Chatsworth

Margin: Liberal National 14.1%
Region: Eastern Brisbane
Federal: Bonner/Griffith

Candidates in ballot paper order

	JARRED REILLY Greens PAUL KEENE Labor (bottom) AARON DEECKE Family First STEVE MINNIKIN Liberal National (top)

Located about 10 kilometres east of central Brisbane, Chatsworth was among the 44 seats gained by the Liberal National Party at the 2012 election, being the conservatives’ first win in the seat at a general election since 1974. The electorate encompasses areas of Labor strength around Carina, which are balanced by strongly conservative Belmont and Manly West in the east.

Prior to 2012, Labor had held Chatsworth since a favourable redistribution helped Terry Mackenroth secure it at the 1977 election, except for a brief interregnum when Mackenroth retired mid-term in 2005. This brought on a by-election in August that was won for the Liberals by Brisbane councillor and factional warlord Michael Caltabiano off a 13.9% swing. A correction back to Labor of 3.3% at the next year’s general election returned the seat to Labor, and it was then held for a term by Chris Bombolas, a former Channel Nine sports reporter and rugby league commentator, followed by Steve Kilburn, a local firefighter and Navy sailor who succeeded Bombolas when he bowed out for health reasons at the 2009 election.

Kilburn’s win in 2009 was achieved by a margin of just 74 votes over Andrea Caltabiano, wife of Michael. The result was disputed by the Liberal Party in the Court of Disputed Returns, resulting in an exhaustive judicial review of contested ballot papers. This revealed only 14 errors in the count, the rectification of which in fact increased Labor’s margin to 85, and two cases of double voting, both involving confused elderly citizens.

Kilburn’s slender margin was inevitably washed away in the 2012 landslide, which delivered the seat to Steve Minnikin, previously manager of the Alexandra Hills Shopping Centre. Minnikin won immediate promotion to the outer ministry as Assistant Minister for Public Transport. His Labor opponent at the coming election is Paul Keene, a police officer.

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

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