Tony Smith (LIB) since 2001.
409 sq.km on the very eastern edge of the Melbourne metropolitan area, including a cluster of Dandenong Hills suburbs and state forests. Includes Croydon Hills, Kilsyth, Mooroolbark, Wandin, Silvan, Kallista and Monbulk. According to the 2001 Census, at 19.5% Casey has Victoria's highest proportion of the electorate with trade qualifications.
Created in 1969 and named after R.G. (Lord) Casey, former Foreign Minister, Ambassador to Washington and Governor-General. A seat that changed hands in 1972, 1975, 1983 and 1984, it has been made safer for the Liberal Party by subsequent redistributions. It was held 1984-98 by Bob Halverson. He served as Speaker following the 1996 election before being levered aside early in 1998 for Ian Sinclair as the Howard government tried to impose greater control over Question Time. On Halverson's retirement in 1998, Michael Wooldridge moved to this seat, his old seat of Chisholm being viewed as far too marginal for a minister with a portfolio as controversial as Health. Wooldridge served as Minister for Health from 1996-2001 but chose to retire at the 2001 election.
Liberal Party majorities were recorded in 33 of the 36 booths used in 2004. Labor won three booths along the southern boundary with neighbouring LaTrobe, the Liberal vote ranging from 43.5% at Kallista Primary School to 72.6% at rural Gruyere Primary School.
The sitting Liberal MP since 2001 is 40 year-old Tony Smith, who started out post-university life with every intention of being a history teacher, but has instead spent his entire working life in politics. Smith joined the staff of Peter Costello soon after Costello entered Parliament in 1990. Smith was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister in the January 2007 ministerial re-shuffle. The physical similarity between Costello and his former adviser is often commented upon. Labor's candidate is 58 year-old Dympna Beard, who was elected as state MP for the normally Liberal seat of Kilsyth at the 2002 landslide victory of the Bracks government. She was defeated at the 2006 state election. Beard is a former primary school teacher who also ran a taxi business with her husband.
There have been rumours of Labor doing well in this seat, but there are many other Victorian seats that would fall before Casey is at risk. There wouldn't be many Coalition members left to form an opposition if Labor started to win seats like Casey.