ALP 21.2%
Incumbent MP
Brendan O’Connor, since 2004. Previously Member for Burke 2001-2004.
Geography
Western suburbs of Melbourne. Gorton covers western parts of Brimbank council and the eastern edge of Melton council. Suburbs include Derrimut, Ardeer, Deer Park, Cairnlea, Albanvale, Kings Park, Burnside, Ravenhall, Caroline Springs, Keilor, Delahey, Sydenham, Hillside and Calder Park.
History
Gorton is the newest seat in Victoria, having been created at the 2004 election. The seat replaced the abolished seat of Burke, which sat in the same part of Melbourne. It is named after former Prime Minister John Gorton, who died in 2002. In its short history Gorton has been a very safe Labor seat, as was its predecessor seat of Burke.
Burke was created for the 1969 election. It was largely a safe seat, although it was considered marginal for much of the 1980s. It was held by Keith Johnson until 1980, followed by Andrew Theophanous from 1980 to 1984, when he moved to the new seat of Calwell, which he held until 2001. The seat was then held by Neil O’Keefe from 1984 to 2001. O’Keefe served as a Parliamentary Secretary in the second term of the Keating government.
In 2001, Burke was won by Brendan O’Connor, an official with the Australian Services Union. O’Connor was promoted to the Labor frontbench as a junior minister in the Rudd government after the 2007 election.
Candidates
- Sean Major (Family First)
- Brendan O’Connor (Labor)
- Steve Wilson (Greens)
- Damon Ryder (Liberal)
Political situation
Gorton is now an extremely safe Labor seat. O’Connor will hold it as long as he is the Labor candidate.
2007 result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Brendan O’Connor | ALP | 58,732 | 61.93 | +2.56 |
| Susan Jennison | LIB | 23,063 | 24.32 | -8.10 |
| Huong Truong | GRN | 5,775 | 6.09 | +0.99 |
| Scott Amberley | FF | 3,746 | 3.95 | +1.46 |
| Vern Hughes | DLP | 3,516 | 3.71 | +3.71 |
2007 two-candidate-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Brendan O’Connor | ALP | 67,535 | 71.22 | +6.32 |
| Susan Jennison | LIB | 27,297 | 28.78 | -6.32 |
Booth breakdown
Booths in Gorton have been divided into three areas: north, south and central. The ALP has large majorities in all parts of the seat, but they poll much more strongly (around 77%) in the centre and south of the seat, and around 66% in the north. The Greens poll much more strongly in the south of the seat.
| Voter group | GRN % | ALP 2CP % | Total votes | % of votes |
| North | 5.30 | 66.35 | 36,552 | 38.54 |
| Central | 6.60 | 76.76 | 27,585 | 29.09 |
| South | 8.34 | 77.00 | 8,717 | 9.19 |
| Other votes | 5.86 | 70.06 | 21,978 | 23.18 |
Burke moved back and forth in the 1980s the 1984 redistribution made it a much more rural seat and hence more marginal. Hence Andrew Theophanous left it for Calwell. I think Bill Landeryou was offered Burke in 1984 but considered it too marginal, foolish as labor held it through the 1980s and Landeryou would definitely have been a minister under Hawke.
Interesting if the redistribution hadn’t abolished Burke, would the Liberals have won it in 2004?
It was only about 5%-odd, and there were some big swings in Western Melbourne at that election.
The Democrats have named a candidate here, Peter Papachristofordos.
My prediction: Labor retain, 1% swing to them.