Benalla – Victoria 2010

NAT 17.7%

Incumbent MP
Bill Sykes, since 2002.

Geography
Northern Victoria. Benalla covers parts of Alpine, Benalla, Greater Shepparton, Mansfield, Murrindindi, Strathbogie and Wangaratta local government areas. It includes the towns of Benalla, Bright, Eildon, Euroa, Mansfield, Mount Beauty, Murchison, Myrtleford, Nagambie and Violet Town.

History
Benalla has existed continuously since 1904. It has been held by the Country Party and National Party almost continuously since 1920.

The seat was won in 1982 by the National Party’s Pat McNamara. He was elected leader of the National Party in 1988. He served as Deputy Premier and in a variety of ministerial roles throughout the Kennett government from 1992 to 1999. He resigned from Parliament following the defeat of the Kennett government, triggering a by-election in 2000.

The ALP had gained substantial ground in Benalla in 1999, the Labor primary vote growing from 23% to 42%, and cutting the Nationals margin from 15.1% to 7.4%. The Labor candidate, Denise Allen, ran again in the by-election, winning the seat by 237 votes with a 7.8% swing.

Sykes regained the seat for the Nationals in 2002 with 52% of the two-party vote. In 2006, he gained a 15% swing, turning his marginal seat into one of the safest seats in the state.

Candidates

• Kammy Cordner Hunt (Greens)
• Rochelle Hunt (Country Alliance)
• Rowena Allen (Labor)
• Nicholas Williams (Independent)
• Bill Sykes (Nationals)

Political situation
Benalla is now a safe Nationals seat, despite its recent history of big swings.

2006 result

2006 two-candidate-preferred result

Booth breakdown
Lowan covers parts of seven local government areas. While a large proportion or all of Alpine, Benalla, Mansfield, Strathbogie and Wangaratta local government areas, but only small parts of Greater Shepparton and Murrindindi. Those latter two areas have been grouped with Strathbogie and Mansfield respectively.

The Nationals’ two-party vote varied from 62.7% in Alpine to 72.5% in Benalla.