WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ELECTION 2017
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ELECTION 2017
Legislative Council: |
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 The Liberal ticket is headed by Nick Goiran, who has attracted increasing attention over the years through his activities as a religious conservative powerbroker. Goiran came to parliament two years after joining the Liberal Party in 2006, having earlier been involved in the party now known as Australian Christians. His close family connections to that party extend to his mother, Madeleine Goiran, being its candidate for the lower house seat of Thornlie at the current election. He was elected from second position in 2008 and 2013, and won promotion to parliamentary secretary in the aftermath of the failed spill motion in September.One sign among many of Goiran's rising influence is his move to top position at the expense of Simon O'Brien, who had held it at every election in a career going back to 1996, with the exception of 2001. O'Brien served as Transport Minister and Finance Minister in the Barnett government's first term, but was dropped after the 2013 election. Retaining his place at number three for the third successive election is Phil Edman, whose most senior position has been as government whip since the 2013 election.  Sue Ellery and Kate Doust have dominated the Labor ticket at five successive elections going back to 2001, with Doust taking the lead in 2005 and Ellery doing so on each other occasion. A member of the Left faction, Sue Ellery was Child Protection and Community Services Minister from March 2007 until the September 2008 election defeat, and has since served as Shadow Education Minister.Kate Doust was elevated to the front bench after the 2008 election defeat, and has covered portfolios including industrial relations since the 2013 election. She is associated with the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association and its attendant “Old Right” faction, and is married to another of its powerbrokers, Cannington MP Bill Johnston. Labor's third candidate is Pierre Yang, a Gosnells councillor who had backing from the Left faction United Voice in his unsuccessful pitch for the federal Burt preselection.  South Metropolitan gave the Greens their first ever seat in 1993, and their only failure since was in 2005. Jim Scott held the seat from 1993 to 2004, when he stepped aside to run unsuccessfully for Fremantle at the 2005 election. The seat was then held briefly by Colorado-born Lynn MacLaren, who moved to Western Australia from the United States at the age of 20 in 1982 and has retained most of her accent. MacLaren failed to retain the seat at the ensuing election, but was successful on her second attempt in 2008, and emerged as one of the party's two survivors in 2013. She had worked for Jim Scott and Giz Watson before entering parliament, and for the Western Australian Council of Social Service in the interregnum.Other lead candidates are Philip Scott (One Nation), Sam Wainwright (Socialist Alliance), Alexander Brownbill (Flux the System), Wilson Tucker (Daylight Saving Party), Derek Rucki (Fluoride Free), Cam Tinley (Micro Business Party), Peter Raffaelli (Shooters Fishers and Farmers), Bob Burdett (Australian Christians), Aaron Stonehouse (Liberal Democrats), Katrina Love (Animal Justice), Andrew Luobikis (Julie Matheson for WA) and Nigel Irvine (Family First). Return to upper house guide entry page |
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