Churchlands

Margin: Liberal 19.9%
Region: North Metropolitan
Federal: Curtin

RESULTS AT 2013 ELECTION
PREVIOUS ELECTION RESULTS MAP

Candidates in ballot paper order

SEAN L'ESTRANGE Liberal (top) JIM BIVOLTSIS Independent PAUL PHILLIPS Australian Christians JOANNA GURAK Greens (bottom) JACK GARBER Julie Matheson for WA DALJEET GILL Micro Business Party PAUL LILBURNE Labor (centre)

Churchlands covers an area of Perth's affluent western suburbs from City Beach on the coast through Wembley Downs, Woodlands, Churchlands, Floreat and Herdsman Lake to Wembley and West Leederville. The redistribution has cost it the mostly undeveloped areas of City Beach south of Oceanic Drive, resulting in the transfer of 700 voters to Cottesloe.

Despite its strong conservatism, the seat has only been in Liberal hands since the 2013 election, having previously been held by independent Liz Constable since it was created in place of abolished Floreat in 1993. Constable won Floreat at a by-election held in 1991 upon the death of Andrew Mensaros, who had held the seat for the Liberals since its creation in 1968. Despite her independent status, Constable served in the Barnett government as Education and Tourism Minister from its election in September 2008 until December 2010, when she lost the education portfolio, before being dropped altogether in June 2012.

With Constable's retirement at the 2013 election, Churchlands was easily won for the Liberals by Sean L’Estrange, a former army lieutenant-colonel and Afghanistan veteran. L’Estrange’s easy win in the party preselection ballot was a rebuff for Colin Barnett, who had vigorously advocated for restaurateur Kate Lamont. L'Estrange was elevated to cabinet in March 2016 in the mines and petroleum and small business portfolios, and further took on finance the following September.