Queensland Election 2012: Everton
Electorate: Everton
Margin: Labor 1.4%
Region: Northern Brisbane
Federal: Dickson/Lilley/Ryan/Brisbane
Click here for Electoral Commission of Queensland map
The candidates
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MURRAY WATT
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Electorate analysis: Everton covers suburbs on the inland side of Brisbane’s northern suburban corridor, from Everton Park six kilometres north-west of the city to Eatons Hill a further 10 kilometres out. It was created in 1972 and has been won by Labor at each election since with the exception of the Liberals’ win in the 1974 landslide. The member from 1992 to 2009 was Rod Welford (previously member for Stafford from 1989), who served as a minister from the election of the Beattie government in 1998 until his retirement. He was succeeded in 2009 by Murray Watt, a former chief-of-staff to Anna Bligh who won preselection after securing the backing of the Left, despite Welford’s wish to be succeeded by his former campaign director Richard Alcorn and an unsuccessful gambit by Steven Miles of the Queensland Public Sector Union to secure the seat by switching factions from Right to Left. Watt survived a 9.2 per cent swing which formed part of a general backlash against Labor in Brisbane’s north that most observers linked to the merger of the Mater and Royal Children’s hospitals. He was promoted to parliamentary secretary in the health portfolio after the 2009 election, moving to Treasury and state development in the February 2011 reshuffle. His LNP opponent is National Rugby League referee Tim Mander.
Analysis written by William Bowe. Please direct corrections or comments to pollbludger-AT-crikey.com.au. Read William’s blog, The Poll Bludger.