|
THE POLL BLUDGER HUNTER
Hunter has covered a relatively stable area of the Upper Hunter valley since it was created at federation, including Maitland and Muswellbrook. With Labor-voting mining communities outweighing surrounding rural areas, the seat has been has been held by Labor ever since 1910. Leaders over the years included Australia's first Prime Minister Edmund Barton, failed 1920s Labor leader Matthew Charlton and (briefly) failed 1950s Labor leader Herbert “Doc” Evatt. The seat underwent a significant change with the creation of neighbouring Charlton when parliament was enlarged in 1984, taking over the strong Labor areas of Wallsend and Toronto outside Newcastle. The result was a more rurally oriented Hunter in which the Labor margin was cut from 22.6 per cent to 5.0 per cent. Eric Fitzgibbon was nonetheless able to steadily build up the Labor margin during his period as member from 1984, assisted by demographic change resulting from urban development. In 1996 he bequeated the seat to his son Joel Fitzgibbon, a principal ally of Mark Latham who has redeemed himself with solid performances in shadow portfolios including mining, energy and forestry, Assistant Treasurer and, since Kevin Rudd became leader in December 2006, defence. | |