Division of Forde
The Division of Forde is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland.
Forde Australian House of Representatives Division | |
---|---|
Division of Forde in Queensland, as of the 2019 federal election. | |
Created | 1984 |
MP | Bert van Manen |
Party | Liberal National |
Namesake | Frank Forde |
Electors | 107,272 (2019) |
Area | 418 km2 (161.4 sq mi) |
Demographic | Outer Metropolitan |
History
The division was created in 1984 and is named after Frank Forde, who was Prime Minister of Australia for seven days in 1945 following the death of John Curtin. When it was created it was a marginal seat in the southern suburbs of Brisbane, but it now has no territory in common with the original seat and is located in exurban and semi-rural areas south of the city, including Beenleigh and Loganlea.
It was a fairly safe seat for the Liberal Party after the 2004 election. Kay Elson announced that she would not re-contest her seat in the 2007 election. Wendy Creighton, a Boonah resident and editor of the local newspaper, the Fassifern Guardian, contested Forde as the Liberal candidate instead. She was defeated at the Federal election by Brett Raguse, the opposing Labor Party candidate, making Forde the safest Liberal Party seat to be claimed by the Labor Party at the 2007 election. The seat returned to the LNP Coalition with Bert van Manen holding the seat throughout 2010, 2013, and 2016 elections.
Ahead of the 2016 federal election, ABC psephologist Antony Green listed the seat in his election guide as one of eleven which he classed as "bellwether" electorates.[1] Roy Morgan Research found the Division of Forde to be the least politically involved electorate in Australia, with only 7% of voters interested in political analysis as a type of media content.[2]
Members
Image | Member | Party | Term | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
David Watson (1945–) |
Liberal | 1 December 1984 – 11 July 1987 |
Lost seat. Later elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland seat of Moggill in 1989 | ||
Mary Crawford (1947–) |
Labor | 11 July 1987 – 2 March 1996 |
Lost seat | ||
Kay Elson (1947–) |
Liberal | 2 March 1996 – 17 October 2007 |
Retired | ||
Brett Raguse (1960–) |
Labor | 24 November 2007 – 21 August 2010 |
Lost seat | ||
Bert van Manen (1965) |
Liberal Nationals | 21 August 2010 – present |
Incumbent. Currently Chief Government Whip in the House under Morrison. |
Election results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal National | Bert van Manen | 39,819 | 43.50 | +2.87 | |
Labor | Des Hardman | 27,008 | 29.51 | −8.13 | |
One Nation | Ian Bowron | 10,807 | 11.81 | +11.81 | |
Greens | Kirsty Petersen | 7,987 | 8.73 | +2.30 | |
United Australia | Paul Creighton | 3,696 | 4.04 | +4.04 | |
Conservative National | Les Innes | 2,217 | 2.42 | +2.42 | |
Total formal votes | 91,534 | 95.36 | +0.43 | ||
Informal votes | 4,449 | 4.64 | −0.43 | ||
Turnout | 95,983 | 89.49 | +0.31 | ||
Two-party-preferred result | |||||
Liberal National | Bert van Manen | 53,635 | 58.60 | +7.97 | |
Labor | Des Hardman | 37,899 | 41.40 | −7.97 | |
Liberal National hold | Swing | +7.97 |
References
- The Bellwether Contests: Antony Green ABC
- "The 10 most (and least) politically engaged electorates". Roy Morgan. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- Forde, QLD, Tally Room 2019, Australian Electoral Commission.