Seat of the week: Maranoa

Covering Queensland’s south-western interior, Maranoa has been in National/Country Party hands without interruption for over 70 years, current member Bruce Scott having assumed the seat in 1990.

Teal numbers indicate size of two-party majority for the Liberal National Party. Click for larger image. Map boundaries courtesy of Ben Raue at The Tally Room.

Created at federation and fairly constant in its boundaries ever since, Maranoa covers a vast expanse of south-western Queensland accounting for about 40% of the state’s surface area. Most of its voters are concentrated at the inner end of the state’s populous south-eastern corner, including the centres of Kingaroy, Dalby and Warwick to the north, west and south of Toowoomba (which has formed the basis of Groom since 1984, and Darling Downs beforehand). Centres further inland include Roma and Charleville on the Warrego Highway, and Barcaldine and Longreach on the Landsborough Highway further north. The seat’s Liberal National Party margin after the 2013 election is 22.4%, making it the third safest Coalition seat in the country after Parkes in New South Wales and Mallee in Victoria.

Reflecting a familiar pattern in rural Queensland, Maranoa started life as a Labor stronghold and progressively moved to the other extreme with the decline of the shearing and railway workforce. The first changeover occurred in 1921 upon the death of the seat’s inaugural Labor member, Jim Page, initiating a by-election won for the Country Party by James Hunter. The seat returned to the Labor fold when Hunter retired in 1940, but Labor’s Francis Baker was unseated after a single term, emerging the only Labor member to lose his seat amid the party’s national landslide in 1943. It was then held for the Country Party by Charles Adermann until he moved to the new seat of Fisher with the expansion of parliament in 1949, which he would eventually bequeath to his son Evan in 1972.

Adermann’s successor at the 1949 election was Charles Russell, who quit the Country Party less than a year after his election and unsuccessfully contested the seat as an independent in both 1951 and 1954, falling 1.1% short on the latter occasion in the absence of a Labor candidate. That would mark the last occasion when the Country Party’s grip on the seat was seriously troubled, a 9.7% swing at the 1966 election pushing the margin into double digits where it has remained ever since. The National/Country members through this period were Wilfred Brindlecombe until 1966, James Corbett until 1980, and Ian Cameron until 1990. There were suggestions ahead of the 1998 election that a threat might loom from One Nation, but in the event they could only manage third place behind Labor on 22.4%. A 9.7% swing at the 1966 election pushed the margin well into double digits, where it has remained ever since.

The seat’s present long-serving incumbent is Bruce Scott, who served in the junior ministry as Veterans Affairs Minister for the first two terms of the Howard government, losing the position when the Nationals’ weak electorate performance in 2001 reduced its share of the spoils. In October 2012 he became Deputy Speaker, filling the vacancy created by Anna Burke’s rise to the Speakership following Peter Slipper’s resignation, and has retained the position in government. Barnaby Joyce had hoped to facilitate his move from the Senate to the House by replacing Scott in Maranoa at the last election, but Scott was determined to serve another term and Joyce dismissed the notion of challenging him for preselection, saying it would be “self-indulgent personality politics”. He instead opted to cross the state boundary and contest the northern New South Wales seat of New England.

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.

2,772 comments on “Seat of the week: Maranoa”

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  3. A German site remarks on Iraq that only the Syrian Govt forces can cut trhe supply lines of the El-Quida like extremists in Mosul and the north,who are on aroll

    Yet the US has aided the rebels in Syria against the Assad Govt… whose help they may now need desperately if they are to save the Iraq Govt’s position

    what tangled web the US has created the
    see below

    http://www.moonofalabama.org/

  5. Coriolanus

    Just google Kernohan, if it’s an important issue to you.

    As for myself and I suspect others here, we know we’re talking about the bloke who has been feeding Mike Smiff crap about Ms Gillard for years, and who shat in his own evidentiary nest at the RC today.

  6. From listening to Mike Smith’s audio rants (I know), it seems he is supporting Marco Bolano’s presence at the RC.

    Plus Robert Kernohan asked if he (Smith) could arrange a train for him to get to safety with Smith.

  8. Corio

    Apologies.

    I’m on Safari and am having trouble turning auto correct off. It changes Corio to Coiolanus unless you’re on the ball manually correcting.

    Once more I’ll try to fix it.

    And I’ll check up on who or what Coriolanus is.

    🙂

  11. According to ABC TV National News in SA, Tony Abbott was able to “squeeze in” a meeting with Rupert Murdoch. There was vision of Tony walking into a building.
    Tony was lucky he had a spare two and a half hours to fit into his busy schedule wasn’t he?

    SBS had a slightly different slant:
    [He apparently has no time to meet the world’s top bankers, but Tony Abbott made space in his busy international schedule for Rupert Murdoch.

    The prime minister ruffled feathers on his US trip amid reports he’d cancelled long-planned meetings with US treasury secretary Jack Lew, International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde and World Bank president Jim Yong Kim.

    But he did not squander an opportunity for a private dinner with the News Corp media mogul, popping into Murdoch’s Central Park apartment in New York on Tuesday (local time), accompanied by his chief-of-staff Peta Credlin.]

  12. Corio

    Turned off the auto correct.

    Coriolanus is a Shakespearean tragedy about a legendary Roman General of the same name.

    Fran and others would have known, of course.

  15. [“The average working Australian, be they a cleaner, a plumber or a teacher, is working over one month full time each year just to pay for the welfare of another Australian,”]

    Really, is there some trickery in Hockey’s statement here?

  20. From Joe:
    [The average working Australian, be they a cleaner, a plumber or a teacher, is working over one month full time each year just to pay for the welfare of another Australian,”]

    Working for about 5 years just to support Joe Hockey.

    How many years to support Gina? Or Rupert?

  21. So Hockey thinks we are all working 13 months per year to pay for the dole bludgers?
    If welfare was $0, I wouldn’t work any more or less.
    What a fool he is.

  22. mikeh:

    It’s a truism the Tories are trotting out more and more these days. Yes taxpayers’ taxes go towards the support of those who need it, just as those same taxpayers would be able to access the same support should they be in the same situation and meet the relevant eligibility criteria.

    I wish we could get away from this inherent me, me, me selfishness that seems to be pervading our society.

  23. One month out of 12 is 1/12 ~8%

    I’m guessing it’s probably the right ballpark, but so what? Whatever the right number is is just going to be an expression of the proportion of tax coming from income and going to welfare, and we know that welfare is the majority of the Fed government budget.

    Hockey is just fishing around for a way of making it sound overly significant – the equivalent of picking “Sydney harbours” or “Olympic sized swimming pools” or “MCG” equivalents.

    It’s just another bit of spin along the lines of all the absolute numbers that sound big but don’t tell the story about increased population or CPI or GDP or other context.

  24. And we’re working to pay Hockey’s salary. What off it.

    That “other Australian” would include those on the aged pension, our veterans and those too disabled to work.

  25. Pyne has made similar remarks about taxpayers ‘funding’ people to get university degrees.

    Pyne needs to be reminded that once qualified, those people invariably occupy the middle to high end of the income earners, and therefore (theoretically) give returns back to the taxpayer through the tax system.

  26. All – I agree, another call from Hockey with no detail. Would only appeal to those who see all tax dollars as wasted.

  30. Dee

    [The Coalition don’t do ‘society’.]
    Well of course as the Tory’s first choice BDSM lady , Maggie T , said.

    [They’re casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families.]

  32. [psyclaw
    Posted Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 7:44 pm | PERMALINK
    Corio

    Apologies.

    I’m on Safari ]

    Awesome!

    Kruger? I love Kruger…..

  33. YIKES!

    US Republican Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, defeated in his Primary against a Tea Partyer.

    Could this safe House seat fall to the Democrats (nah…..probably not). Still……YIKES!

  34. Somethings got up Bernard’s nose.

    [Bernard Keane @BernardKeane
    I don’t mind hypocrisy in politics – it’s a necessary part of it. But when it becomes blatant, incessant bullshitting, it begins to reek.]

  35. EU going to investigate Apple, Star Starbucks, Fiat tax “arrangements”:
    http://www.bbc.com/news/business-27788238

    “Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said: “In the current context of tight public budgets, it is particularly important that large multinationals pay their fair share of taxes.””

    “Countries in Europe cannot allow certain firms to pay less tax than they should, Mr Almunia added.”

    How about we take a queue from EU?

    Oh that’s right, Coalition Party are in bed with these companies.

  37. [mikehilliard
    Posted Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 8:45 pm | Permalink

    Dee

    The Coalition don’t do ‘society’.

    They don’t do much at all.]

    They are doing Australia over.

  38. I have just heard that in some Lawn Bowls clubs the little white ball used to be called ‘the nigger’.

    Can anyone confirm, pls?

  39. I was chatting with someone about Nineveh and Mosul and he burst forth with Kipling’s ‘Recessional’.

    Nineveh (now Mosul) got a guernsey in Kipling’s ‘Recessional’ which he composed for Queen Victoria’s Diamnond Jubilee.

    For the irony-concious, there is much about which to mull.

    It did raise a question for me: is this poem the source of the phrase ‘Lest we forget’ or, as I suspect, is there a much older etymology?

    ‘God of our fathers, known of old—
    Lord of our far-flung battle line—
    Beneath whose awful hand we hold
    Dominion over palm and pine—
    Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
    Lest we forget—lest we forget!

    The tumult and the shouting dies—
    The Captains and the Kings depart—
    Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
    An humble and a contrite heart.
    Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
    Lest we forget—lest we forget!

    Far-called our navies melt away—
    On dune and headland sinks the fire—
    Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
    Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
    Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
    Lest we forget—lest we forget!

    If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
    Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe—
    Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
    Or lesser breeds without the Law—
    Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
    Lest we forget—lest we forget!

    For heathen heart that puts her trust
    In reeking tube and iron shard—
    All valiant dust that builds on dust,
    And guarding calls not Thee to guard.
    For frantic boast and foolish word,
    Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!
    Amen.’

  40. [US Republican Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, defeated in his Primary against a Tea Partyer.
    Could this safe House seat fall to the Democrats (nah…..probably not).]

    Joe Lieberman in 2006 was defeated by progressive challenger, Ned Lamont, for the Connecticut Democratic Party Senate nomination, but then won re-election as an independent when the Republican campaign lay doggo. He caucused with Democratic Party Senators, but supported McCain (who would’ve liked Joe for his Veep running mate, but was persuaded to choose a “fresh” politician instead).

    IMO, Cantor does not seem likely to attempt a Lieberman because there’s bound to be a Senate seat or the Governor’s mansion on the horizon to reward his loyalty.

  41. deblonay
    Posted Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 6:53 pm | PERMALINK
    Well I am still here hale and hearty
    _______________________
    For those kind souls on PB who spoke up for me and worried at my silence today….I have to say I am fine and have survived what Willian called(after cutting out the comment by Psephos) which was an “extreme violation of basic decency’…in Psephos hoping that I might be in Irag and destroyed along with the Islamists…a slender hope I have to say ,as neither Iraq or it’s islamists goons have little chance of seeing me, any time soon

    —–and here’s a big hurray to comrade putin and all his help in middle east peace esp to allowing no fly zones to enable non islamist opposition to assad – now the flow on effect of renewed militarised islamism in syria is seen in iraq. just when peace had been achieved. of course in this instance obama should be chided to lesser extent – he really should have toughened it out on russia over syria. but hey that violates the russian republic on PB

  45. MD

    Thanks.

    I had heard ‘jack’.

    Hmmmm…. is ‘jigger’ a coy word for ‘nigger’ or has my acquaintance mistaken ‘nigger’ for ‘jigger’?

    If anyone else has anything on the topic, I would be pleased to know about it.

  48. Boerwar,
    The Tea Party backed college economics prof. with a tiny budget was able to wedge Cantor’s minimalist immigration reform support.

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