Labor MPs fighting for proposed federal seat of Salisbury due to low population growth

A BATTLE for the battlers has emerged between two Labor MPs who both want the right to represent Salisbury at the next federal Election. But what brought this battle on?

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A BATTLE for the battlers has emerged between two Labor MPs who both want the right to represent Salisbury at the next Federal Election.

The Australian Electoral Commission will on Friday release a draft redraw of South Australia’s federal seats which will see the state lose one MP as a result of low population growth.

Labor MPs have privately conceded they expect their party will be the loser as the number of South Australian seats in the lower house is cut from 11 to 10.

During the consultation phase, Labor MP for Makin Tony Zappia made a controversial bid to steal a significant slice of Salisbury out of the neighbouring seat of Wakefield. But his Labor colleague and Wakefield MP Nick Champion, left, was not happy about the pitch.

In a submission to the AEC, Mr Zappia, a former Salisbury mayor, said the most “logical” expansion of Makin would be to push the boundary west into Salisbury.

“The western side of the City of Salisbury has minimal ‘community of interest’ with either Port Adelaide or Wakefield electorates,” he said. But Mr Champion wrote to the AEC to express concerns in relation to Mr Zappia’s wish.

Member for Makin Tony Zappia.

Member for Wakefield Nick Champion.

“The suburbs of Brahma Lodge, Salisbury Plain, Salisbury Park and Salisbury have remained in Wakefield and in its predecessor seat of Bonython since 1955 and always maintained a strong connection with the northern suburbs community,” he said.

Mr Zappia appeared to be making a play to shore up his seat as it was one of three that had been rumoured to be at the centre of the redraw. It has been widely tipped that the seats of Adelaide, Sturt and Makin would be at the centre of the redraw, becoming two seats with the excess voters at their boundaries being pushed into surrounding seats.

Each of the 10 SA seats would swell in size, taking on 10,000 to 20,000 extra voters.

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Sources from both major parties said the seat of Adelaide — which retiring Labor MP Kate Ellis will vacate — would be the starting point for the carve-up. The Liberals want the CBD to be pushed into the seat of Hindmarsh, ensuring the current Labor seat remains marginal, while Labor called for Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne’s eastern suburbs seat of Sturt to be abolished.

Draft boundaries for Victoria and the ACT were released last week which effectively handed Labor three extra seats. The ledger was expected to be somewhat evened with the loss of an SA seat.