Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie says it would show bias against her political party if a federal seat named after Chiltern-born prime minister John McEwen was abolished.
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The Greens party has proposed the seat of McEwen, which extends across the northern side of Melbourne, be scrapped as part of a redistribution of Victorian seats which will see the state have one less electorate.
"We suspect that the average voter in Woodend would be surprised to learn they are in the same electorate as Hurstbridge or Kilmore," the Greens submitted in arguing for the break-up of the seat on the basis its main population centres have little in common.
Senator McKenzie would like the Australian Electoral Commission, which determines the make-up of seats, to retain the name McEwen, which was first applied in 1984.
"To take away a seat named after this giant of Australian politics would show further bias against the Nationals and those who stand up for our regions," the Wodonga-based senator said.
"McEwen was responsible for Australia's post war prosperity more than any other single individual," she said.
"His contribution set Australia up to be a successful, independent, outward looking nation we are today.
"Canberra has already spurned McEwen by refusing to name a suburb after him as it does all other prime ministers."
Meanwhile, Indi MP Helen Haines has told the AEC she would like to see her North East seat maintain its existing boundaries as part of the redistribution.
"These existing boundaries capture communities of common interest, major population centres, shared economies and industry and largely keep intact whole local government areas," Dr Haines wrote in her submission.
"The major population centres of Indi are all linked by the key transport infrastructure of the Hume Highway and the North East rail line.
"These major centres then provide key services to the smaller communities in the Alpine areas and Upper Murray."
The Labor Party proposes placing the section of Strathbogie Shire in Indi, which covers Euroa and Violet Town, into the adjoining seat of Nicholls which has the remainder of that council area.
The Liberal and National parties flagged no alterations to Indi's boundaries.
