Geelong

Margin: Labor 4.0%
Region: Western Victoria
Federal: Corio (78%)/Corangamite (22%)

Outgoing member: Ian Trezise (Labor)

Candidates in ballot paper order

	PEDRO PEGAN Shooters and Fishers TONY LEEN Country Alliance SARAH HATHWAY Socialist Alliance DOUGLAS JAMES MANN Independent PAULA KONTELJ Liberal (bottom) BRUCE LINDSAY Greens RUTH CLARK Family First CHRISTINE COUZENS Labor (top)

The electorate of Geelong has had an uninterrupted existence going back to 1877, except for the period between 1976 and 1985 when it was divided into Geelong West and Geelong North (the latter of which survived independently until 2002, when it was replaced by Lara). It has been substantially affected by the redistribution, being pushed southwards through knock-on effects from the creation of the new seat of Werribee. Church Street is now established as the northern boundary, causing the city’s industrial areas and the 10,000 voters of North Geelong, Hamlyn Heights, Bell Park, Rippleside and Drumcondra to go to Lara. This has been balanced by the gain of the large suburb of Belmont and its 10,000 voters from South Barwon, and Newcomb, Whittington and St Albans Park from Bellarine, respectively counting for around 10,000 and 9,000 voters. A further adjustment of the boundary with South Barwon adds 4000 voters in Highton. Labor’s strength in the suburbs gained from Bellarine causes the changes to increase their margin from 2.1% to 4.0%.

Geelong was in Liberal hands from 1955 until its abolition 21 years later, at which point Liberal member Hayden Birrell became member for Geelong West. Hayden Shell gained Geelong West for Labor when Birrell retired in 1982, and in turn became member for Geelong in 1985. He was narrowly defeated in 1992 by Liberal candidate Ann Henderson, who increased her margin in 1996 and lost by just 16 votes in 1999, a result with momentous consequences for the fate of the Kennett government. The seat has since been held by Ian Trezise, a former Australian Workers Union official, Port of Geelong shipping manager and Geelong councillor, whose father was Neil “Nipper” Trezise, Geelong Football Club legend and local MP (for Geelong West and Geelong North) from 1964 to 1992. Trezise secured his hold on the seat with an 8.7% swing in the 2002 landslide, and picked up a further 0.2% in 2006 before a 6.2% Liberal swing in 2010 reduced his margin to 2.1%.

Trezise is bowing out at the election, and will be succeeded as Labor candidate by Christine Couzens, a former Geelong Trades Hall Council president who has worked as Trezise’s electorate officer throughout his parliamentary career. According to local media reports, Couzens had the support of both Trezise and the member for the corresponding federal seat of Corio, Richard Marles, despite Couzens being of the Left faction and Marles being of the Right. The Liberal candidate is Paula Kontelj, a local radio personality and the wife of Srechko “Stretch” Kontelj, a stalwart of local council politics and the Liberal candidate for the seat in 2002. Other candidates for Liberal preselection were Jennifer Cromarty, director of a public relations consultancy, and Greg McDonald, a real estate agent.