Current MP: Cathy McGowan, Independent. 117 Murphy St, Wangaratta, 3677.
[email protected], 5721 7077.
Major Communities/Cities/Towns within Electorate: Wodonga, Wangaratta, and Benalla. Other towns in the electorate include Rutherglen, Mansfield, Beechworth, Myrtleford, Bright, Alexandra, Tallangatta, Corryong.
Key 2016 Election Information: +4.4% swing. Independent 34.9%, Liberal 27.4%, National 17.9% on first party preference voting.
Strongest Support* for Cathy McGowan (two-candidate preferred): Beechworth (where Cathy obtained 73.45% of votes), Wodonga Central (60.48%) and Wodonga South (58.45%).
Strongest Support* for Liberal (two-party preferred): Benalla (50.5%), West Wodonga Victory (42.71%).
*Note: 'Strongest support' determined using the following criteria: highest % of two-candidate-preferred votes, excluding pre-polling places and polling booths where the number of votes for the winning candidate was less than 1000 or over 5000. This is one example of how you might identify strategic locations in your electorate - for all 2016 election data, please see the AEC Tally Room website.
Background: Cathy worked as a staffer for Indi’s Liberal MP Ewan Cameron in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. She then joined the Victorian Department of Agriculture. Community service planner in Indigo, Alpine, Wodonga and Wangaratta Shires. Director of the Wangaratta and Wodonga Credit Union. She is also a former president and life member of Australian Women in Agriculture.
Key Policy Background: Adopted a strong grassroots community engagement and consultation approach and a policy platform titled “Putting Indi First.” Strongly focused upon small and agri-business, environmental conservation and including communities and citizens in shaping policy. Her roles within parliament have included House Select Committee on Regional Development and Decentralisation, House of Representatives Standing: Agriculture and Industry and Joint Statutory: Human Rights amongst others.
Relevant Information/Links to Community: Additionally to being a life member to the Australian Women in Agriculture, she is also connected through membership or association with the CFA, Landcare, Victorian Farmers Federation, National Farmers Federation 2030 Committee. Chair of the National Regional Women's Advisory Council. Recipient of Order of Australia Medal and National Centenary Medal for her support in women’s advocacy in the agricultural sector. Supported the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project to engage with Australian Parliament in Canberra, included Pamela Curr.
Record on Issues Related to Refugees: Cathy has maintained a consistently strong record for supporting legislation relating to the rights of people seeking asylum and refugees. This includes very strongly supporting increasing scrutiny of asylum seeker management, and implementing refugee and protection conventions, whilst voting very strongly against temporary protection visas, stopping people who arrive by boat from ever coming to Australia and regional processing of asylum seekers. Additionally she strongly supported the one-off 12,000 Syrian Intake Program, presented six separate petitions to Parliament on behalf of the Indi Community calling for a more humane treatment of people seeking asylum, seconded the motion supporting Andrew Wilkie’s, Migration Amendment (Ending the Nation's Shame) 2014 Bill and has highlighted the historic capacity of Australian Governments, such as the Fraser Government, to adopt a compassionate and effective approaches in welcoming and integrating people seeking asylum.
Other Potential Community and Advocacy Links: Ethnic Council of Shepparton, the Goulburn Murray Community Leadership Program, Wodonga TAFE and City Council, Albury Wodonga Community College, Birallee Park Neighbourhood House.
Key Industries within Electorate: Agriculture, tourism, forestry, woodchipping, food processing, viticulture, timber processing, manufacturing, services, transport, education, health, building and construction.
Additional Information: Is serving second term as Indi MP. In the same electorate as outspoken Liberal representative Sophie Mirabella. Enjoys long distance walking.
Vote heat maps: These heat maps represent the voting trends, by party, across the electorate. Each block is a small and equal grouping of voters. Darker areas depict a higher number of votes, for that party, in that block. This data should only be used as a general representation of voting trends in broad areas but not for specific locations.
Sources:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=123674
http://www.cathymcgowan.com.au/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2016/guide/indi/
https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/indi/cathy_mcgowan