Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory)
The Division of Fraser was an Australian Electoral Division in the Australian Capital Territory and the Jervis Bay Territory.
| Fraser Australian House of Representatives Division | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created | 1974 |
| Abolished | 2016 |
| Namesake | Jim Fraser |
| Electors | 138,047 (2013) |
| Area | 513 km2 (198.1 sq mi) |
| Demographic | Inner Metropolitan |
History
The division was created in a redistribution of the former Division of Australian Capital Territory, gazetted on 19 April 1974. It was named for Jim Fraser, who was the Member for Australian Capital Territory from 1951 to 1970.
It encompassed the northern suburbs of Canberra, including the districts of Belconnen, Gungahlin, North Canberra and also the Jervis Bay Territory. It also generally included the land in the ACT north of the Molonglo River and Lake Burley Griffin, although at one time it included some suburbs in the inner south and immediately prior to its abolition it had lost Reid and Campbell to the division of Canberra. It was always a safe seat for the Australian Labor Party.
The Australian Electoral Commission decided that, with effect from the 2016 election, the seat name would be changed to Fenner, to honour scientist Frank Fenner. The name change was due to plans by the AEC to name a seat in Victoria after former prime minister Malcolm Fraser.[1][2] The proposed name change met with opposition from a number of ACT residents. For instance, former ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said that the name change "traduces" the legacy of Fraser, a man "close to the heart of Canberrans." He also claimed that Fenner himself would have objected to the proposal.[3]
Members
| Image | Member | Party | Term | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Ken Fry (1920–2007) |
Labor | 18 May 1974 – 26 October 1984 |
Previously a member of the Australian Capital Territory Advisory Council. Retired | |
|
John Langmore (1939–) |
Labor | 1 December 1984 – 6 December 1996 |
Resigned in order to retire from politics | |
|
Steve Dargavel (1966–) |
Labor | 1 February 1997 – 31 August 1998 |
Lost preselection and retired | |
 |
Bob McMullan (1947–) |
Labor | 3 October 1998 – 19 July 2010 |
Previously held the Division of Canberra. Retired | |
 |
Andrew Leigh (1972–) |
Labor | 21 August 2010 – 2 July 2016 |
Transferred to the Division of Fenner after Fraser was abolished in 2016 |
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Andrew Leigh | 56,063 | 44.66 | −1.15 | |
| Liberal | Elizabeth Lee | 39,693 | 31.62 | −0.79 | |
| Greens | Adam Verwey | 17,665 | 14.07 | −5.77 | |
| Bullet Train | Sam Huggins | 5,099 | 4.06 | +4.06 | |
| Palmer United | Freddy Alcazar | 3,063 | 2.44 | +2.44 | |
| Democrats | Darren Churchill | 2,444 | 1.95 | +1.95 | |
| Rise Up Australia | Jill Ross | 1,508 | 1.20 | +1.20 | |
| Total formal votes | 125,535 | 96.27 | +0.70 | ||
| Informal votes | 4,859 | 3.73 | −0.70 | ||
| Turnout | 130,394 | 94.46 | +0.07 | ||
| Two-party-preferred result | |||||
| Labor | Andrew Leigh | 78,614 | 62.62 | −1.58 | |
| Liberal | Elizabeth Lee | 46,921 | 37.38 | +1.58 | |
| Labor hold | Swing | −1.58 | |||
References
- AEC: Fenner. Retrieved 21 April 2016
- Peake, Ross (24 November 2015). "Jon Stanhope appalled by ACT federal seat renamed from Fraser to Fenner". Canberra Times. Retrieved 23 May 2016.
- 2013 results for Fraser, AEC.