Division of Mayo

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Mayo
Australian House of Representatives Division
State or territory: South Australia
Created: 1984
MP: Alexander Downer
Party: Liberal
Namesake: Helen Mayo
Electors: 96,401
Area: 9,190 km² (3,548.3 sq mi)
Demographic: Rural

The Division of Mayo is an Australian Electoral Division located in the hills, east of Adelaide, South Australia and currently includes the towns of Victor Harbor, Lobethal, Mount Barker, Strathalbyn, Woodside and Kingscote.

First proclaimed in 1984, the division is named for Helen Mayo, a social activist and the first woman elected to an Australian University Council. It has been held by Alexander Downer, a senior member of the conservative Liberal Party, since its proclamation.

At its creation in 1984, Mayo was a rural based electorate that stretched from the seaside town of Victor Harbor to the Adelaide Hills. Downer, the son and grandson of former federal politicians, easily won in 1984 and 1987 but faced his first real challenge in 1990 from the Australian Democrats, who traditionally polled better in the area covered by Mayo than anywhere else in Australia. The Democrat candidate polled 21.3% and while Downer retained Mayo on a two party preferred basis comfortably, a swing of 6% away from Downer towards the Democrat may well have seen Downer lose the seat. Interestingly, Democrats leader, Senator Janine Haines, chose to contest the neighbouring Division of Kingston at the 1990 election, losing to the sitting member. It was postulated at the time that if the high profile Haines had contested Mayo, she may have gathered the further 6% required to unseat Downer.

A redistribution following the 1990 elections shifted Mayo to an exclusively Hills based seat and theoretically consilidated Downer's hold on the seat to the detriment of the Democrats. As a result, Downer was comfortably returned at the 1993 and 1996 federal elections. In 1998, however, Downer, facing six opposition candidates, including high profile Democrats candidate John Schumann, One Nation Party and an independent candidate advocating increased public nudity, was re-elected by a narrow margin. Schumann's 22.4% was the best result for a minor party candidate in Mayo and lost to Downer on a two party preferred basis by only 1.7%, transforming Mayo into one of the more marginal electorates in Australia.

Another redistribution following the 1998 election made Mayo a safer Liberal seat and Downer was again returned comfortably at the 2001 elections, helped partly by an Independent Democrat candidate splitting the Democrat vote. The 2004 election saw a record eight candidates including independent Brian Deegan who polled 15 percent, but was successfully retained by Downer, and again at the 2007 election, on a reduced margin of seven percent. With post-Howard polling figures, the seat is at risk of falling to Labor if a by-election occurs with other by-elections after the budget when it is speculated some former ministers will retire.

[edit] Members

Member Party Term
  Alexander Downer Liberal 1984—present

[edit] Election results

Australian federal election, 2007: Mayo
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander Downer 45,893 51.08 -2.56
Labor Mary Brewerton 27,957 31.12 +14.63
Greens Lynton Vonow 9,849 10.96 +3.36
Family First Trish Nolan 3,615 4.02 +0.37
Conservatives for Climate Rachael Barons 1,165 1.30 +1.30
Democrats Andrew Castrique 1,369 1.52 -0.29
Total formal votes 89,848 97.24 +1.88
Informal votes 2,550 2.76 -1.88
Turnout 92,398 95.85 +0.64
Two Candidate Preferred Result
Liberal Alexander Downer 51,264 57.06 -6.53
Labor Mary Brewerton 38,584 42.94 +42.94
Liberal hold Swing -6.53
Australian federal election, 2004: Mayo
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Alexander Downer 44,520 53.64 +0.01
Labor James Murphy 13,689 16.49 -3.26
Independent Brian Deegan 12,577 15.15 +15.15
Greens Dennis Matthews 6,305 7.60 +2.13
Family First Kevin Cramp 3,027 3.65 +3.65
Democrats Kathy Brazher-de Laine 1,505 1.81 -11.90
One Nation Robert Fechner 774 0.93 -3.27
Independent Jon Grear 606 0.73 +0.73
Total formal votes 83,003 95.36 +0.30
Informal votes 4,039 4.64 -0.30
Turnout 87,042 95.21 +0.56
Two Candidate Preferred Result
Liberal Alexander Downer 51,303 61.81 +61.81
Independent Brian Deegan 31,700 38.19 +38.19
Liberal hold Swing +61.81

[edit] External links

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Electoral Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives in South Australia
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