Current MP: Rob Mitchell, Labor. E00-48 Craigieburn Central Shopping Centre, 340 Craigieburn Road, Craigieburn, 3064. 9333 0440 [email protected]
Major Communities/Cities/Towns within Electorate: Broadford, Craigieburn, Doreen, Kilmore, Lancefield, New Gisborne, Riddells Creek, Romsey, Seymour, Sunbury, Wallan and Whittlesea.
Key 2016 Election Information: +7.7% swing. 44.7% Labor, 33.7% Liberal, 7.6% Green on first party preference voting.
Strongest Support* for Labor (two party preferred): Craigieburn North (ALP 75.33%), Mount Ridley (ALP 73.29%), Mernda (ALP 67.73%)
Strongest Support* for Liberal (two party preferred): Gisborne (LP 49.29%), Romsey (LP 48.86%), Whittlesea (LP 48.28%)
*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: Rob worked for nearly 20 years in the transport industry in both management and sales. He was also a founding member of Australia’s first Community Emergency Response Team in Craigieburn before entering parliament.
Key Policy Background: Rob has served on several House of Representatives Standing Committees including Agriculture, Resources, Fisheries and Forestry, Regional Australia and Publications.
Relevant Information/Links to Community: According to a news report in The Australian, the rights of people seeking asylum, particularly those who have arrived by sea, have not been strong influences or issues affecting voting tendency within the McEwan electorate.
Record on Issues Related to Refugees: He voted strongly for the regional processing of people seeking asylum, moderately on increasing the scrutiny of asylum seeker management, he moderately opposed temporary protection visas and voted both for and against on ending immigration detention in Nauru and implementing protection conventions.
Key Industries within Electorate: Cattle grazing, wool growing, market gardening, wines, dairying, various small businesses and tourism.
Additional Information: Previously to 2013, the McEwan electorate was a swinging seat that was strongly contested by the Liberal and Labor parties. However, there has since been a significant swing towards Labor preferencing. This is largely due to the changes and redistributions McEwan’s electoral boundaries.
Sources:
http://www.aec.gov.au/profiles/vic/mcewen.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2016/guide/mcew/
http://www.robmitchell.com.au/
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=M3E
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=113830088678537&story_fbid=393464360715107
https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/mcewen/rob_mitchell
http://artsonline.monash.edu.au/news-events/redistributions-will-make-mcewen-a-safer-labor-prospect/