Buderim

Margin: Liberal National 26.0%
Region: Sunshine Coast Hinterland
Federal: Fairfax

Candidates in ballot paper order

	ELAINE HUGHES Labor (bottom) SUSAN ETHERIDGE Greens TESS LAZARUS Palmer United Party STEVE DICKSON Liberal National (top)

The boundaries of the strongly conservative Sunshine Coast electorate of Buderim are neatly defined by the Bruce Highway in the west, the Sunshine Motorway in the east and south and Petrie Creek in the north. It was created at the 2009 election, taking three-quarters of its voters (around Buderim and Mountain Creek) from Kawana, such that it contained more voters from the old Kawana than the redrawn electorate of that name. The seat was accordingly contested for the LNP by Steve Dickson, who had recovered Kawana for the Liberals at the 2006 election after Chris Cummins won it for Labor in 2001 and 2004. Dickson added 5.0% to the notional LNP margin of 9.3% at the 2009 election, before picking up a further swing of 11.7% in 2012.

Dickson had been a motel and caravan park owner and Maroochy Shire councillor before entering parliament, and won quick promotion to the front bench as Shadow Workplace and Job Security Minister when the LNP merger took effect in August 2008. He was then dumped from the front bench when John-Paul Langbroek assumed the leadership after the 2009 election, but was brought back as Shadow Energy and Water Utilities Minister when Campbell Newman became leader in April 2011. Since the election victory of March 2012 he has held the portfolios of national parks, recreation and sport and racing.

Corrections, complaints and feedback to William Bowe at pollbludger-at-bigpond-dot-com. Read William’s blog, The Poll Bludger.

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