Submission to the AEC argues Hotham is the ‘most pragmatic division to abolish’

The Liberal Party says the seat of Higgins should be saved because it has a “unique place” in electoral history – and instead it wants Hotham abolished.

The Liberal Party is demanding the electorate of Hotham in Melbourne’s south east be abolished in a desperate attempt to spare the seat Higgins.

The Australian Electoral Commission last month proposed axing Higgins and splitting it up across five neighbouring electorates as part of the Victorian redistribution.

The affluent electorate in Melbourne’s inner east was held by Liberals, including former treasurer Peter Costello, until Labor MP Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah unseated Katie Allen at the 2022 federal election.

Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah won the seat of Higgins at the 2022 federal election. Picture: AFP

But the Victorian division says dividing the electorate five ways will split a “significant community of interest”, ignore transit flows and access to significant health services.

In its submission to the AEC, it argues that Higgins has a “unique place” in electoral history, being the only division to have elected two prime ministers: Harold Holt and Sir John Gorton.

Instead, it reasons that Hotham – held by Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil – is the “most pragmatic division to abolish” because it is a disparate community.

“It stretches from the inner suburb of Malvern East to the outer suburb of Noble Park, two areas with no connection to each other,” the submission states.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil is the member for Hotham. Picture: Martin Ollman

“The Division of Hotham shares boundaries with five other divisions. This allows significant room should it be abolished.”

The party blasted an error in projected enrolment data, saying its submission would have advocated for the abolition of Hotham if it had initially had access to accurate data.

Unlike the Liberals, Labor will not fight to retain its own seat of Higgins prompting uncertainty for first term MP Dr Ananda-Rajah.

It is instead expected to propose changes to the boundaries of Deakin and Menzies in Melbourne’s east.

The marginal seats are held by Liberal MPs Michael Sukkar and Keith Wolahan respectively.

One proposal discussed internally would result in Labor securing Deakin and the Liberals locking in Menzies.

Dr Ananda-Rajah is being urged to consider running in the seat, with sources saying she is an asset that can win multicultural votes.

The Liberals called for the AEC to re-examine the boundaries of Menzies to better align its Chinese, Italian and Greek communities.

It also objected to a portion of Burwood East being added from Chisholm to Deakin.

Other suggested changes include Prahran and Windsor being in Macnamara to “unite over 600 people of Jewish faith” amid a rise in anti-Semitism.

Meanwhile, Labor has also considered changes to the electorate of Wills to help shore up Labor MP Peter Khalil’s vote, after the draft redistribution proposed moving the boundaries to gain booths that support the Greens.

After losing an electorate in the redistribution, Victoria will hold 38 lower house seats at the next federal election.