Current MP: Tony Smith, Liberal. Suite 1, 1 East Ridge Drive, Chirnside Park, VIC, 3116. (03) 9727 0799
Major Communities/Cities/Towns within Electorate: Major suburbs/towns include Bayswater North (part), Chirnside Park, Coldstream, Croydon (part), Croydon South (part), Dixons Creek, Don Valley, Gladysdale, Gruyere, Healesville, Hoddles Creek, Kallista, Kalorama, Kilsyth, Kilsyth South, Launching Place, Lilydale, Millgrove, Monbulk, Montrose (part), Mooroolbark, Mount Evelyn, Powelltown, Reefton, Seville, Seville East, Silvan, Wandin, Wandin East, Warburton, Wesburn, Woori Yallock, Yarra Glen, Yarra Junction and Yellingbo.
Key 2016 Election Information: +0.35% swing. 49.53% Liberal, 28.37% Labor, 11.69% Green on first party preference voting.
Strongest Support* for Liberal (two party preferred): Chirnside Park (where LP obtained 59.25% of votes), Lilydale Lake (LP 58.45%) and Mooroolbark East (LP 57.46%).
Strongest Support* for Labor (two party preferred): Bayswater North (ALP 49.28% of votes), Kilsyth (ALP 48.43), Birmingham (ALP 44.13%).
*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: Tony studied Commerce and Arts (Hons) at The University of Melbourne. After university, Tony commenced work as a policy researcher for the Institute of Public Affairs, before working as a media adviser and then senior adviser to the Federal Treasurer, the Hon Peter Costello MP. Tony was elected as the Federal Member for Casey at the 2001 election. He was re-elected at the 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 elections. On 10 August 2015, Tony was elected as the 30th Speaker of the House of Representatives and was re-elected as Speaker on 30 August 2016.
Key Policy Background: Tony has been a member of numerous House of Representatives committees including the Standing Committee on Science and Innovation and the Standing Committee on Ageing. He was also the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and the Joint Standing Committee on Public Accounts and Audit. In January 2007 Tony was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in the Howard Government.
Record on Issues Related to Refugees: Tony has voted moderately for regional processing of people seeking asylum, and he has voted very strongly for temporary protection visas. He also voted moderately against implementing refugee and protection conventions, while voting very strongly against increasing scrutiny of asylum seeker management.
Key Industries within Electorate: Market gardens, orchards, nurseries, flower farms, vineyards, forestry and timber, tourism, light manufacturing and engineering.
Sources:
https://vic.liberal.org.au/TonySmith
http://www.tonysmithmp.com/casey
http://www.tonysmithmp.com/about-tony/biography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Smith_(Victorian_politician)