Division of Parkes
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| Parkes Australian House of Representatives Division |
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The location of the Division of Parkes, highlighted in red, in New South Wales, as of the 2016 federal election.
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| Created | 1984 |
| MP | Mark Coulton |
| Party | The Nationals |
| Namesake | Sir Henry Parkes |
| Electors | 101,903 (2013)[1] |
| Area | 256,643 km2 (99,090.4 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 of the state, and adjoining the border with Queensland. 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 Mudgee, Ilford, Dunedoo, Gulgong, Coonabarabran, Coonamble, Walgett, Narrabri, Moree, Warren, Nyngan, Cobar and Bourke. The division does not include the namesake town of Parkes.
The current Member for Parkes, since the 2007 federal election, is Mark Coulton, a member of the National Party of Australia.[2] 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,[3] more than any other electorate in Australia at that time.[4]
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
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National | Mark Coulton | 58,020 | 64.01 | +4.78 | |
| Labor | Brendan Byron | 18,850 | 20.80 | −0.46 | |
| Palmer United | Neil Gorman | 6,724 | 7.42 | +7.42 | |
| Greens | Matt Parmeter | 4,691 | 5.18 | −0.42 | |
| Christian Democrats | Michelle Ryan | 2,354 | 2.60 | +2.60 | |
| Total formal votes | 90,639 | 94.26 | −0.72 | ||
| Informal votes | 5,519 | 5.74 | +0.72 | ||
| Turnout | 96,158 | 94.36 | +0.04 | ||
| Two-party-preferred result | |||||
| National | Mark Coulton | 65,575 | 72.35 | +3.49 | |
| Labor | Brendan Byron | 25,064 | 27.65 | −3.49 | |
| National hold | Swing | +3.49 | |||
References
External links
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