LIB 1.0%
Incumbent MP
Neale Burgess, since 2006.
Geography
Hastings covers suburbs on the southeastern fringe of Melbourne, surrounding the northern and western shore of Western Port. Hastings covers parts of the City of Casey, the City of Frankston, and the Shire of Mornington Peninsula and covers Hastings, Tooradin, Somerville, Cranbourne South and French Island.
History
The electoral district of Hastings was created in 2002. At the time it was considered to have a notional Liberal margin of 7.3%, but was won in 2002 by the ALP candidate, Rosy Buchanan, who won the seat with 50.85% of the vote.
In 2006, a small swing to the Liberal Party saw Buchanan defeated by Neale Burgess.
Candidates
- Steve Hosking (Labor)
- Dan Martin (Country Alliance)
- Rob Jones (Democratic Labor Party)
- Joe Mavrikos (Sex Party)
- Melanie Marcin (Family First)
- Aldona Martin (Independent)
- Neale Burgess (Liberal)
- Catherine Manning (Greens)
Political situation
Hastings is a very marginal Liberal seat, but history suggests it is dominated by the Liberal Party, and they should hold on in 2010.
2006 result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Neale Burgess | LIB | 16,111 | 44.52 | -1.56 |
| Rosy Buchanan | ALP | 14,625 | 40.41 | -3.01 |
| Francine Buckley | GRN | 2,540 | 7.02 | -2.31 |
| Melanie Marcin | FF | 1,748 | 4.83 | +4.83 |
| Jim King | NAT | 816 | 2.25 | +2.12 |
| Stuart Holm | PP | 351 | 0.97 | +0.97 |
2006 two-candidate-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Neale Burgess | LIB | 18,454 | 50.99 | +1.84 |
| Rosy Buchanan | ALP | 17,737 | 49.01 | -1.84 |
Booth breakdown
Booths in Hastings have been divided into three areas: those in the City of Casey are classed as “north”, those in the City of Frankston and at the northern end of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula as “central”, and the southern end of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula as “south”.
The Liberal Party won a majority in the central and northern parts of the seat, while the ALP won a majority of over 54% in the south of the seat. The Greens also polled highest in the south of the seat, with over 9%, compared to around 6% in the remainder of the seat.
| Voter group | GRN % | LIB 2CP % | Total votes | % of votes |
| Central | 5.91 | 52.22 | 14,214 | 39.23 |
| South | 9.41 | 45.93 | 7,674 | 21.18 |
| North | 6.24 | 54.95 | 6,137 | 16.94 |
| Other votes | 7.28 | 50.61 | 8,212 | 22.66 |
ALH, I don’t beleive that the damage to the signs are being done by the opposing candidates or party members. But what baffles me, and I am speaking from experience, is that in the 1980’s street crime (graffitti etc etc) was controlled by a resonably well resourced police force without all of the constraints that are apparent today. Unfortunately we are far to politically correct, and no offence to you for being a uni student, but we seem to look into things too much now adays and make changes for the sake of changes. Why fix something that isn’t broken. In the old days a swift kick up the backside by the local copper worked in most cases and reoffending didn’t occur in most cases. Move forward 30 years and we have adopted policies from well educated researchers that appear to work in theory, but just don’t work in the real world. Now I am not saying that your studies are a waste of time but to say programs are the answer is just a load of crap. If minimum penalties applied for all offences, sure there would be more people imprisoned but there would also be more people eventually detered. An example is the drug dealers of today that make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and risk perhaps 12 months in jail if caught. Make that 10 years like the liberals have suggested and two things will happen. Either our prisons will be full because we have locked away the dealers or it will deter people from taking the risk. A win win situation. I don’t have a uni degree, I just did the pratical job for a long long time.
Crime, it is just a joke when we call the Year 9 education program a “boot camp”. It is not intended for young offenders, but for all students to learn about ethics, citizenship, co-operation, volunteering , etc. It will be part of the curriculum and may or may not have a camp component. I like it.
Re “criminal damage”, the very act of being charged and having to go to court is sometimes enough punishment for young people who commit minor offences, especially when the person’s parents are called to account by the court and shamed within their community. Some minor crimes although illegal are not harmful to others or even to significant property. I would say that painting a Hitler moustache on a transient poster is an example. There are of course the repeat and unrepentant offenders who deserve the next level of sanctions and it’s up to the courts to impose them, if the police arrest and charge them.
The graffiti culture did not exist in its current expression until after the 1980’s when “Crime” says a swift kick up the backside was considered appropriate punishment. First it was political, (there is a lovely 1950’s “out Menzies” surviving on a Gippsland overpass), then vandalism, then “artists” of varying talent (eg. the famous Banksy), and lately the “tagging” which is often gang and territory-related.
I understand the feelings of police who charge a young person and see them walk “free”, and as part of a lively justice system the police views on punishment must be heeded.
Thanks to Joni, we also understand the feelings of a father of four lovely kids, who has been illegally prevented from seeing them. What is the appropriate punishment for flouting court orders, lying to smear a man’s reputation, misusing power and secreting children away from a father who has legally been awarded joint and equal custody by the courts? What is appropriate punishment for causing a good family grief?.
By the way, I am passing this message on to Chezza – “I’ll be home for lunch soon, I’ll bring a couple of pies, Love Neale”.
Dingo, this government has gone soft on crime. Go and speak with the local detectives and they will tell you first hand that they have presented a young offender before the courts for the 15th time and beleive it or not our courts have recorded a “non conviction” the previous 14 times. Therefore when presented the 15th time it appears to the magistrates that they are “first offenders”. Rob Hulls has a lot ot answer. If we have a change of government, just wait and see what lies and spin are revealed in the autopsy of the Brumby government. As far as your cryptic messages re fathers and children, believe me this mess has been created by the “child support agency” another of this current governments mismanagement. Anyway election day is here, so either we will have a change of government or we can wake up tomorrow morning and realise that greater than 50% of the Vic voters have been baffled by the bulls..t and spin of brumby and his 5000 media advisers.
Child Support and Family Law is Federal law – not State. Too many of our pollies are lawyers – we all know the lawyer jokes. They are a race apart.
Congratulations Neale – but don’t carve your name into the desk. You have slipped in on the coat-tails of Ted Baillieu, be careful he doesn’t fart in your face. I believe he thinks you are a dill and you never supported him for leader. Regards to Crime, Adam, ALH and others. Over and out.
Whilst the battle has been won and lost here in Hastings, with the ALP seemingly putting more resources into holding on to their marginals than trying to pinch some of the Liberals seats, there is not much more to say.
However, Im not sure if any previous commentators on this page are still looking at this, but I just wanted to note one more thing in relation to the previous discussion on law and order. I have noticed that the police are promising the biggest crack down on traffic infringements ever. Apparently Victorians will be swamped with over 1 million people breath tested. I just wonder if this is the same police force who claim they are under-resourced, and pushed the party leaders for a big slice of the pie in this election. Is it the same police force who have thrown in the towel in Frankston and asked the local council for private security to patrol our streets? Surely they aren’t one and the same! If somehow the stats are wrong like the Liberal Party says, and crime is on the rise, we now know why…. because all the cops are being deployed as petty traffic cops.
Just a final thought to ponder if anyone is still around. I have enjoyed bouncing ideas around here and regards to all others who have put forward their opinions here.
Ciao ALH