Victorian State Election 2010: Scoresby
Electorate: Scoresby
Margin: Liberal 11.2%
Upper house region: Eastern Metropolitan
Federal: Aston/Bruce
Click here for Victorian Electoral Commission map
The candidates
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NIGHTINGALE, Garry
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Electorate analysis: Scoresby covers suburbs in Melbourne’s outer east, from Wheelers Hill east to Knoxfield and Rowville north to Wantirna South. It was created at the 2002 election upon the abolition of Wantirna, which was held by Labor from 1985 to 1992 but was otherwise in Liberal hands from its creation in 1976. Kim Wells assumed the new seat after previously holding Wantirna, which he won from Labor in 1992. Wells handled the important police portfolio since 2000, but nonetheless faced an aggressive preselection challenge before the 2006 election from Michael Gidley, who ended up running for Mount Waverley and is doing so again at this election. Paul Austin of The Age reported that the “Young Turks” marshalling support for Gidley in local branches promoted themselves as loyalists of then-leader Robert Doyle and state party president Helen Kroger, who sought to oust Wells (who is aligned with the rival faction identified with Jeff Kennett and Ted Baillieu) due to his insufficient loyalty to Doyle. Doyle and Kroger in fact went to great lengths to distance themselves from Gidley’s supporters and reiterated their backing of Wells. Gidley ultimately agreed to withdraw when offered backing for the Mount Waverley preselection by Doyle, Kroger and Wells himself. Wells went on to enjoy a substantial promotion after the election to Shadow Treasurer.
Analysis written by William Bowe. Read William’s blog, The Poll Bludger.