New boundary: Liberal MP Sam Duluk to contest seat of Waite held by Martin Hamilton-Smith
LIBERAL MP Sam Duluk will shift from his seat of Davenport to Waite after a major electoral boundaries redraw, triggering a showdown with former party leader Martin Hamilton-Smith.
- Electoral boundaries redraw favours Liberal Party in many seats
- See the new maps for all 47 South Australian seats
- Analysis: If the Libs can’t win now, they should just quit
LIBERAL MP Sam Duluk will shift from his seat of Davenport to Waite after a major electoral boundaries redraw, triggering a showdown with former party leader Martin Hamilton-Smith.
Mr Duluk, seen as a future Liberal frontbencher, confirmed to The Advertiser he has nominated to run in Waite as the party moves this week to pin down candidates for a clutch of key seats.
A radical redraw of electoral boundaries released last year, and currently being disputed by Labor in the Supreme Court, moved more than half of the old Davenport into the new Waite.
Mr Duluk’s electoral office and Blackwood home are now both within the new Waite boundaries.
“By nominating Waite, I can best continue to represent the people of the Mitcham Hills as I’ve been doing for the last two years,” he said.
“I can also give the people of Waite the opportunity to vote for someone committed to Liberal values of efficient government and private enterprise.
“That’s something Mr Hamilton-Smith pretends to believe in, but doesn’t. Martin Hamilton-Smith serving as a member of the Labor Government has had a detrimental effect on the people of Waite. “He supported and voted for closure of the Repat Hospital, a very much-loved and key part of public healthcare in southern Adelaide, and has done nothing on road upgrades.”
Mr Duluk said he would fight for improvements to Fullarton, Belair and Old Belair roads.
Mr Hamilton-Smith accused his likely state election rival of having “shopped” himself around for seats, having previously run in nearby Fisher against former independent MP Bob Such.
“It’s Mr Duluk and the state Liberals who have walked away from Liberal values, that’s why they’ve been in Opposition for 15 years,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said on Tuesday.
“I will continue to do what I’ve always done, which is to argue the case for local schools, better healthcare in modern facilities, better roads and jobs, jobs, jobs.
“As a minister in Government, working in a bi-artisan way, I will continue to do my best to put the party politics (aside).”
State Liberal President Steve Murray is considered likely to nominate in new Davenport, where nominations remain open until next month and Mr Duluk’s move could create a large field.
Liberal nominations for the critical seats of Elder and Frome, as well as Waite, close on Friday.
Youth worker and 2014 Liberal candidate Carolyn Habib is expected to nominate for Elder.
In Adelaide’s inner west, the seat is held by Labor but made notionally-Liberal under the redraw.
Other names mentioned for Elder include former SA Police detective Shaun Osborn.
Former Liberal candidate for the Port Pirie-based seat of Frome Kendall Jackson is considered frontrunner to win party endorsement to again take on Labor Cabinet minister Geoff Brock.
Lawyer Dan Cregan is strongly expected to take over as the Liberal candidate in the Mount Barker-based seat of Kavel, following the retirement of incumbent Mark Goldsworthy.
Incumbent Liberals, including Opposition Leader Steven Marshall and his deputy Vickie Chapman, are expected to be endorsed without challenge in four other seats on Friday.