Proposed redrawing of South Australian electoral boundaries could hand Liberals an extra seat
THE State Liberals are fuming about the latest redraw of electoral boundaries and have vowed to fight it in the Supreme Court if needed to ensure they are “fair” — despite it potentially handing them an extra seat..
HUNDREDS of thousands of voters could find themself in new political territory at the next State Election following a radical redraw of electoral boundaries which hands the Liberals an extra seat.
But Liberal Party State Director Sascha Meldrum said the proposal, the latest attempt by the Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission to institute the “fairness clause”, still wasn’t “fair”.
Under the plan, adjustments across the state would impacts a swath of seats, and turn two extra seats into marginal electorates (with a margin of less than 5 per cent).
Many seats would have as few as 10,000 constituents from the last election remaining in the redrawn seat but in most cases this has done little to affect the margin.
There will be further consultation on the draft plan released by the Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission on Monday morning and the possibility of court action if the state’s parties do not agree to the proposal.
Ms Meldrum said the party had argued in a legal case that “the Commission needed to uphold its Constitutional obligations to ensure that a party that attracts more than 50 per cent of two-party preferred vote be enabled to form Government with at least 24 seats.”
“Based on the swing-to-lose pendulum released, we could again find ourselves in the position of a party having more than 50 per cent of the two-party preferred vote but still not being able to form government,” she said.
“The pendulum shows that Labor could in fact form government in 2018 with less than 50 per cent of the two-party preferred vote and as many as 28 seats.
“This would give Labor a five-seat majority in the Parliament while still having less than 50 per cent of the two-party preferred vote which is not a fair and just outcome for all South Australians.”
Premier Jay Weatherill hit back at what he called “the laziest Opposition on the face of the planet”.
“There’s never been any excuse for the Liberals. They’re always hoping that somebody will hand it (an election win) to them on a platter,” Mr Weatherill said.
Under the draft changes, the seats of Ashford, Bright, Fisher, Goyder, Little Para, Mitchell and Napier would be replaced with new seats Badcoe, Gibson, Hurtle Vale, Narungga, Elizabeth, Black and King.
Independent MP Geoff Brock had been expected to face a fight to keep his northern seat of Frome after maps, posted online last month to stimulate discussion, showed Port Pirie would fall out of the seat.
However, maps released on Monday show the town remaining in the seat.
Labor Minister Leon Bignell’s electorate of Mawson and Labor MP for Elder Annabel Digance’s seat would lean Liberal under the changes.
Mr Bignell brushed off the changes and said he won Mawson when it was a Liberal-held seat with a margin of 3.5 per cent.
If the changes are approved, the margin will become 2.6 per cent.
“If it turns out the final report looks like the draft report looks I will be just as happy to get out there and doorknock the people like I have for the past 12 years,” Mr Bignell said.
EXPLORE THE DRAFT CHANGES FOR YOURSELF
Labor MP for Fisher Nat Cook’s seat was still officially considered a Liberal seat at the 2014 election when it was won by independent Bob Such but has now been moved to Labor’s side of the pendulum under the new name Hurtle Vale.
In past years, the Commission has come under heavy criticism by the Liberals for failing to deliver on a constitutional requirement, known as the fairness clause, that “if candidates of a particular group attract more than 50 per cent of the popular vote ... they will be elected in sufficient numbers to enable a government to be formed”.
Despite the boundaries being radically redrawn these criticisms continue as the Liberals were widely expected to have been handed more seats.
Since the preliminary maps were released in July, there has been much speculation among party officials and elected members about seats that could change hands and the impact on candidate selection for the March 2018 poll.
Labor currently holds 24 seats out of 47 and has the support of two independents, including Mr Brock, and Liberal defector Martin Hamilton-Smith.
Some of the more significant boundary proposals could bump sitting MPs’ homes outside of their electorates and weaken the advantage usually held by an incumbent candidate.
Under state law, the Commission must redraw electorates after each poll to give the party that wins the popular vote a good chance of taking power.
A “fairness clause” added to the state’s electoral laws in 1991 states the Commission must ensure “as far as practicable, that the electoral redistribution is fair”.
At the 2014 election, the Liberals won 53-per-cent of the statewide, two-party preferred support and 90,000 more primary votes than Labor.
But still they won fewer seats and failed to form government.
The proposed changes follow statewide consultation.
There will be a further opportunity for people to make submissions on the draft, in writing, for the next month before the plans are finalised.
Adelaide
Held by Liberal Rachel Sanderson
Margin proposed 0.6, 2014 2.5
Loses Walkerville in inner north and some of Prospect but picks up rest of Collinswood and Nailsworth.
Badcoe (was Ashford)
Ashford held by Labor’s Steph Key
Margin proposed 2.1, 2014 2.0
Loses Camden Park and Novar Gardens in the west, picks up Westbourne Park.
BLACK (was MITCHELL)
Mitchell held by Liberal Corey Wingard
Margin proposed 2.6, 2014 1.3
Doubles its margin from being realigned east-west, losing Labor favoured areas, including Reynella in the south.
Bragg
Held by Liberal Vickie Chapman
Margin proposed 17.9, 2014 18.8
Loses some Hills Face areas including Crafers, and gains metropolitan areas of Rosslyn Park and Kensington Gardens.
Chaffey
Held by Liberal Tim Whetstone
Margin proposed 24.4, 2014 25.2
Minor tinkering with people living in the Mid Murray Council area being shifted around.
Cheltenham proposed 14.6, current 14.4
ChELTENHAM
Held by Labor’s Jay Weatherill
Margin proposed 14.6 2014 14.4
Loses suburbs at the western edge, including Queenstown, and gains those to the east, including Beverly.
Colton
Held by Labor’s Paul Caica
Margin proposed 2.2, 2014 1.6
Loses Flinders Park and gains Seaton.
Croydon
Held by Labor’s Michael Atkinson
Margin proposed 18.8, 2014 19.0
Gains many of the “Park” suburbs but loses Kilkenny and Flinders Park.
Davenport
Held by Liberal Sam Duluk
Margin proposed 9.8, 2014 8.2
Extends further south, losing Blackwood and gaining Aberfoyle Park.
Dunstan
Held by Liberal Steven Marshall
Margin proposed 2.6, 2014 3.2
Gains Felixstow and Glynde, loses Vale Park
Elder
Held by Labor’s Annabel Digance
Margin proposed 1.1 (shift to Liberal), 2014 1.9
Loses suburbs from the north including Edwardstown and west including Marion, gains suburbs in the east.
Elizabeth (was Little Para)
Held by Labor’s Lee Odenwalder
Margin proposed 9.9, 2014 7.5
Gains Blakeview and Elizabeth Downs, loses Salisbury Heights and portions of Golden Grove in the east.
Enfield
Held by Labor’s John Rau
Proposed margin 6.6, 2014 8.2
Gains Lightsview and surrounding areas, losing Nailsworth and many “Park” suburbs.
Finniss
Held by Liberal Michael Pengilly
Margin proposed 13.7, 2014 13.9
Loses Kangaroo Island and the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula, picks up areas to the east including Goolwa and Hindmarsh.
Flinders
Held by Liberal Peter Treloar
Margin proposed 28.7, 2014 29.3
Minimal changes.
Florey
Held by Labor’s Francis Bedford
Proposed margin 9.1, 2014 2.6
Becomes a safe Labor seat with the addition of Pooraka and surrounding suburbs. Loses Ridgehaven and Modbury Heights.
Frome
Held by independent Geoff Brock
Margin proposed 10.5, 2014 10.9
Still on the Liberal side of the pendulum despite being held by an independent now a member of Labor’s Cabinet.
Gibson (was Bright)
Held by Liberal David Speirs
Margin proposed 2.7, 2014 3.4
Margin reduced through being realigned east-west. Loses Marino and Seacliff Park, gains Oaklands Park.
Giles
Held by Labor’s Eddie Hughes
Margin proposed 5.7, 2014 7.1
Minor losses from voters in Franklin Harbour council area.
Hammond
Held by Liberal Adrian Pederick
Margin proposed 16.3, 2014 14.7
Gains large areas in north and northeast but loses much of Alexandrina council area.
Hartley
Held by Liberal Vincent Tarzia
Margin proposed 3.3, 2014 2.5
Gains Newton, loses Felixstow and Kensington Gardens.
Heysen
Held by Liberal Isobel Redmond
Margin proposed 14, 2014 13.6
Gains all of Mount Barker and surrounding areas, losing the “heart” of the area including Stirling and Crafers.
Hurtle Vale (was Fisher)
Held by Labor’s Nat Cook
Margin 1.7 (shift to Labor) 2014 won by independent
Only 9355 voters remain from what was Fisher. Morphett Vale provides 10,000 new voters but almost 12,000 lost from Chandlers Hill and Aberfoyle Park.
Kaurna
Held by Labor’s Chris Picton
Margin proposed 8.5, 2014 7.8
Loses southern tip including Aldinga Beach and Maslin Beach, gains inland areas through to Onkaparinga Hills.
Kavel
Held by Liberal Mark Goldsworthy
Margin proposed 12.9, 2014 14.1
Gains much of old Heysen including Hahndorf and Stirling, loses areas surrounding Mt Barker and Birdwood.
King (was Napier)
Held by Labor’s John Gee
Margin proposed 1.2, 2014 9.2
Fewer than 2000 voters remain from Napier making this a new seat. Losing most of areas considered “northern suburbs” and gains areas to the east including Salisbury Heights and Golden Grove.
Lee
Held by Labor’s Stephen Mullighan
Margin proposed 4.4, 2014 4.6
Picks up suburbs to the west out to Queenstown but loses the beachside suburbs on the Le Fevre peninsula.
Light
Held by Labor’s Tony Piccolo
Proposed margin 3.9, 2014 2.9
Loses suburbs on the northern edge and gains those to the south, including Munno Para.
MacKillop
Held by Liberal Mitch Williams
Margin proposed 26.7, 2014 26.8
Gains localities of Lake Albert and Waltowa and rest of locality of Meningie.
Mawson
Held by Labor’s Leon Bignell
Margin proposed 2.6 (shift to Liberal), 2014 5.7
Major changes from five neighbouring electorates flip this previously solid Labor seat to nominally Liberal, with the largest shifts along Adelaide’s southern fringe.
Morialta
Held by Liberal John Gardner
Margin proposed 12.1, 2014 10.1
Gobbles up Birdwood, Forest Range, Gumeracha, Lobethal, Mount Torrens and Summertown, and gives away Newton and much of Paradise.
Morphett
Held by Liberal Duncan McFetridge
Margin proposed 11, 2014 13
Gathers almost 6000 voters in Camden Park, Novar Gardens and Somerton Park and loses only 3700 in West Beach.
Mount Gambier
Held by Liberal Troy Bell
Margin proposed 21.6, 2014 21.5
No changes to the southeastern seat leaves it as one of the Liberals’ strongholds.
Narungga (was Goyder)
Held by Liberal Steven Griffiths
Margin proposed 13.8, 2014 13
The newly named Narungga also hands 2000 voters to Schubert and Taylor to the south.
Newland
Held by Labor’s Tom Kenyon
Margin proposed 0.2, 2014 1.5
The state’s most marginal electorate gets even tighter, with major changes at its western edge. Parts of Modbury and Hope Valley are in, while Redwood Park and Surrey Downs are out.
Playford
Held by Labor’s Jack Snelling
Margin proposed 11.5, 2014 12.7
Huge gains in Green Fields, Mawson Lakes and Parafield make up for losses in Ingle Farm, Walkley Heights.
Port Adelaide
Held by Labor’s Susan Close
Margin proposed 12.5, 2014 10.7
Gains Le Fevre peninsula suburbs and all of the suburb of Port Adelaide.
Ramsay
Held by Labor’s Zoe Bettison
Margin proposed 17.4, 2014 18.5
Gains Salisbury North and Paralowie, loses Parafield and Salisbury South.
Reynell
Held by Labor’s Katrine Hildyard
Margin proposed 9.8, 2014 10.1
Substantial loss of Morphett Vale, but gains Port Noarlunga, Noarlunga Centre and Hackham West.
Schubert
Held by Liberal Stephan Knoll
Margin proposed 12.0, 2014 14.7
Loses voters from Mid Murray Council in the west, gains Adelaide Plains suburbs.
Stuart
Held by Liberal Dan van Holst Pellekaan
Margin proposed 20.1, 2014 20.6
Limited changes.
Taylor
Held by Labor’s Leesa Vlahos
Margin proposed 8.8, 2014 11.7
Half of the old seat has been jettisoned, led by Salisbury North, Paralowie and Lewiston. Davoren Park, Smithfield, Angle Vale and Elizabeth North are the largest gains.
Torrens
Held by Labor’s Dana Wortley
Margin proposed 1.1, 2014 3.6
Gains Walkerville, Vale Park and Gilles Plains, loses Lightsview and Greenacres.
Unley
Held by Liberal David Pisoni
Margin proposed 9.2, 2014 9.9
1200 voters in Kings Park have been siphoned off from the seat of Ashford, but Unley remains a solid Liberal seat.
Waite
Held by independent Martin Hamilton-Smith
Margin proposed 10.5, 2014 11.5
On Liberal side of column, the seat slides towards the Hills, claiming large swathes of Blackwood and Glenalta in exchange for Panorama, Pasadena and St Marys.
West Torrens
Held by Labor’s Tom Koutsantonis
Margin proposed 8.5, 2014 10.9
Gains West Beach and loses parts of Kurralta Park and Lockleys, but remains a safe Labor seat.
Wright
Held by Labor’s Jennifer Rankine
Margin proposed 4.5, 2014 3.1
Shifts south and west, handing over more than half of its former voters to King. Modbury Heights is the largest gain, alongside Redwood Park.