Labor’s inner-east Melbourne seat of Higgins is set to be abolished at the next federal election forcing incumbent MP Labor MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah to find a new seat to contest, jump to the Senate, or end her short-lived political career.
The once blue ribbon seat was held by the Liberal party from its establishment until the 2022 election, when former member Katie Allen lost the seat Dr Ananda-Rajah.
The seat was formerly held by the Howard government’s long serving treasurer, Peter Costello, while former prime ministers Harold Holt and John Gorton also represented the division.
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AEC Commissioner Tom Rogers said the changes in Victoria where required to to enable a decrease from 39 to 38 electoral divisions.
“Under the proposal, some significant changes would occur, with the boundaries of Victorian divisions being amended to accommodate the decrease,” he said.
“38 of the existing 39 division names would be retained with the Division of Higgins to be abolished.”
Under the plan, voters in the seat which covers the suburbs of Armadale, kooyong, Malbern, Prahran and Toorak, will be redistributed to the neighbouring electorates of Chisholm, Hotham, Kooyong, Macnamara and Melbourne.
The AEC is also proposing to establish a new seat in Perth’s outer-eastern suburbs, which would be named Bullwinkel.
Ms Allen, who was preselected to recontest Higgins in November, has been contacted for comment.