Seat of the week: Wakefield

Seat of the week visits South Australia one last time to cover Wakefield on the northern fringe of Adelaide, held for Labor since 2007 by Nick Champion.

Red and blue numbers respectively indicate booths with two-party majorities for Labor and Liberal. Click for larger image. Map boundaries courtesy of Ben Raue at The Tally Room.

Wakefield extends from outer northern Adelaide to rural territory as far as Clare 100 kilometres to the north, with overwhelming Labor strength around Elizabeth and Salisbury partly balanced by support for the Liberals in the Clare Valley. It has existed in name since South Australia was first divided into electorates in 1903, but its complexion changed dramatically when its southern neighbour Bonython was abolished when the state’s representation was reduced from 12 seats to 11 in 2004. Previously a conservative rural and outskirts seat encompassing the Murray Valley and Yorke Peninsula, it came to absorb the outer suburban industrial centre of Elizabeth while retaining the satellite town of Gawler, the Clare Valley wine-growing district, and the Gulf St Vincent coast from Two Wells north to Port Wakefield.

Prior to 2004, Wakefield was won by the major conservative party of the day at every election except 1938 and 1943, when it was won by Labor, and 1928, when it was won by the Country Party. The Liberal member from 1983 to 2004 was Neil Andrew, who spent the last six years of his parliamentary career serving as Speaker. Andrew at first considered challenging Patrick Secker for preselection in Barker after the 2004 redistribution turned Wakefield’s 14.7% margin into a notional Labor margin of 1.5%, but instead opted to retire. Wakefield was nonetheless retained for the Liberals at the ensuing election by David Fawcett, who picked up a 2.2% swing off a subdued Labor vote around Elizabeth to unseat Martyn Evans, who had held Bonython for Labor since 1994. Fawcett’s slender margin was demolished by a 7.3% swing in 2007, but he would return to parliament as a Senator after the 2010 election.

Wakefield has since been held for Labor by Nick Champion, a former state party president, Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association official and staffer for state Industrial Relations Minister Michael Wright. The SDA link identifies him with the potentate of the South Australian Right, outgoing Senator Don Farrell. He nonetheless went against Farrell by coming out in support of Kevin Rudd in the days before his unsuccessful February 2012 leadership challenge, resigning as caucus secretary to do so. As with Labor’s other South Australian newcomers from the 2007 election, Champion had no trouble retaining his seat at the 2010 election, a 5.4% swing boosting his margin to 12.0%. However, the seat has since returned to the marginal zone following a redistribution in which it traded an area around Salisbury for Lydoch and Williamstown east of Gawler, reducing the margin to 10.3%, and a 7.1% swing to the Liberals at the 2013 election, which has left it at 3.4%.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

2,933 comments on “Seat of the week: Wakefield”

Comments Page 54 of 59
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  1. [I am guessing that there is no part of this that you find difficult or complex?]

    Nope pretty straight forward to me.

    Paedophilia is paedophilia whether it occurs in the family home or the church run institution.

  2. I am just imagining the faces at LNP/Opus Dei headquarters when the word comes through that the Catholic Church heirarchy will also allow priests and brothers to marry each other.

  3. [This is, I believe, the very first time that Abbott’s first impulses – to bull through or to double up – have failed him.]

    I’ve noticed that Abbott doesn’t have the cut through in govt that he had in opposition. I’m assuming this is because now they are the govt, they are expected to have answers of their own instead of pointing to a Labor govt and shouting no.

    Guess it sucks to be Tone with the game he’s played for the last 4 years. But he brought that on himself. I have no sympathy.

  4. How do you all feel about the Greens backing Abbott on PPL?

    Does seem ironic that the Greens seem to pop up at the worst time to screw the ALP. DEja vu – imagine if the Greens had voted for the CPRS in 2007, where would be now?

  5. How do you all feel about the Greens backing Abbott on PPL?

    Does seem ironic that the Greens seem to pop up at the worst time to screw the ALP. DEja vu – imagine if the Greens had voted for the CPRS in 2007, where would we be now?

  6. Ian@2652

    I am just imagining the faces at LNP/Opus Dei headquarters when the word comes through that the Catholic Church heirarchy will also allow priests and brothers to marry each other.

    http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2014/04/27/seat-of-the-week-wakefield-2/?comment_page=54/#comment-1965771“>Ian@2652

    I am just imagining the faces at LNP/Opus Dei headquarters when the word comes through that the Catholic Church heirarchy will also allow priests and brothers to marry each other.

    😆 😆 😆 Classic!

  8. Yes Bemused and Ian – it is a bit like the reaction of Aboriginal people in the NT when the professional left turns up to “help”. They know what pain, agony and abuse that “help” has caused them.

  9. Edwina StJohn@2658

    Yes Bemused and Ian – it is a bit like the reaction of Aboriginal people in the NT when the professional left turns up to “help”. They know what pain, agony and abuse that “help” has caused them.

    What are you raving about now?
    Go take your medication. 😡

  11. Well it is true in the Aboriginal community “intervention” and “welfare management” is code for bringing in the White paedos to “help” bemused.

  14. Q. Whats the most frightening thing a private school boy can hear at school ?

    A. Brother Michael wants to see you alone in the Principal’s Office.

  17. Tom

    [How do you all feel about the Greens backing Abbott on PPL?]

    I agree with PUP and am appalled that the Greens will support welfare being paid in INVERSE proportion to need. Talk about middle class pillage.

  21. From my limited reading it seems the Greens approve of the increase in Company tax to fund a limited PPL scheme. They do not support the tax cut, franking credits lurk that Hockey pulled.

    Plus didn’t Abbott say he would never do any deals with The Greens, surely he wouldn’t lie again?

  23. [How do you all feel about the Greens backing Abbott on PPL?]

    The Greens are a populist party which is the antithesis of pragmatism and sensible government. If they want to follow the Liberals over the cliff of fiscal irresponsibility, that’s up to them.

    Let their own voters defend their party’s actions.

  24. Edwina StJohn 2654 & 2655- The Greens are way too ideologically driven for any reflection on past own goals so why would anyone on this forum be surprised or concerned at them supporting Abbott and co again.

  25. Everything

    [Its not welfare, it is a workplace entitlement.]

    Just because you think a “levy” is not a “tax” if a Lib says it is not. It doesn’t change reality (except in your mind).

    If it is paid for by taxpayers and not by employers, it is WELFARE.

    Or is welfare only paid to non-liberal voters? Liberal welfare is “entitlement”..

  27. [Plus didn’t Abbott say he would never do any deals with The Greens]

    He did. And since then he’s accepted their deal over increasing the debt ceiling. So yes, Abbott’s lips were moving. Yet again.

  29. [confessions
    Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 8:06 pm | PERMALINK
    Plus didn’t Abbott say he would never do any deals with The Greens

    He did. And since then he’s accepted their deal over increasing the debt ceiling]

    What was the deal over increasing the debt ceiling?

  30. 1. I expect that the Government will be paying for sick and recreation leave… considering they’re also workplace entitlements.

    2. You’re not the only one to predict that the Dems would hold the Senate… although I think that map is off.

  32. Driving home from work I almost crashed the car when I heard that Abbott was blaming Labor for HIS changes to HIS PPL.

    Remember this policy was costed by the PBO and Abbott/Hockey stood by those costings. At the same time they were ranting and yelling from the roof tops that there was a budget emergency.

    Nothing has changed, except Abbott is now PM and has to deliver and can’t hide behind 3 word slogans.

    Now that HE has decided to cap PPL at $50,000, will the levy remain 1.5%? Will he still reduce the business tax rate to 28.5%?

    Is the plan to reduce the PPL amount just a con job to create more revenue? Still hit the companies with the 1.5% levy, don’t reduce the tax rate to 28.5%…..what a weasel con job ..there are used car salesmen and lawyers looking on in envy at the con job being done by Abbott

  36. [Is worker’s compensation welfare?]
    Adopt the no fault Kiwi scheme. They found that keeping lawyers out of it meant a no fault scheme was cheaper.

  38. ESJ

    [Confessions like you I am shocked and appalled that politicians do deals with other politicans.]

    Don’t you get it? No one minds politicians doing deals. Some mind the endless hypocracy of Rabbott moaning and tearing his (limited) hair at ALP negotiating with other parties.

    As a Lib, i realise you wouldn’t recognise hypocracy. You would think it’s just normal.

  39. Er hang on a sec, Abbott stated today he “modified” his PPL due to the sate of the Budget, nice try but someone is telling lies Tony.

    [As it emerged the company tax levy may only raise enough to fund about half the cost of the scheme, and Labor launched a new ad blitz highlighting the Coalition’s pledged budget cuts, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott promised no more cuts would be required to find the extra funding for his scheme.

    “This doesn’t make the fiscal situation worse, it’s fully funded,” he said.

    The Coalition declined to release any costings other than to say the scheme would begin on July 1, 2015, cost $10 billion in its first two years and average about $5.5 billion a year when fully operational. Full costings would be released closer to the election, a spokesman said.

    Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey said the scheme would be budget-neutral and had been fully costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office.]

  40. Barnett’s numpty shark cull policy grinds to an expected and disappointing end:

    [Data from the Department of Fisheries for the period from January 25 to March 16 shows 31 sharks were killed while a further 14 were found dead on hooks, including two mako sharks.

    The vast majority of those caught were tiger sharks, but a blacktip and dusky whaler were also caught and released alive.

    No great white sharks, which are responsible for most fatal attacks on humans, were caught.

    While the controversial catch-and-kill policy targeted great white, bull and tiger sharks bigger than three metres, all but two of those that were found dead on hooks were smaller, including the makos, which measured only 1.7m and 2m.]

    https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/23085021/shark-cull-ends-but-may-return/
    Fan-frickin-tastic. A whole bunch of biodiversity (immediate and likely downstream) unnecessarily slaughtered for the sake of Barnett’s act-first-regret-later idiocy.

    And Hunt just approved an extension of this bunch of crazy for a further 3 years, meanwhile Barnett tries to make it about the protests rather than the ineffectiveness of his thought bubble policy. Unbelievable.

  41. [swamprat
    Posted Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 8:16 pm | PERMALINK
    ESJ

    Confessions like you I am shocked and appalled that politicians do deals with other politicans.

    Don’t you get it? No one minds politicians doing deals. Some mind the endless hypocracy of Rabbott moaning and tearing his (limited) hair at ALP negotiating with other parties.

    As a Lib, i realise you wouldn’t recognise hypocracy]

    Is hypocracy when you don’t have enough government?

  43. [Confessions like you I am shocked and appalled that politicians do deals with other politicans.]

    I’m not shocked that the Greens do deals with the Liberals. And I’d hazard a guess that deep down you aren’t either.

  44. I just watched 7.30. Abbott dropped a baby, he picked the poor toddler up by the arms and then dropped the child.

  48. ESJ

    [Lol swampy because the alp is a paragon of virtue ? Roflmao.]

    You admit you aim to be as bad as each other? That is the Lib defence???

    I am not in the centre-right ALP…

    You can Roflmao to the ends of the earth for all i care.

  50. [swamprat
    ….i went to a Christian Brothers school, Got more gats (straps) than lessons.]

    Ouch….sorry to hear that.

    Hypocracy could be a synonym for anarchism based on the derivations hypo (too little) and cracy (government).

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