Division of Parkes
| Parkes Australian House of Representatives Division | |
|---|---|
 Division of Parkes in New South Wales, as of the 2016 federal election. | |
| Created | 1984 |
| MP | Mark Coulton |
| Party | The Nationals |
| Namesake | Sir Henry Parkes |
| Electors | 107,445 (2016) |
| Area | 393,413 km2 (151,897.6 sq mi) |
| Demographic | Rural |
The Division of Parkes is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The largest electorate in the state, it is located in the far north west of the state, adjoining the border with Queensland in the north and with South Australia in the west. The division is named after Sir Henry Parkes, seventh Premier of New South Wales and sometimes known as the 'Father of Federation'. The division was proclaimed at the redistribution of 11 October 1984, and was first contested at the 1984 federal election.
Its largest population centre is Dubbo. It also includes the towns of Dunedoo, Coonabarabran, Coonamble, Walgett, Narrabri, Moree, Warren, Nyngan, Cobar and Bourke. The division does not include the namesake town of Parkes, which is in the Division of Riverina.
The current Member for Parkes, since the 2007 federal election, is Mark Coulton, a member of the National Party of Australia.[1] It is currently the safest seat in Australia for any party, with a 22-point swing needed for Labor to win it.
History
The former Division of Parkes (1901-69) was located in suburban Sydney, and was not related to this division, except in name.
The seat is currently a safe Nationals seat. It was substantially changed by the 2006 redistribution and is now considered by many observers as the successor to the abolished Division of Gwydir. As a result, the then member for Parkes, John Cobb, instead contested the Division of Calare.
According to the 2011 census, approximately 78 per cent of the population within the division identify as Christian,[2] more than any other electorate in Australia at that time.[3]
Members
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Cobb | National | 1984–1998 | |
| Tony Lawler | National | 1998–2001 | |
| John Cobb | National | 2001–2007 | |
| Mark Coulton | National | 2007–present | |
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | Mark Coulton | 54,869 | 58.65 | +2.89 | |
| Labor | Kate Stewart | 26,728 | 28.57 | +6.08 | |
| Greens | Matt Parmeter | 5,851 | 6.25 | +1.52 | |
| Christian Democrats | Glen Ryan | 3,950 | 4.22 | +1.90 | |
| Online Direct Democracy | Philip Ayton | 2,149 | 2.30 | +2.30 | |
| Total formal votes | 93,547 | 94.76 | +1.31 | ||
| Informal votes | 5,170 | 5.24 | −1.31 | ||
| Turnout | 98,717 | 91.88 | −3.36 | ||
| Two-party-preferred result | |||||
| National | Mark Coulton | 60,901 | 65.10 | −4.87 | |
| Labor | Kate Stewart | 32,646 | 34.90 | +4.87 | |
| National hold | Swing | −4.87 | |||
References
- ^ Murray, Robyn (1 February 2013). "Candidates welcome September election". Mudgee Guardian. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Parkes, NSW (Commonwealth Electoral Division)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ^ "Percentage religion Christian". Mumble census gallery. Peter Brent. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ^ Parkes, NSW, Virtual Tally Room 2016, Australian Electoral Commission.
