Current MP: Anthony Byrne, Labor. Shop HM 2B 8 - 10 Overland Dve Fountain Gate VIC 3805, (03) 9796 7533, [email protected]
Major Communities/Cities/Towns within Electorate: Cranbourne, Cranbourne North, Cranbourne West, Doveton, Endeavour Hills, Eumemmerring, Hallam, Hampton Park, Lynbrook, Lysterfield South, a majority of Cranbourne East and Lyndhurst and parts of Clyde, Clyde North, Narre Warren, Narre Warren North and Narre Warren South.
Key 2016 Election Information: +5.1% swing in favour of Anthony Byrne. 53.7% Labor, 29.9% Liberal, 6.3% Green, 10.1% Other on first party preference voting.
Strongest Support* for Liberal (two party preferred): Maramba (where LP obtained 39.22% of votes), Gleneagles (LP 36.96%) and Cranbourne West (LP 30.90%).
Strongest Support* for Labor (two party preferred): Doveton (ALP 77.86% of votes), Coral Park (ALP 73.42%) and Hampton Park (ALP 73.32%)
*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: Anthony first engaged in politics in 1989 as a member of the Australian Labor Party. Initially he worked assisting Labor representatives run their electoral campaigns. He has also previously worked as a CEO of the Anxiety Disorders Foundation of Australia and as an advisor to the Labor Senator Jacinta Collins. He then successfully ran for the seat of Holt in 1999, taking over from former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans.
Key Policy Background: Throughout his long political career Anthony has held many positions, the most prominent of these positions include ministerial appointments as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister from 2007 until 2010 and as Parliamentary Secretary for Trade from 2009 until 2010. Most recently, he served as Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
Relevant Information/Links to Community: As the Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, Anthony faced serious concerns from human rights advocates. These concerns related the use of funds within the Committee, particularly in relation to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. As Pamela Carr, a former campaign advocate for the ASRC highlighted, ASIO’s annual financial reviews had revealed and raised serious questions regarding the timeframe, validity and fairness of their assessments for people applying for asylum.
Record on Issues Related to Refugees: Anthony has demonstrated a moderate support for legislation related to the rights of people seeking asylum and refugees. He has voted strongly for increasing the scrutiny of asylum seeker management. Moderately on the laws ending immigration detention on Manus Island and Nauru, and implementing refugee and protection conventions. For and against regional processing of asylum seekers. And very strongly against temporary protection visas (TPVs).
Other Potential Community and Advocacy Links: In a parliamentary address in 2016, Anthony took the opportunity to commend and thank the Sikh community within his electorate. The Sikh community have played an integral role in improving the safety and cohesion within the Holt electorate. In the recent Australian of the year awards many community groups received honours, including African Australian Women's Group, the Endeavour United Soccer Club, Islanders Creole Club, Lyndhurst Football and Netball Club and the Serbian Cultural Club. These organisations and clubs have all demonstrated a commitment to the values of the Holt community and could be potentially receptive to helping people seeking asylum.
Key Industries within Electorate: Light industry, commercial and retail.
Additional Information: In 2015 Anthony took an opportunity to speak in parliament of the human rights of the Oromo people of Ethiopia, a state oppressed minority. The Oromo people represent a large refugee group who have been forcibly displaced because of their ethnicity. Anthony’s concern for these people can possibly be mentioned when engaging with him.
Sources:
http://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/vic/holt.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2016/guide/holt/
https://web.archive.org/web/20080126111001/http://www.alp.org.au:80/people/vic/byrne_anthony.php
https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/holt/anthony_byrne
http://anthonybyrnemp.com/category/holt-media-releases
http://anthonybyrnemp.com/wonderful-sikh-community-in-victoria-23-nov-2016