ALP 15.5%
Incumbent MP
Julia Gillard, since 1998.
Geography
Lalor covers areas on the western fringe of Melbourne and on the way to Geelong. The seat covers Werribee, Melton and surrounding areas.
History
Lalor was created in 1949 as part of the expansion of the House of Representatives. It has been won by the ALP at all but one election since then, and has usually been held by prominent Labor figures. All four Labor MPs for the seat have held ministerial office, including two Deputy Prime Ministers and a Prime Minister.
The seat was first won in 1949 by the ALP’s Reg Pollard. Pollard had previously held the federal seat of Ballarat since 1937, and had served as a minister in the Chifley government between the 1946 and 1949 elections. He held Lalor until his defeat in 1966.
Pollard lost his seat to Liberal candidate Mervyn Lee in 1966. Lee attempted to move to the neighbouring seat of Bendigo in 1969, but failed to win the seat.
Lalor was won in 1969 by the ALP’s Jim Cairns. He had previously held the seat of Yarra since 1955, but the seat was abolished at the 1969 election. Cairns was a leading light of the Labor Left and was a leader of the movement against the Vietnam War.
Cairns was appointed to Gough Whitlam’s ministry after the 1972 election. He was elected Deputy Leader of the ALP, and thus Deputy Prime Minister, after the 1974 election, and later was appointed Treasurer. Cairns, however, was caught up in a sex scandal and the ‘Loans Affair’, and Whitlam sacked Cairns from the ministry in July 1975. Cairns retired from the Parliament in 1977.
Lalor was won in 1977 by state Labor MP and former radio host Barry Jones. Jones served as Minister for Science in the Hawke government from 1983 to 1990, when he failed to retain factional support for his ministerial position. He went on to serve as National President of the ALP from 1992 to 2000 and again in 2005-6. Jones retired in 1998.
Lalor was won in 1998 by Julia Gillard, who had most recently been chief of staff to Victorian Labor leader John Brumby. Gillard was promoted to the Labor frontbench, first as Shadow Minister for Immigration then Shadow Minister for Health.
In late 2006 Gillard joined with Kevin Rudd on a Labor leadership ticket, and she was elected Deputy Leader of the ALP, and Gillard took on the Workplace Relations portfolio. She became Deputy Prime Minister after the election of the Rudd government in 2007. In June 2010 she became Prime Minister after she was elected as Labor leader.
Candidates
- Paul Sheehan (Secular Party)
- Brian Shaw (Independent)
- Sheridan Ingram (Liberal)
- Lori McLean (Family First)
- Julia Gillard (Labor) – Member for Lalor since 1998, Prime Minister since June 2010.
- Van Rudd (Independent)
- Marc Aussie-Stone (Independent)
- Peter Taylor (Greens)
- Joanne Clarke (Independent)
Political situation
This seat is very safe for the ALP in any circumstance, and Gillard is a very strong candidate who should have no trouble retaining the seat. If anything, her ascension as Prime Minister should further solidify her hold.
2007 result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Julia Gillard | ALP | 57,208 | 59.89 | +6.64 |
| Peter Curtis | LIB | 28,435 | 29.77 | -7.68 |
| Steve Gleeson | FF | 4,199 | 4.40 | +1.22 |
| Jay Tilley | GRN | 3,836 | 4.02 | -0.10 |
| Libby Krepp | DLP | 969 | 1.01 | +1.01 |
| Roger Howe | DEM | 879 | 0.92 | -0.52 |
2007 two-candidate-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Julia Gillard | ALP | 62,600 | 65.53 | +6.74 |
| Peter Curtis | LIB | 32,936 | 34.47 | -6.74 |
Booth breakdown
Booths have been divided into four areas. Those in Melton council area have been grouped together. Booths in Wyndham have been divided into three areas. The Greens outpolled Family First in Point Creek-Laverton but not in the more populous areas. The ALP consistently polled between 64% and 68% across the seat.
| Voter group | FF % | GRN % | ALP 2CP % | Total votes | % of votes |
| Werribee | 5.06 | 3.88 | 64.71 | 24,431 | 25.58 |
| Hoppers Crossing | 4.58 | 3.93 | 67.89 | 21,704 | 22.72 |
| Melton | 4.21 | 3.70 | 66.00 | 19,204 | 20.10 |
| Point Creek-Laverton | 3.69 | 4.74 | 64.48 | 9,170 | 9.60 |
| Other votes | 3.91 | 4.23 | 64.09 | 21,017 | 22.00 |
So Kevin Rudd’s nephew Van Rudd is reportedly running here for the Revolutionary Socialist Party – never heard of them.
Nick C says: So Kevin Rudd’s nephew Van Rudd is reportedly running here for the Revolutionary Socialist Party – never heard of them.
That is strange.
Kevin’s Mother was a member of the DLP and his father was a member of the Country Party/Nationals.
What’s the point of the “Revolutionary Socialist Party” running in a seat like Lalor? Melton and Werribee ain’t exactly Newtown……
The RSP is one of the endless trotskyite splinter groups… think the ‘People’s Front Of Judea’ sketch in Life Of Brian. My guess is Van Rudd is a first year uni student. Slackbastard (a blog) has a list of all these little groups, which I might find later.
‘My guess is Van Rudd is a first year uni student’
He is a well-known 37 year old artist.
Nothing to say he can’t also be a first year uin student Poodle.
Actually, given his CV – artist, a trot, perennial candidate – he could well have been stuck in the first year of uni for the last 15 years!
I grew up in Werribee, and I expect there will be a boost for Gillard on the back of her ascension to PM. In speaking to my family and friends (I was in Melbourne on the weekend visting in Lalor and neighbouring Gellibrand), I think they place some restrained hope in Gillard. Although I should add that the hope is tempered by a view that all ALP politicians are the same, regardless of gender and the label of ‘left’. I suspect a failure on Gillard’s part to deliver improved health services and economic conditions to the west will come as no surprise.
To @MDMConnell: My parents have never lived outside the two seats I mention above, and I’m the only of their children not to live there now. Yet half of us vote for the Greens and my sister and I would call ourselves Marxists. While none of us would have the intention of voting for the Revolutionary Socialist Party, it of course does not mean the only people who want an alternative the left of the Labour Party live in Newtown (or Fitzroy). My general experience is of immense anger at the Labour Party’s economic-rationalist betrayals, but the lack of what those same people might see as a viable alternative to the ALP.
Local media reports additional candidates here, Peter Taylor for the Greens and Lon McLean for Family First.
Actually Van is a Masters student, professional artist and father of 2 but you can keep making false assumptions. If people are interested in helping out with the campaign follow the contact details on http://www.vanruddforlalor.org/
James
Revolutionary Socialist Party
I sent the ABC an update on my background and reasons for standing as an Independent in the PM’s seat of Lalor. Some of that can be found on the WEB Site given above. We live in a great Democracy and it allows us to stand and have our say. Recently 5 experienced Industry Leaders, having 180 years successful Industry experience between us, went to Canberra seeking only a sharing discussion with any one of 4 Senior Labour Party Ministers. They were for Pacfic Aid, Rural Development, Aboriginal Affairs, and Tourism. Despite 3 months of prior request none would meet with us. So in this Election I am standing to share this fact with the Electors. A strong Vote 1 for Aussie-Stone in this Lalor Electorate helps me send a message to Canberra that only when we work together will we all be able to progress Australia. Should I ever get elected to represent an Electorate I pledge my commitment to do everything possible to progress the Rural Region that I will be representing. See http://www.yestogether.com
Having lived in this safe seat of Lalor for twenty nine years i am tired of the neglect of our community by political parties. It is my hope that one day this will become a marginal seat and pollies will throw money at us likethey do to other marginals.To try to win our votes.
If people think they will get more attention here because Julia is Stand in prime Minister forget it. She will have no time to be here in this electorate and we will get less and less attention if she is elected as yet she has not been elected PM
I am very passsionate about our community and will do all I can to make this a marginal seat.To allow our taxes be spent in the West . Our infrastucture is a disgrace for the size of this community.
I hope to be on board when the community finally realises that the present Government does not look after the West , as they think they have it in the bag.
My prediction: 3-4% swing to Labor.
Just a short note to thank you for publishing my comment.
The final Vote tally was 404 “thoughtful” Australians in the Lalor Electorate that supported my campaign to have Government Ministers at least be willing “to meet” with fellow Australians also interested in progressing our great Australia. I most sincerely thank them for their Vote.
This election nearly all parties are putting up the issues of Education , Water, Climate Change, etc..However none seam to be saying how they are going to tackle the problems for the elderly, The continuing increasing of the costs of Electricity, Water and Gase, Thease areas have been drascally increased three fold and more over the last two years,and the small increase in pensions has not helped anyone. Rents, Petrol, Gas,electricity, food etc all continue to go up and the Governments,both State and Federal have done nothing to help the Pensioners. And none of the oposition parties have given us much hope either. Who is going to do anything to fix this problem…Bill Kerr..qbee@ihug.com.au