Corio is a Labor seat covering Geelong and surrounding areas. It has long been a marginal seat, but since the 1970s it has become a solid Labor seat.
The seat was held by Gavan O’Connor from 1993 to 2007, but in 2006 he was challenged for preselection by ACTU Assistant Secretary Richard Marles, who won the seat in 2007, with O’Connor coming third, running as an independent. Marles now serves as Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry in the Labor government.
