivated primarily by theology are likely to be about as correct as the idiot leftists who thought that George W. Bush was.

  14. [confessions
    Posted Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 8:59 pm | PERMALINK
    rummel:

    Is that a turkey in your gravatar?

    I’m seeing a pattern emerging with the Liberal-aligned commenters]

    Yes, its a turkey with a knife and fork.

  15. Rossmore
    Thge understated roles played by the characters in Secret State are so typical of quality British drama. I’m looking forward to next week’s episode (2 of 4).

  16. Been thinging about RG24CWGFI (Sean for short); in his defence at least who is self aware enough to know the Liberals somehow have to distance themselves from Mark Textor.

  18. frednk
    Posted Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 9:02 pm | Permalink

    Been thinging about RG24CWGFI (Sean for short); in his defence at least he is self aware enough to know the Liberals somehow have to distance themselves from Mark Textor.

  20. [Psephos
    Posted Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 9:00 pm | Permalink

    frednk, I’m happy to debate any issues arising from my comments, on this or any other subject. But amateur psychoanalysis doesn’t interest me.
    ]
    I’m sure neither of us have much to add to Netanyahu or John Kerry’s positions.

  21. I noticed that the Ocean Protector is sailing reasonably close to CI. Why? If Indonesia is not taking boats back, would it not be just as easy to stay on CI and save money and engine hours?

  23. [Sean is quoting Bolt, which is probably akin to making it up.]

    And Jonathon Holmes is a well known non-partisan figure… give me a break. The guy is so far to the left, he’s on the footpath

  25. pom

    [I noticed that the Ocean Protector is sailing reasonably close to CI. ]

    And turning left and right relentlessly.

    ‘Turn back the boats’!

  26. [Prime Minister Tony Abbott has released a video message saying he wants the Senate to scrap the carbon tax by Christmas.]

    It would be a mery xmas. But the opposition scrooge leader may have a few problems with Labor PM’s Carbon tax Ghost’s of elections past.

  29. [Sean Tisme
    Posted Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 9:13 pm | PERMALINK
    Sean is quoting Bolt, which is probably akin to making it up.

    And Jonathon Holmes is a well known non-partisan figure… give me a break. The guy is so far to the left, he’s on the footpath]

    Agree,

  30. couldn’t fathom the vic reachtel thing. PUP big here in Victoria and potentially giving govt to the coalition?! We are the cicvilised bastion aren’t we? I am still hopeful that Vic libs will fall. Got a nice friend going for preselection in Macedon against the evil Donna Petrovich who slandered my husband in cowards castle.

  31. @rummel/1476

    Abbott is a Politician, only wants something positive for himself.

    Newman did little to stop the rising prices in Queensland.

  32. [I noticed that the Ocean Protector is sailing reasonably close to CI. Why?]

    The Coalition strategists are reading my posts and have pulled back our Navy behind the CI Line?

  34. pom@1471

    I noticed that the Ocean Protector is sailing reasonably close to CI. Why? If Indonesia is not taking boats back, would it not be just as easy to stay on CI and save money and engine hours?

    Nobody likes surprises.

    Leastways, the sort of surprises that Ocean Protector is likely to encounter. Being out on patrol means that the crew is alert and have things to do. Any ship captain of any worth knows how important that is, from Captain Cook on.

    And engine hours and diesel are a very, very small part of the economic equation, far outweighed by the benefit of a ship that is known to be operational at all times, with a crew that has put in serious ocean time.

  39. [And Jonathon Holmes is a well known non-partisan figure… give me a break. The guy is so far to the left, he’s on the footpath]

    Nice to see the wingnuts, so used to defining “balance” as across-the-board media support for Abbot and the Coalition, finally copping a bit back.

    Sean, the 100% media support for the Coalition we have recently, in the past few years experienced, is not normal.

    What you see now is normality being restored.

    A big story breaks. The media covers it, whether it’s embarrassing or not.

    It’s not manufactured. It’s not like the Ashby yarn. It’s not about shoe malfunctions or ear lobes, or a new set of glasses. It’s not about self-serving leaks from a maniac ex-PM who wants back in.

    It’s about how you can’t maintain two positions at once: slagging off your victim and then befriending him, and expecting him to cop it sweet both times.

    The spying is incidental to the real story, which is how Abbott’s two-facedness has been comprehensively taken apart, bit by bit.

    Until you realize that, who said what, who bugged whom, who broke the story, who sat on it (or didn’t sit on it), is utterly, utterly immaterial.

  43. [It’s to the north, drop-kick.]

    You don’t put the goalkeeper behind the goal, I meant they have pulled the boats back to CI.

    Would be an interesting strategy removing our navy boats from being so deep into Indonesia’s search and rescue and make it an Indo problem.

    For example why are our Navy boats tasked with rescuing people on a few miles off Indonesia’s coast?

  44. [pulled back our Navy behind the CI Line?]

    And what a great idea that is. Not only could we have our regional diplomacy driven by the domestic politics of asylum seekers we could also have our projection of defence capability driven by the domestic politics of asylum seekers.

  45. When the boats keep coming because Abbott has failed to keep the relationship with Indonesia working I wonder how it will play out. I said the other night that I wanted boats for Christmas because the coalition so richly deserve it. I know its monsoon season when it slows naturally and no one wants deaths at sea but their empty promises should be exposed and they should wear it.

    Murdoch and 2GB wanted this prime minister. They can only spin this debacle as good for us for so long. We need a good relationship with Indonesia. It is in our interest. Slowly people will wake up…

  47. [ruawake
    Posted Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 9:38 pm | PERMALINK
    And afterwards he wagged his finger at Anderson during the break between overs.

    Oh noes not the wagged finger. :lol:]

    perhaps a terse letter is in order.

  49. http://mondoweiss.net/2013/11/united-states-forward.html

    The NY jewish site “Mondoweiss” a critic of Natanyahu and Likud lists some of the comments on the new deal between the US and others and Iran
    ………
    Zbigniew Brezhinski, a noted presidential advisor in the past says that the Congress and the US political class “is finally becoming embarrased by Natanyahu’s attempts to dictate US policy “…and US F.Sec Kerry said tonight ..speakng of the Israelis one imagines…” those who assert the deal is a bad one should tell us what their alternative would be”…..

    We” we know that Netanyahu’s preferred alternative is for an attack by the US on Iran.even all out war in the Gulf..but that is not on the cards now…and he must face the changing mood in Washington…which represents a major defeat for The Lobby

  50. [For example why are our Navy boats tasked with rescuing people on a few miles off Indonesia’s coast?]

    Because they are required to by the Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which Australia is a signatory. I’ve told you this at least three times already.

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