Victorian State Election 2010: Mulgrave
Electorate: Mulgrave
Margin: Labor 15.6%
Upper house region: South-Eastern Metropolitan
Federal: Bruce
Click here for Victorian Electoral Commission map
The candidates
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ANDREWS, Daniel
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Electorate analysis: Mulgrave is located in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs 25 kilometres from the city, north-west of the outer urban centre of Dandenong. It was created at the 2002 election upon the abolition of Dandenong North, which had been held by Labor from its creation in 1985 despite close calls in 1992 (36 votes) and 1996 (2.2 per cent). These results encouraged Jeff Kennett to believe the seat could fall to the Liberals in 1999, inspiring the promise that Dandenong would be made a “premier city” if voters in the relevant electorates chose wisely. They instead returned Labor incumbent John Lenders with a 5.8 per cent swing.
The electoral rearrangement at the 2002 election saw Lenders assume Waverley province in the upper house, while Mulgrave was won by newcomer Daniel Andrews with an impressive 12.2 per cent swing. A member of the Socialist Left faction, Andrews was party state secretary from 2000 to 2002 and previously worked as an electorate officer to federal Bruce MP Alan Griffin. He was immediately elevated to parliamentary secretary for health upon entering parliament and gained a cabinet berth after the 2006 election as Gaming and Consumer Affairs Minister, winning further promotion to Health Minister in the rearrangement after Steve Bracks and John Thwaites departed in July 2007.
Analysis written by William Bowe. Read William’s blog, The Poll Bludger.