Cowan Australian House of Representatives Division | |
---|---|
Created | 1984 |
MP | Anne Aly |
Party | Labor |
Namesake | Edith Cowan |
Electors | 122,741 (2022) |
Area | 180 km2 (69.5 sq mi) |
Demographic | Outer metropolitan |
The Division of Cowan is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia.
Cowan is an inner-northern Perth seat lying generally between Morley Drive and Hepburn Avenue, extending from the Mitchell Freeway in the west to the Tonkin Freeway and Lord Street in the east [1] .
Cowan is a marginal seat that leans toward the Australian Labor Party. The current MP is Anne Aly, and member of Labor and the first Muslim woman elected to federal parliament. She speaks Arabic and has previously worked in the Western Australia public service as a senior policy advisor [1] .
The division was created in 1984 and is named for Edith Cowan, the first woman elected to an Australian Parliament. It is located in the northern suburbs of Perth, including the suburbs of Girrawheen, Greenwood, Landsdale and Marangaroo.
It is a marginal seat, changing hands between the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party. All but one of its members has served at least one term in opposition.
For example, at the 2007 election, the retirement of sitting member Graham Edwards resulted in Labor losing the seat to his Liberal challenger from 2004, Luke Simpkins, even as Labor ended 11 years of Coalition rule. Simpkins retained Cowan by defeating Labor candidate Liz Prime and retained the seat at the 2010 and 2013 elections. A redistribution in 2015 saw Cowan undergo a significant boundary change which saw the Liberal margin drop from a fairly safe 7.5% to a marginal 4.5%. The redistribution saw Labor target the seat at the upcoming 2016 election. At that election the Labor candidate, Anne Aly, became the first Muslim woman elected to the House of Representatives by narrowly defeating Simpkins. Aly retained the seat almost as narrowly in 2019, but was re-elected in 2022 with a significantly increased margin.
Since 1984, federal electoral division boundaries in Australia have been determined at redistributions by a redistribution committee appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission. Redistributions occur for the boundaries of divisions in a particular state, and they occur every seven years, or sooner if a state's representation entitlement changes or when divisions of a state are malapportioned. [2]
Cowan covers an area from Tapping and Wanneroo in the north to Kiara and Lockridge in the south. The division covers parts of the City of Wanneroo and the City of Swan and a minor portion of the City of Joondalup. It includes the suburbs of: [3]
In August 2021, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) announced that the Wanneroo suburbs of Ashby, Darch, Gnangara, Hocking, Jandabup, Landsdale, Madeley, Pearsall, Sinagra, Tapping, Wangara and Wanneroo and the Swan suburbs of Cullacabardee and a small part of Ballajura would be transferred from Cowan to the seat of Pearce, while the Swan suburbs of Bennett Springs and Whiteman would be transferred to the seat of Hasluck and Cowan's portion of Kingsley would be transferred to the seat of Moore. However, Cowan gained the Stirling suburbs of Balcatta, Balga, Dianella, Hamersley, Mirrabooka, Nollamara, Stirling, Westminster and part of Osborne Park, along with the Bayswater suburbs of Noranda and part of Morley, from the abolished seat of Stirling. These boundary changes were in place for the 2022 Australian federal election. [4]
Image | Member | Party | Term | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carolyn Jakobsen (1947–) | Labor | 1 December 1984 – 13 March 1993 | Lost seat | ||
Richard Evans (1953–) | Liberal | 13 March 1993 – 3 October 1998 | Lost seat | ||
Graham Edwards (1946–) | Labor | 3 October 1998 – 17 October 2007 | Previously a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council. Retired. Last veteran of the Vietnam War to serve in the House of Representatives | ||
Luke Simpkins (1964–) | Liberal | 24 November 2007 – 2 July 2016 | Lost seat | ||
Anne Aly (1967–) | Labor | 2 July 2016 – present | Incumbent. Currently a minister under Albanese |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labor | Anne Aly | 46,712 | 46.84 | +9.01 | |
Liberal | Vince Connelly | 30,326 | 30.41 | −9.66 | |
Greens | Isabella Tripp | 9,861 | 9.89 | −1.19 | |
One Nation | Tyler Walsh | 2,849 | 2.86 | −1.80 | |
United Australia | Claire Hand | 2,427 | 2.43 | +0.18 | |
Christians | Sylvia Iradukunda | 1,860 | 1.86 | +0.03 | |
Animal Justice | Michael Anagno | 1,777 | 1.78 | +1.78 | |
Western Australia | Roland Laverack | 1,714 | 1.72 | +0.52 | |
Australian Federation | Michael Calautti | 1,125 | 1.13 | +1.13 | |
Liberal Democrats | Micah van Krieken | 1,081 | 1.08 | +1.08 | |
Total formal votes | 99,732 | 92.58 | −1.66 | ||
Informal votes | 7,991 | 7.42 | +1.66 | ||
Turnout | 107,723 | 87.76 | −2.93 | ||
Two-party-preferred result | |||||
Labor | Anne Aly | 60,629 | 60.79 | +9.93 | |
Liberal | Vince Connelly | 39,103 | 39.21 | −9.93 | |
Labor hold | Swing | +9.93 |
The City of Wanneroo is a local government area with city status in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. It is centred approximately 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Perth's central business district and forms part of the northern boundary of the Perth metropolitan area. Wangara encompasses the federal divisions of Cowan, Moore and Pearce.
The Division of Stirling is a former Australian electoral division in the inner northern and beachside suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, which included a large portion of the local government area of the City of Stirling.
The Division of Perth is an Australian electoral division in the state of Western Australia. It is named after Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, where the Division is located.
The Division of Pearce is an Australian electoral division in the state of Western Australia. It was created at the 1989 redistribution and named after George Pearce, the longest serving member of the Australian Senate, serving from 1901 to 1938. For most of its existence, Pearce was a hybrid urban-rural seat that covered Perth's outer northern suburbs before fanning inland from the Indian Ocean to take in portions of the Wheatbelt southeast, east and northeast of the capital. However, as of the 2021 redistribution, Pearce is largely coterminous with the City of Wanneroo in Perth's northern suburbs. It has had four members: Fred Chaney, Judi Moylan, Christian Porter, and Tracey Roberts. The first three were members of the Liberal Party, whereas Roberts, a former mayor of Wanneroo, is a member of the Labor Party.
Landsdale is a northern suburb of Perth, Western Australia located within the local government area of the City of Wanneroo. It is mixed use, with residential, commercial and light manufacturing areas.
Madeley is a suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Perth's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Wanneroo. Previously part of Landsdale, much of the suburb was rural in character until the 1990s, with market gardening a common activity. From 2001 onwards, extensive property development resulted in massive population growth, with the Property Investor Magazine of December 2007 estimating a growth rate of 33.3% per year.
Wanneroo Road is a 44-kilometre (27 mi) arterial highway in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia linking Joondanna and Yokine in the south with Wanneroo and Yanchep in the north. As part of State Route 60, it begins from Charles Street in the inner city and becomes Indian Ocean Drive up to Dongara.
Ballajura was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1996 to 2005.
Balcatta is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.
Girrawheen was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia from 1996 to 2021.
Wanneroo is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.
Cullacabardee is a northeastern rural suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, located 21 km (13 mi) from Perth's central business district via Alexander Drive or Beechboro Road. It is in the City of Swan local government area. Most of the suburb is covered in native sheoak and banksia forest. A small Noongar community is based on Baal Street, a drug rehabilitation retreat is located off Gnangara Road in the suburb's northeast, and the Perth International Telecommunications Centre facility is based in the suburb's northwest.
Alexander Drive is a major north–south arterial road in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, connecting Perth's central business district (CBD) with Edith Cowan University's Mount Lawley campus and the Malaga industrial area, as well as newer development suburbs to Perth's north. It is used by Transperth bus routes, including the 360, 361 and 362. Alexander Drive was named after Mr S.B. Alexander, a former Wanneroo Road Board member. Alexander Drive runs through the following local government areas City of Wanneroo, City of Swan, City of Bayswater and City of Stirling.
Hepburn Avenue is an arterial east-west road in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. The road links Sorrento in the west with Malaga and Whiteman in the east. It also connects the residential developments that span its length with several local facilities, as well as major road routes into central Perth.
Ocean Reef Road is an arterial east-west road in Perth, Western Australia. It is located within the northern suburbs of Perth, from Ocean Reef in the west, to Landsdale in the east, with a portion travelling northwards along the coast to Iluka.
Luke Xavier Linton Simpkins is a former Australian politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2016. He represented the Division of Cowan in Western Australia for the Liberal Party.
Ocean Reef was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia. It was located in Perth's northern suburbs, and was named after the suburb of Ocean Reef.
West Swan is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia. It is located in the north-eastern suburbs of Perth.
Gnangara Road is an arterial east-west road in Perth, Western Australia. It is located within the northern suburbs of Perth, from Madeley in the west, to Henley Brook in the east. Gnangara Road provides a connection between Great Northern Highway and Wanneroo Road. The construction of the Ocean Reef Road extension in 2011 altered the road network in the Landsdale area in Landsdale. The plans show Gnangara Road as discontinuous between Mirrabooka Avenue and Alexander Drive, with the Mirrabooka Avenue and Ocean Reef Road extensions linking the two sections. Following construction, those linking road sections were named as Gnangara Road, allowing the road to remain continuous.
Landsdale is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.