Strathfield – NSW 2019

ALP 1.8%

Incumbent MP
Jodi McKay, since 2015. Previously member for Newcastle 2007-2011.

Geography
Inner West Sydney. Strathfield covers parts of Ashfield, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury and Strathfield local government areas, specifically the suburbs of Croydon, Burwood, Enfield, Homebush and Strathfield.

History
The electoral district of Strathfield has existed since 1988. The seat was held until 1999 by the Liberal Party, and by Labor from 1999 to 2011, when the Liberal Party won it back.

It was first won in 1988 by Paul Zammit. He had won the seat of Burwood in 1984, holding it for one term before it was abolished. Burwood had been held by conservative candidates for close to a century before the ALP won it in 1978.

Zammit served as a junior minister in the Coalition state government from 1991 to 1995. In 1996, he resigned from Strathfield and won the federal seat of Lowe. He only held it for one term, as he resigned from the Liberal Party in 1998 in protest over aircraft noise. He ran as an independent in Lowe at the 1998 federal election, losing to the ALP’s John Murphy.

The 1996 Strathfield by-election was won by the Liberal Party’s Bruce McCarthy.

Prior to the 1999 election, Strathfield was redrawn to take in parts of the abolished Labor seat of Ashfield, cutting back McCarthy’s margin.

At the 1999 election, McCarthy lost to the ALP’s Paul Whelan, the sitting Member for Ashfield. Whelan had held Ashfield since the 1976 election. He had served as a minister in the Wran Labor government from 1981 to 1984. He served as Minister for Police from 1995 to 2001, and as Leader of the House until 2003, when he retired.

Whelan was succeeded by Strathfield mayor Virginia Judge in 2003. She was re-elected in 2007, and served as a minister in the Labor government from 2008 to 2011.

In 2011, Judge lost to Liberal candidate Charles Casuscelli.

Casuscelli held Strathfield for one term, losing in 2015 to Labor candidate Jodi McKay. McKay had previously represented Newcastle from 2007 until 2011, and had served as a minister from 2008 until 2011. She went straight back to the frontbench after returning to parliament in 2015.

Candidates

Assessment
Strathfield is very marginal but Labor would be likely to hold on.

2015 result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Charles Casuscelli Liberal 19,884 42.7 -5.1
Jodi Mckay Labor 19,721 42.4 +7.4
Lance Dale Greens 4,292 9.2 -1.9
David Brook Christian Democrats 1,573 3.4 0.0
Stephen Chehab No Land Tax 1,092 2.3 +2.3
Informal 1,523 3.2

2015 two-party-preferred result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Jodi Mckay Labor 22,371 51.8 +8.2
Charles Casuscelli Liberal 20,829 48.2 -8.2

Booth breakdown

Booths in Strathfield have been split into three parts: east, south and west.

Labor won a majority of the two-party-preferred vote in two out of three areas, polling 53.6% in the south and 55.4% in the east. The Liberal Party polled 53.1% in the west.

Voter group ALP 2PP % Total votes % of votes
West 46.9 11,772 25.3
East 55.4 10,088 21.7
South 53.6 9,536 20.5
Other votes 52.2 11,004 23.6
Pre-poll 51.6 4,162 8.9

Two-party-preferred votes in Strathfield at the 2015 NSW state election

Become a Patron!

17 COMMENTS

  1. The heart of Strathfield is old money; leafy streets and large houses. Note that the seat has traditionally been Liberal (known as Burwood prior to 1988.) This is the first time Labor has held the seat in opposition.

  2. strathfield is liberal mostly in the central & northern parts because of voters who are affluent, good housing & those who have social conservative views like the korean christians who aren’t catholic.

  3. I like how the Christian Democrats “Swing” column just reads “FALSE”. Very true! No fun, those guys.

    Parts of Strathfield the suburb are going for Mosman prices these days, too.

  4. Liberal are very good for nation they always think country first rest Strathfield is all educated and professional live there thought are different top schools are here very liberal.? not green / labour policy just social banifit party

  5. Philip Madirazza is the Liberal candidate here.

    In any other election, he would have a serious chance of winning this seat – but not this time.

  6. I’m the candidate Philip Madirazza and having grown up in the area I believe that the community needs a local with local knowledge, history and one that has experienced first hand the changes. From attending Trinity Grammar prep and high school to spending my youth at Keary’s Corner I can transparently represent the needs of the electorate.
    The electorate has seen that the NSW Liberals are building a stronger NSW economy and requires true community engagement to further improve.
    The NSW Liberals have invested and committed to upgrading Croydon Public School, Marie Bashir Public school and Burwood Girls High School as well as 26 new classrooms for Homebush West Public School but yet there is more to do for Strathfield.
    With good economic management under a liberal government I can advocate the needs required to do this.
    We are delivering more doctors and more nurses including a $341 million redevelopment of Concord Hospital.
    Delivering new transport infrastructure with upgrades to North Strathfield, Strathfield, Homebush, Croydon and Flemington stations as well as additional bus services for the Strathfield area.
    Let’s not go back to the previous Labor reign off poor economic management, backlog of maintenance and debt.

    Authorised by Philip Madirazza , Liberal Party of Australia, NSW Division, Level 12, 100 William Street, East Sydney NSW 2011.

  7. I think it’s best for vote for a local who was brought up in Strathfield and went to school in Strathfield. That way they have historical and personal knowledge of the area, and can speak from the heart. That’s Philip Madirazza! Vote for him!

  8. Im just a local living in the area. From what I can see, Phillips campaign seems to be really picking up momentum, and his policies seem to be on the dot. Labor’s policies seemed appealing a few years ago but after having them for 4 years in the seat, all I can say is I’m really not happy with the state of the electorate, especially with over-development and traffic congestion. The solution of Labor to just implement more public transport didn’t to help at all. Guess my family and I will be voting Liberals this time round.

  9. Of there is as general backlash to the racism thing plus Daley’s debate performance I can see a Liberal gain here.

    Plus in Sydney the undecideds may just tilt Gladys’ way. Fromwho I speakto theh may not be super happy with delays on projects, but at least they are getting done.

    I can see this Oatley, East Hills going/staying Liberal yet Coogee Penrith going Labor.

  10. Yes, this is the seat rather than Kogarah or Cabramatta most likely to switcfh due to Daley’s “own goal”. The others COULD but this is the one on the really tight margin.

    Also tend to agree that its more likely to be outside Sydney where we will see most of the potential “action” against the current government. Agree that Coogee is the best bet to go Lab; Penrith could go either way depending on who gets hurt most by Ind vote plus prefs (but Libs in def strife). Oatley will most likely stay Lib and I don’t think either side is particularly confident over which way East Hills will fall.

  11. Mick, I was leaning towards Lab picking up East Hills as I was thinking that a likely rise in Lab’s vote north of the railway line (pretty much the dividing line demographically and vote wise) would be sufficient to tip them over the line but there’s been an awful lot of “pork” being promised. Whilst Daley’s “own goal” isn’t likely to be a major vote changer in this seat; its derailment of Lab’s momentum could be that final factor for undecideds.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here