State New South Wales MP Alister Henskens Electors 49,900 (2011) Founded 1973 Elector 49,900 | Created 1973 Namesake Kuringgai Demographic Urban Member of parliament Alister Henskens | |
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Party Liberal Party of Australia | ||
Ku-ring-gai is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Alister Henskens of the Liberal Party of Australia. The electorate covers the suburbs and parts of the suburbs of Gordon, Hornsby, Killara, Lindfield, Normanhurst, North Turramurra, North Wahroonga, Pymble, Roseville, South Turramurra, Turramurra, Wahroonga, Waitara, Warrawee, West Killara and West Pymble.
Electorate history
Ku-ring-gai was created before the 1973 election and was held by Askin, Lewis and Willis government minister John Maddison, who retired in 1980, when it was won by Nick Greiner at a by-election. He held the seat until resigning from Parliament and as Premier in 1992 in the aftermath of the ICAC enquiry into the Metherell affair. He was succeeded by Stephen O'Doherty, who in 1999 chose to follow the majority of his constituents into the re-created seat of Hornsby. Barry O'Farrell transferred to for Ku-ring-gai in 1999 after his seat of Northcott was abolished, and held it when he became Premier of New South Wales after leading the Coalition to a massive landslide victory in the 2011 state election. He retired after the 2015 state election and handed the seat to current member Henskens.
Located in the Liberal heartland of the North Shore, Ku-ring-gai has been in Liberal hands for its entire existence. However, even by North Shore standards, Ku-ring-gai is an ultra-safe Liberal seat. The Liberals have never tallied less than 65 percent of the two-party vote, and have always taken the seat on the first count with no need for preferences. At the 2011 election, O'Farrell was reelected with 81.3% of the two-candidate-preferred vote, making Ku-ring-gai the safest seat in the entire NSW parliament.
Ku-ring-gai is one of four other electorates in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly to have been held by two Premiers of New South Wales while in office. Both Premiers Nick Greiner and Barry O'Farrell have held Ku-ring-gai while in office, the other three electorates being Willoughby, Wollondilly and Maroubra.