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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Division Of Braddon

The Division of Braddon is an Australian electoral division in the state of Tasmania. The current MP is Gavin Pearce of the Liberal Party, who was elected at the 2019 federal election.

Braddon is a rural electorate covering approximately 21,369 square kilometres (8,251 sq mi) in the north-west and west of Tasmania, including King Island. The cities of Burnie and Devonport are major population centres in the division. Other towns include Currie, Latrobe, Penguin, Queenstown, Rosebery, Smithton, Somerset, Stanley, Strahan, Ulverstone, Waratah, Wynyard and Zeehan.

Braddon has traditionally been a marginal seat. However, in 2022 the trend was broken, with Braddon becoming a "fairly safe" seat for the first time in twelve years, with the Liberal Party holding it while losing government nationally.

Geography

Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of a state are malapportioned.

History

Sir Edward Braddon, the division's namesake

The division was created at the Tasmanian redistribution on 30 August 1955, essentially as a reconfigured version of the Division of Darwin. It is named for Sir Edward Braddon, a Premier of Tasmania and one of Tasmania's five original federal members of parliament.

Following the election of the Whitlam government and the period following the Franklin Dam controversy, Braddon became a relatively safe seat for the Liberal Party. In more recent years, the division has usually been a marginal seat, changing hands between the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party. Its most prominent member was Ray Groom. Groom was later to represent Denison in the Tasmanian Parliament 1986–2001 and served as Tasmanian Premier 1992–96.

Members

Image Member Party Term Notes
  Aubrey Luck
(1900–1999)
Liberal 10 December 1955
22 November 1958
Previously held the Division of Darwin. Lost seat
  Ron Davies
(1919–1980)
Labor 22 November 1958
13 December 1975
Lost seat
  Ray Groom
(1944–)
Liberal 13 December 1975
26 October 1984
Served as minister under Fraser. Retired. Later elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly seat of Denison in 1986
  Chris Miles
(1947–)
1 December 1984
3 October 1998
Lost seat
  Sid Sidebottom
(1951–)
Labor 3 October 1998
9 October 2004
Lost seat
  Mark Baker
(1958–)
Liberal 9 October 2004
24 November 2007
Lost seat
  Sid Sidebottom
(1951–)
Labor 24 November 2007
7 September 2013
Lost seat
  Brett Whiteley
(1960–)
Liberal 7 September 2013
2 July 2016
Lost seat
  Justine Keay
(1975–)
Labor 2 July 2016
10 May 2018
Election results declared void due to dual citizenship. Subsequently re-elected. Lost seat
  28 July 2018
18 May 2019
  Gavin Pearce
(1967–)
Liberal 18 May 2019
present
Incumbent

Election results

2022 Australian federal election: Braddon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Gavin Pearce 31,142 44.11 +6.22
Labor Chris Lynch 15,886 22.50 −9.56
Lambie Sophie Lehmann 6,966 9.87 +9.87
Independent Craig Garland 5,538 7.84 +7.84
Greens Darren Briggs 4,745 6.72 +1.88
One Nation Ludo Mineur 3,065 4.34 −1.20
United Australia Darren Bobbermien 1,000 1.42 −2.26
Liberal Democrats Duncan White 971 1.38 +1.38
Local Scott Rankin 719 1.02 +1.02
Animal Justice Keone Martin 566 0.80 +0.80
Total formal votes 70,598 92.76 −2.33
Informal votes 5,858 7.66 +0.58
Turnout 76,456 92.64 −2.45
Two-party-preferred result
Liberal Gavin Pearce 40,968 58.03 +4.94
Labor Chris Lynch 29,630 41.97 −4.94
Liberal hold Swing +4.94

References

  1. ^ "Profile of the electoral division of Braddon (Tas)". Current federal electoral divisions. Australian Electoral Commission. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  2. ^ Muller, Damon (14 November 2017). "The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  3. ^ Green, Antony (11 October 2013). "Federal election 2013: Braddon results". Australia Votes. Australia: ABC. Retrieved 30 November 2013.
  4. ^ Braddon, TAS, 2022 Tally Room, Australian Electoral Commission.

41°38′53″S 145°24′50″E / 41.648°S 145.414°E / -41.648; 145.414