Queensland State Election 2012: Sandgate

Electorate: Sandgate

Margin: Labor 12.4%
Region: Northern Brisbane
Federal: Lilley/Petrie
Click here for Electoral Commission of Queensland map

The candidates

sandgate - alp

MIKE CROOK
Independent

PENNY McCREERY
Family First

CLAIRE OGDEN
Greens

JOHN DUNKLEY
Katter’s Australian Party

KERRY MILLARD
Liberal National (bottom)

VICKY DARLING
Labor (top)

sandgate-lnp

Electorate analysis: Sandgate covers the northernmost coastal areas of the City of Brisbane, from Shorncliffe north through Brighton to North Pine River, extending inland across the Gateway Motorway to Bracken Ridge. The electorate has existed in one form or another since 1923, and Labor has had an uninterrupted hold on the seat since 1960. The two previous members were Neville Warburton (1977 to 1992), who led the party from 1984 to 1988, and Gordon Nuttall (1992 to 2006), who was dumped as Health Minister due to fallout over the “Dr Death” scandal and eventually imprisoned over payments received from Macarthur Coal chief executive Ken Talbot. Nuttall was succeeded in Sandgate by Vicky Darling, a member of the Labor Unity faction and daughter of Elaine Darling, federal member for Lilley from 1980 to 1993. Darling was promoted to cabinet as Environment Minister after Kate Jones stood aside in June 2011 to concentrate on her electorate of Ashgrove.

Analysis written by William Bowe. Please direct corrections or comments to pollbludger-AT-crikey.com.au. Read William’s blog, The Poll Bludger.

Back to Crikey’s Queensland election guide