Division of Canning

Canning Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Canning in Western Australia, as of the 2021 redistribution
Created	1949
MP	Andrew Hastie
Party	Liberal Party
Namesake	Alfred Canning
Electors	107,182 (2019)
Area	6,304 km2 (2,434.0 sq mi)
Demographic	Outer Metropolitan

The Division of Canning is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia.

History[]

The Canning Stock Route. It is named after Alfred Canning, who is also the division's namesake

The division was created in 1949 and is named for Alfred Canning,^[1] the Western Australian government surveyor who surveyed the Canning Stock Route. It was originally a country seat that traded hands between the two main centre-right parties, the Liberal and Country parties.

Since 1980 it has been located in the southern suburbs of the two largest cities in Western Australia, Perth and Mandurah. For most of its last three decades, it has been a highly marginal seat due to the balanced proportion of the urban north and the rural south, changing hands between the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party. Canning had a Liberal margin of 4.3 percent leading into the 2010 election,^[2] and was targeted by Labor, who stood high-profile candidate and former state Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan.^[3] The Liberals retained the seat; however, Canning was the only Western Australian seat to see a two-party preferred swing toward the Australian Labor Party.

A 2015 Canning by-election, triggered on 21 July following the death of Liberal Don Randall, was held on 19 September. Though the Turnbull Government was just four days old, their candidate Andrew Hastie retained the seat for the Liberals, despite having to rely on preferences after a substantial, though dampened, primary (−4.15%) and two-party (−6.55%) swing away from the Liberals − solidly less than the double-digit swings polls had predicted under an Abbott Government − however, some double-digit swings did eventuate among the northern suburban booths. The Canning Liberal margin was reduced from safe to marginal status. Political analysts agreed the by-election was a "good outcome for both major parties".^[4]

In 2016, the more urbanised areas of the City of Armadale west of the Albany Highway and South Western Highway, together with the suburbs of Mount Nasura and Kelmscott, were redistributed to the new Division of Burt.^[5]

Geography[]

The Division of Canning stretches from Byford and Carmel in the north to Wagerup in the south, and is largely based around the Peel region of Western Australia to the south of Perth.

As at the 2016 election, it includes the entire Peel region, comprising the City of Mandurah and the Shires of Serpentine-Jarrahdale (including Byford and Mundijong), Murray (including Pinjarra, Yunderup and Dwellingup), Waroona (including Waroona and Preston Beach) and Boddington. It also includes suburbs of a more semi-rural nature in the Darling Scarp from the Cities of Armadale, Gosnells, and Kalamunda. In August 2021, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) announced that the Shire of Boddington would be transferred from Canning to the seat of O'Connor, while the Gosnells suburbs of Kenwick, Maddington, Orange Grove and part of the Gosnells suburb of Martin would be transferred to Burt. These boundary changes will take place as of the next Australian federal election.^[6]

Members[]

	Image	Member	Party	Term	Notes
		Len Hamilton (1899–1987)	Country	10 December 1949 – 2 November 1961	Previously held the Division of Swan. Retired
		Neil McNeill (1921–2009)	Liberal	9 December 1961 – 30 November 1963	Lost seat. Later elected to the Western Australian Legislative Council in 1965
		John Hallett (1917–1999)	Country	30 November 1963 – 18 May 1974	Lost seat
		Mel Bungey (1934–)	Liberal	18 May 1974 – 5 March 1983	Lost seat
		Wendy Fatin (1941–)	Labor	5 March 1983 – 1 December 1984	Transferred to the Division of Brand
		George Gear (1947–)	Labor	1 December 1984 – 2 March 1996	Previously held the Division of Tangney. Served as Chief Government Whip in the House under Hawke and Keating. Served as minister under Keating. Lost seat
		Ricky Johnston (1943–)	Liberal	2 March 1996 – 3 October 1998	Lost seat
		Jane Gerick (1963–2003)	Labor	3 October 1998 – 10 November 2001	Lost seat
		Don Randall (1953–2015)	Liberal	10 November 2001 – 21 July 2015	Previously held the Division of Swan. Died in office
		Andrew Hastie (1982–)	Liberal	19 September 2015 – present	Incumbent

Election results[]

See also[]

• 2015 Canning by-election

References[]

External links[]

• Division of Canning - Australian Electoral Commission

Coordinates: 32°38′02″S 116°06′47″E / 32.634°S 116.113°E / -32.634; 116.113