Rockhampton – Queensland 2012

ALP 17.9%

Incumbent MP
Robert Schwarten, since 1995. Previously Member for Rockhampton North 1989-1992.

Geography
Central Queensland. Rockhampton covers most of the suburbs of Rockhampton, including all of the city south of the Fitzroy River.

History
The seat of Rockhampton was first created in 1865, and existed until its abolition in 1960. The seat was restored in 1972. The seat has been held by the ALP since 1912, with the exception of two periods when the sitting Labor MP broke away from the party.

The restored seat was won in 1972 by the ALP’s Keith Wright. He was elected leader of the ALP in 1982. In 1984 he left the Legislative Assembly to take the federal seat of Capricornia. In 1993 he lost his preselection for Capricornia after being charged with child sex offences and rape, and lost his seat at that year’s election.

Paul Braddy won Rockhampton in 1985. He served as a minister in the Beattie and Bligh governments. In 1995 he moved to the seat of Kedron. He retired in 2001 when the seat of Kedron was abolished.

Robert Schwarten won the seat of Rockhampton in 1995. He had held the seat of Rockhampton North from 1989 until 1992, when his seat was abolished and he contested the new seat of Keppel. He lost to the National Party candidate.

Schwarten served as a minister in the Beattie and Bligh governments from 1998 to 2011, and stepped down from the ministry in February 2011.

Candidates
Sitting Labor MP Robert Schwarten is not running for re-election. The ALP is running Bill Byrne. The LNP is running Gavin Finch. Katter’s Australian Party is running Shane Guley. Also is running is independent Bruce Diamond.

  • Bill Byrne (Labor)
  • Gavin Finch (Liberal National)
  • Shane Guley (Katter’s Australian Party)
  • Diane Hamilton (Independent)
  • Bruce Diamond (Independent)
  • Genevieve Ellis (Family First)
  • Chris Hooper (Independent)
  • Bronwen Lloyd (Greens)

Political situation
Rockhampton is a safe Labor seat, even in the current political environment.

2009 result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Robert Schwarten ALP 16,922 61.6 -7.4
Don Kane LNP 7,482 27.2 -2.2
Gavin Finch IND 1,962 7.1 +7.1
Sam Clifford GRN 1,118 4.1 +4.1

2009 two-candidate-preferred result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Robert Schwarten ALP 17,672 67.9 -1.9
Don Kane LNP 8,348 32.1 +1.9

Booth breakdown
Booths in Rockhampton have been divided into three areas. Booths on the northern side of the Fitzroy River have been grouped as “North”, those on the southern side have been split into Central, which covers the centre of Rockhampton, and South.

The ALP’s vote varied from 55.7% in the south to 66.3% in the north.

Polling booths in Rockhampton at the 2009 state election. North in blue, Central in green, South in orange.

 

Voter group ALP % LNP % IND % Total votes % of votes
North 66.3 22.8 7.3 10,148 36.9
South 55.7 32.1 8.4 6,406 23.3
Central 61.2 27.1 6.9 4,808 17.5
Other votes 60.2 29.6 5.7 6,122 22.3
Labor primary votes in Rockhampton at the 2009 state election.
Liberal National primary votes in Rockhampton at the 2009 state election.

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