Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox Australian Electorate

The Division of Canberra is an Australian electoral division in the Australian Capital Territory. It is named for the city of Canberra, Australia's national capital, and includes all of central Canberra, Kowen, Majura, as well as part of Weston Creek, Woden Valley, Molonglo Valley, Belconnen, and Jerrabomberra. Canberra's Parliament House, the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, is located within the division. It is currently held by Alicia Payne of the Labor Party.

GeographyEdit

Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state or territory, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state or territory's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of a state or territory are malapportioned.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

As of 2018, the division of Canberra includes Canberra Central, the Woden Valley suburbs of Curtin, Chifley, Garran and Hughes, the Belconnen suburbs of Aranda, Bruce, Cook, Giralang, Hawker, Kaleen, Lawson and Weetangera, the Jerrabomberra suburbs of Beard and Oaks Estate and the districts of Majura and Kowen.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

HistoryEdit

File:Canberra, ACT at dusk.jpg
The city of Canberra, the division's namesake

The division was created in a redistribution of the former Division of Australian Capital Territory, gazetted on 19 April 1974. It originally encompassed the southern suburbs of Canberra, including the districts of Tuggeranong, Weston Creek and Woden Valley. It also generally included the land in the ACT south of the Molonglo River and Lake Burley Griffin, although at one time some suburbs in the inner south of the lake were includes in the now abolished division of Fraser. Later the division included Reid and Campbell and prior to the 2018 redistribution, it included Civic, Acton, Turner south of Haig Park and east of Sullivans Creek, Braddon south of Haig Park, Reid, Campbell and Pialligo.<ref name=2016map>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> From 2016, the division included Norfolk Island.

In 2018, the Australian Electoral Commission announced substantial alterations to the boundaries of the electorate, due to the creation of a new seat (the Division of Bean) covering the majority of the Australian Capital Territory, centred on its south, as well as Norfolk Island. The new Division of Canberra only covers Canberra's inner suburbs, Majura and Kowen in the Territory's north-east, the Belconnen suburbs of Aranda, Bruce, Cook, Giralang, Hawker, Kaleen, Lawson and Weetangera, and parts of Woden Valley north of Hindmarsh Drive.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

For most of its history it has been a fairly safe seat for the Australian Labor Party, but it has been won by the Liberal Party three times, most recently at a 1995 by-election. In recent elections, the Australian Greens vote has increased steadily, with the party being only just under 4,000 votes of surpassing the Liberal Party on primary vote to enter the two-party preferred vote. In particular, the Greens came second on primary vote in 12 booths at the 2019 federal election, and won in two booths (Dickson East and Canberra City). However, the Labor Party retains a vote almost double that of the Greens in the electorate.

MembersEdit

Image Member Party Term Notes
Template:Australian party style File:Kep Enderby 1973.jpg Kep Enderby
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Labor 18 May 1974
13 December 1975
Previously held the Division of Australian Capital Territory. Served as minister under Whitlam. Lost seat
Template:Australian party style File:Liberal Placeholder.png John Haslem
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Liberal 13 December 1975
18 October 1980
Lost seat
Template:Australian party style File:Ros Kelly (cropped).jpg Ros Kelly
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Labor 18 October 1980
30 January 1995
Previously held the Australian Capital Territory House of Assembly seat of Canberra. Served as minister under Hawke and Keating. Resigned to retire from politics
Template:Australian party style File:Brendan Smyth Wanniassa head.jpg Brendan Smyth
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Liberal 25 March 1995
2 March 1996
Did not contest in 1996. Failed to win the Division of Namadgi. Later elected to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly seat of Brindabella in 1998
Template:Australian party style File:Bob McMullan.jpg Bob McMullan
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Labor 2 March 1996
3 October 1998
Previously a member of the Senate. Transferred to the Division of Fraser
Template:Australian party style File:Annette Ellis.jpg Annette Ellis
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3 October 1998
19 July 2010
Previously held the Division of Namadgi. Retired
Template:Australian party style File:Gai Brodtmann Headshot.jpg Gai Brodtmann
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21 August 2010
11 April 2019
Retired
Template:Australian party style File:Labor Placeholder.png Alicia Payne
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18 May 2019
present
Incumbent

Election resultsEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:Australian federal divisions of the Australian Capital and Northern Territories

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