Electoral district of Bundaberg

Summary

Bundaberg is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland in central Queensland, Australia. It covers the city of Bundaberg, as well as the immediate surrounding area.[1]

Bundaberg
QueenslandLegislative Assembly
Map of the electoral district of Bundaberg, 2017
StateQueensland
MPTom Smith
PartyLabor
NamesakeBundaberg
Electors35,296 (2020)
Area108 km2 (41.7 sq mi)
DemographicProvincial
Coordinates24°52′S 153°20′E / 24.867°S 153.333°E / -24.867; 153.333
Electorates around Bundaberg:
Burnett Burnett Burnett
Burnett Bundaberg Burnett
Burnett Burnett Burnett
2008 Electoral map

History edit

The electoral district of Bundaberg was created by the Electoral Districts Act of 1887 which abolished the electoral district of Mulgrave that had included the Bundaberg area.[1] The first election held in the seat of Bundaberg was the 1888 election.

The city's urban population has long made the seat a Labor stronghold. This changed in 2005 when the practices of rogue surgeon Jayant Patel at the Bundaberg Base Hospital were uncovered. The Beattie government was seriously embarrassed by the subsequent Commissions of Inquiry into the matter, and as a result the seat was considered winnable for the Nationals.

In 2020, the Labor Party won the seat by nine votes.[2] It is currently an extremely marginal seat.

Members for Bundaberg edit

Member Party Term
  Walter Adams Conservative 1888–1890
  Ministerial 1890–1892
  George Hall Labour 1892–1893
  Michael Duffy Ministerial 1893–1896
  Thomas Glassey Labour 1896–1901
  George Barber Labor 1901–1935
  Bernard McLean Labor 1935–1941
  Frank Barnes Andrew Fisher Labor 1941–1944
  Frank Barnes Labor 1944–1950
  Ted Walsh Labor 1950–1957
  Queensland Labor 1957–1963
  Independent 1963–1969
  Lou Jensen Labor 1969–1976
  Independent 1976–1977
  Jim Blake Labor 1977–1983
  Clem Campbell Labor 1983–1998
  Nita Cunningham Labor 1998–2006
  Jack Dempsey National 2006–2008
  Liberal National 2008–2015
  Leanne Donaldson Labor 2015–2017
  David Batt Liberal National 20172020
  Tom Smith Labor 2020–present

Election results edit

2020 Queensland state election: Bundaberg[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Tom Smith 13,053 43.12 +8.76
Liberal National David Batt 12,577 41.55 +6.03
One Nation Stewart Jones 1,766 5.83 −16.60
Legalise Cannabis Ian Zunker 1,669 5.51 +5.51
Greens Claire Ogden 964 3.18 −0.34
United Australia Shane Smeltz 244 0.81 +0.81
Total formal votes 30,273 96.48 +1.20
Informal votes 1,105 3.52 −1.20
Turnout 31,378 88.90 −1.04
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Tom Smith 15,141 50.01 +4.21
Liberal National David Batt 15,132 49.99 −4.21
Labor gain from Liberal National Swing +4.21

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Representatives of Queensland State Electorates 1860-2017" (PDF). Queensland Parliamentary Record 2012-2017: The 55th Parliament. Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  2. ^ Dennien, Matt (13 November 2020). "Labor by nine votes: Government wins historic Bundaberg, Nicklin recounts". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  3. ^ 2020 State General Election – Bundaberg – District Summary, ECQ.

External links edit