Victorian Election Guide 2010: Keilor
Electorate: Keilor
Margin: Labor 19.4%
Upper house region: Western Metropolitan
Federal: Gorton
Outgoing member: George Seitz (Labor)
Click here for Victorian Electoral Commission map
The candidates
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AMBERLEY, Scott
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Electorate analysis: Bordered to the east by the Maribyrnong River, the electorate of Keilor includes suburbs 20 kilometres north-west of the city including Taylors Lakes and Sydenham along with Keilor itself, and extends into semi-rural territory to the west. The seat has been safely held by Labor at all times since its creation in 1976. Croatian-born George Seitz became member at a June 1982 by-election held after the seat’s previous member, John Ginifer, resigned due to terminal ill health. Renowned as a warlord for various factions across his career, Seitz was over 65 at the time of the 2006 election, which meant he required the permission of the administrative committee to stand. Despite mounting controversies surrounding him in the previous term permission was forthcoming, allegedly because his numbers were required to deliver the federal Maribyrnong preselection to Bill Shorten. His number was finally up after an Ombudsman’s finding last year that he had exerted undue influence on Brimbank council, compounded by allegations of branch-stacking levelled against him by a former Labor electorate officer. The national executive duly intervened to endorse Natalie Hutchins, former Trades Hall Council deputy secretary and wife of New South Wales Senator Steve Hutchins.
Analysis written by William Bowe. Read William’s blog, The Poll Bludger.