Victorian State Election 2010: Tarneit
Electorate: Tarneit
Margin: Labor 12.5%
Upper house region: Western Metropolitan
Federal: Lalor
Click here for Victorian Electoral Commission map
The candidates
|
|
FREEMAN, Michael
|
|
|
Electorate analysis: Tarneit covers a seven kilometre stretch of the bayside west of the city from which it extends 20 kilometres inland, through Hoppers Crossing and Werribee. Its name was changed from Werribee at the redistribution before the 2002 election, although it still contains most of central Werribee and has the Werribee River as its western boundary. Werribee was won by the Liberals when it was created at the 1976 election, but it fell to Labor in 1979 and has stayed with them ever since. A 7.5 per cent swing upon the retirement of long-standing member Ken Coghill in 1996 reduced the margin to 0.8 per cent, but Labor’s secure hold was restored by strong swings in 1999 and 2002. This did not save member Mary Gillett being deposed for Labor preselection by Steve Bracks’ chief-of-staff Tim Pallas, whom Bracks insisted be given a seat during factional negotiations. With the backing of the Labor Unity (Right) faction, Pallas was immediately elevated to cabinet upon his election as Roads and Ports Minister, further gaining the major projects portfolio in December 2008.
Analysis written by William Bowe. Read William’s blog, The Poll Bludger.