Division of Dobell

The Division of Dobell is an Australian electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1984 and is named for Sir William Dobell, the painter. It is located in the Central Coast region of New South Wales and includes the towns of The Entrance, Tuggerah and Wyong. The electorate stretches from Blue Haven in the north to Wyoming in the south, from The Entrance in the East through the Jilliby Valley

Dobell was originally a fairly safe seat for the Australian Labor Party but successive redistributions reduced the Labor margin and the seat was ultimately won by the Liberal Party in the 2001 election. The Liberals consolidated their hold on the seat at the 2004 election; however Labor regained the seat at the 2007 election when Craig Thomson easily defeated Ken Ticehurst. Dobell is a bellwether electorate. With the exception of the 1996 election and the 1998 election, Dobell has voted for the party with the highest national two party preferred vote at every federal election since its creation in 1984.

Liberal Party preselection for the 2010 Federal election was local Wyong Shire councillor and small business manager John McNamara. Labor preselection was incumbent Craig Thomson who in April 2012 was obliged by his party to move to the crossbenches as an independent MP.