Lara is a seat in the Victorian Legislative Assembly

Victorian Legislative Assembly

The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...

. It covers much of the area between the western suburbs of Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 and the regional city of Geelong. As a result, many of the voters come from Melbourne suburbs such as Wyndham Vale

Wyndham Vale, Victoria

Wyndham Vale is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 36 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Wyndham. At the 2006 Census, Wyndham Vale had a population of 10,355.- Recreation and sport :...

 and the very northern suburbs of Geelong, including Lara

Lara, Victoria

Lara is a residential rural suburb, 15 km north-east of Geelong, inland from the Princes Freeway to Melbourne.- History :The explorers Hume and Hovell arrived at Lara on December 16, 1824, believing that they had reached Westernport Bay...

, Bell Post Hill

Bell Post Hill, Victoria

Bell Post Hill is a residential suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The origin of the suburb's name is thought to be from a lookout or warning bell on a post situated on the hill overlooking Corio Bay...

 and Corio

Corio, Victoria

Corio is a residential, industrial and one of the largest suburbs of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, located approximately 9 km north of the Geelong central business district...

. The district also includes the country towns of Anakie

Anakie, Victoria

Anakie is a rural township between Geelong, Victoria, and Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, Australia. At the 2006 census, Anakie and the surrounding area had a population of 674. The name is believed to be derived from 'Anakie Youang', an expression in one of the local Australian Aboriginal languages,...

, Balliang

Balliang, Victoria

Balliang is a locality in Victoria, Australia. The locality is in the south-east of the Shire of Moorabool, north of the City of Greater Geelong and from the state capital, Melbourne...

 and Little River

Little River, Victoria

Little River is a town in Victoria, Australia, 51 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Wyndham and Greater Geelong. At the 2006 Census, Little River had a population of 375.-History:...

 but these add very few voters to the district.

The electorate was created at the 2002 state election, replacing the abolished Geelong North

Electoral district of Geelong North

The Electoral district of Geelong North was an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.-Members of Geelong North:-See also:*Parliaments of the Australian states and territories*List of members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly...

. A safe Labor seat like its predecessor, it was easily won by Peter Loney

Peter Loney

Peter Loney was an Australian politician. He was the member for Lara in the Victorian Legislative Assembly and also served as the assembly's deputy speaker....

, formerly the MP for Geelong North. Loney faced a preselection challenge ahead of the 2006 election from upper house member John Eren

John Eren

John Eren is a Turkish-Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 2002 to 2006, representing Geelong Province. He is currently a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly representing the electoral district of Lara.Eren was born in...

, whose seat was being abolished as part of sweeping government reforms to the chamber. Facing certain defeat at the hands of the factionally connected Eren, Loney chose to retire. Eren faced little challenge in the general election, and was easily returned as the new member for Lara.

Members for Lara

Member		Party	Term
	Peter Loney Peter Loney Peter Loney was an Australian politician. He was the member for Lara in the Victorian Legislative Assembly and also served as the assembly's deputy speaker....	Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...	2002–2006
	John Eren John Eren John Eren is a Turkish-Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 2002 to 2006, representing Geelong Province. He is currently a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly representing the electoral district of Lara.Eren was born in...	Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...	2006–present

Election results

See also

• Parliaments of the Australian states and territories
  Parliaments of the Australian states and territories
  The Parliaments of the Australian states and territories are legislative bodies within the federal framework of the Commonwealth of Australia. Before the formation of the Commonwealth in 1901, the six Australian colonies were self-governing, with parliaments which had come into existence at various...
  
  
• List of members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly

External links

• Electorate profile: Lara District, Victorian Electoral Commission