Created 1984 Electors 96,251 (2016) Founded 1984 Member of parliament Anne Aly Namesake Edith Cowan | MP Anne Aly Demographic Outer Metropolitan Area 180 km² Elector 96,251 Party Australian Labor Party | |
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The Division of Cowan is an Australian Electoral Division in Western Australia. 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.
At the 2007 election, the retirement of sitting member Graham Edwards resulted in Labor losing the seat to the Luke Simpkins, the Liberal candidate. Simpkins retained Cowan by defeating Labor candidate Liz Prime and retained the seat at the 2010 and 2013 election. A redistribution in 2015 saw Cowan undergo a significant boundary change which saw the Liberal margin drop from 7.5% to 4.5%. The redistribution saw Labor target the seat at the upcoming 2016 election. At that election the Labor candidate, Anne Aly, successfully became the first Muslim woman elected to the House of Representatives by narrowly defeating Luke Simpkins.
Geography
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: