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THE POLL BLUDGER Western Australian Legislative Assembly Election 2008

Located 15 kilometres east of the city, the electorate of Midland extends from MIDLAND Guildford east through Midland itself to the newer suburbs of Stratton and Labor 9.7% Koongamia. The one-vote one-value redistribution has left it relatively unscathed: Upper house region: East Metropolitan Maida Vale and Gooseberry Hill in the south have been detached to Forrestfield and Federal divisions: Hasluck/Pearce Kalamunda respectively, with Kalamunda also gaining Darlington in the east. The initial redistribution proposal had Guildford going to Belmont, but this was revised along with a corresponding reduction in the size of the Darlington transfer. The changes have effected a 1.2 per cent increase in the Labor margin.

Midland has been held by Labor's since its creation at the 1996 MICHELLE ROBERTS Labor (top) election. Roberts had entered parliament two years earlier at a by-election for the inner northern suburbs seat of Glendalough, held when vacated TO BE ANNOUNCED the seat to enter federal politics. The Midland area had earlier been covered by the Liberal electorates of Swan and then Helena, both held for Labor by . When Hill resigned mid-term in 1994, the Helena by-election was won for the Liberals by the narrowly unsuccessful candidate at the 1993 election, Rhonda Parker, who went on to successfully contest the new seat of Ballajura in 1996. Roberts meanwhile quickly made her way to the front bench, holding the police portfolio first in opposition and then as minister, and further acquired justice in June 2003. She also obtained a position of considerable power within the party as a leader of the New Right faction which emerged in opposition to the Brian Burke-related “Old Right” before the 2001 election, and served as state party president from 2001 to 2005.

When made his surprise retirement announcement in January 2006, Roberts was rated along with as a leading candidate for the succession. However, the tide turned against her after a bumbling response before the media when asked about her attempt to enlist the support of Brian Burke. Amalgamated Metal Workers Union state secretary Jock Ferguson subsequently announced Carpenter would have the support of the Left sub-faction dominated by his union. This put an end to Jim McGinty's efforts to unite the Left in support of his own candidacy (a bid some observers considered to be no more than a tactical ruse), prompting McGinty to decisively throw the weight of his LHMWU Left faction behind

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Carpenter.

The reshuffle following Carpenter's ascension saw Roberts moved from police to the lesser housing and works, consumer protection and heritage portfolios, although she did better in the next rounds to exchange consumer protection for indigenous affairs in December 2006 and gain employment protection in March 2007. However, she has since found herself marginalised by the eclipse of the New Right following John D'Orazio's political difficulties, having recently been involved in losing battles to save the careers of D'Orazio and another factional colleague, upper house MP Batong Pham.

http://www.pollbludger.com/wa2008/midland.htm 15/08/2008