Division of Wills

Australian federal electoral division

The Division of Wills is an Australian Electoral Division of Victoria.

Wills
Australian House of Representatives Division
Division of Wills (green) in Victoria
Created1949
MPPeter Khalil
PartyLabor
NamesakeWilliam Wills
Area57 km2 (22.0 sq mi)
DemographicInner Metropolitan

The division includes the northern Melbourne suburbs of Brunswick, Coburg, Pascoe Vale, Fawkner, Glenroy, and Essendon Airport. It was named after William John Wills, of the Burke and Wills expedition.

Members

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Member Party Term
  Bill Bryson Labor 1949–1955
  Labor (Anti-Communist) 1955–1955
  Gordon Bryant Labor 1955–1980
  Bob Hawke Labor 1980–1992
  Phil Cleary Independent 1992–1996
  Kelvin Thomson Labor 1996–present

Wills has been one of the safest Labor seats in the country. It has been held by Labor except between the 1992 by-election and the 1996 federal election. During this time it was held by independent Phil Cleary. The seat was held by Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

The 1992 by-election is remarkable for a number of reasons. It was caused by Bob Hawke's retirement from parliament. A record 22 people stood for election. It was won by an independent, Phil Cleary. However he was on unpaid leave from the state education system and the Australian Constitution forbids people employed by the government from standing for election. No replacement by-election was held as the court decision which threw out the results was made shortly before a general election was due.

Election results

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2022 Australian federal election: Wills[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Peter Khalil 35,449 38.87 −5.39
Greens Sarah Jefford 25,793 28.28 +2.01
Liberal Tom Wright 15,771 17.29 −0.76
United Australia Irene Zivkovic 3,352 3.68 +0.54
Socialist Alliance Sue Bolton 3,096 3.39 +3.39
Victorian Socialists Emma Black 2,714 2.98 −1.53
One Nation Jill Tindal 2,554 2.80 +2.80
Animal Justice Leah Horsfall 1,680 1.84 −1.92
Australian Federation Sam Sergi 789 0.87 +0.87
Total formal votes 91,198 94.95 −0.77
Informal votes 4,855 5.05 +0.77
Turnout 96,053 88.61 −2.55
Notional two-party-preferred count
Labor Peter Khalil 69,104 75.77 +0.06
Liberal Tom Wright 22,094 24.23 −0.06
Two-candidate-preferred result
Labor Peter Khalil 53,415 58.57 +0.10
Greens Sarah Jefford 37,783 41.43 −0.10
Labor hold Swing +0.10

References

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  1. Wills, VIC, 2022 Tally Room, Australian Electoral Commission.

Other websites

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Preceded by
Wannon
Division represented by the Prime Minister
1983–1991
Bob Hawke
Succeeded by
Blaxland

37°43′44″S 144°56′35″E / 37.729°S 144.943°E / -37.729; 144.943