Electoral district of Bass

Bass Victoria—Legislative Assembly
Location of Bass (dark green) in Victoria
State	Victoria
Created	2002
MP	Brian Paynter
Party	Liberal Party of Australia
Electors	44,492 (2014)
Area	1,383 km^2 (534.0 sq mi)
Demographic	Rural

The Electoral district of Bass is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It covers an area of 1,383 square kilometres (534 sq mi) south east of Melbourne, stretching from outer suburban Pakenham through rural areas to the coast at Inverloch and Phillip Island. It includes the towns of Bass, Cape Patterson, Corinella, Cowes, Grantville, Inverloch, Kilcunda, Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Rhyll, San Remo, Ventnor, Wonthaggi, and part of suburban Pakenham. It lies within the Eastern Victoria Region of the upper house, the Legislative Council.^[1]

Bass was created in a redistribution for the 2002 election. It largely replaced the abolished electorate of Gippsland West, held by independent Susan Davies. However, the seat is located in traditional Liberal territory, and on the new boundaries it was marginally Liberal on a "traditional" two-party basis. Davies contested Bass, but was defeated by Liberal candidate Ken Smith, who had been the member for the relevant Legislative Council seat of Gippsland Province since 1988. Smith's win was the only Liberal gain in an election which saw Labor score its biggest-ever victory in Victoria.

Smith did not face serious opposition at the 2006 election. at which Bass returned to being a safe Liberal seat as its predecessor had been. He was reelected almost as easily at the 2010 election. He subsequently served as Speaker of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 2010 to 2014.^[2]

Smith retired at the 2014 state election after losing the speakership in February 2014, when he lost the support of balance of power independent MP Geoff Shaw. Brian Paynter, a local accountant, succeeded him as Liberal candidate and member for Bass.^[2]

Members for Bass

Member		Party	Term
	Ken Smith	Liberal	2002–2014
	Brian Paynter	Liberal	2014–present

Election results

Victorian state election, 2014: Bass

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Liberal	Brian Paynter	18,008	45.3	−10.2
	Labor	Sanjay Nathan	11,659	29.4	+0.6
	Independent	Clare Le Serve	4,289	10.8	+10.8
	Greens	Ross Fairhurst	3,613	9.1	−2.6
	Country Alliance	David Amor	969	2.4	−0.9
	Christians	Paul Reid	651	1.6	+1.6
	Rise Up Australia	Angela Dorian	524	1.3	+1.3
Total formal votes			39,713	94.6	−0.7
Informal votes			2,272	5.4	+0.7
Turnout			41,985	94.4	+6.1
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	Brian Paynter	21,664	54.6	−7.8
	Labor	Sanjay Nathan	18,049	45.4	+7.8
	Liberal hold		Swing	−7.8

References

1. "Bass District profile". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
2. "Bass - Victorian Election 2014". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 12 December 2014.

External links

• Electorate profile: Bass, Victorian Electoral Commission