Electorate: Joondalup

Margin: Labor 3.3%
Region: North Metropolitan
Federal: Moore
Click here for electoral boundaries map

The candidates

Electorate analysis: Joondalup began to develop as an outer metropolitan centre in the 1970s, and an electorate was created to accommodate it in 1983. It was absorbed by the new seat of Wanneroo from 1989, then detached from it in 1996 as development in the outer northern suburbs continued to proliferate. The electorate was substantially redrawn by the one-vote one-value redistribution, losing its coastal area of Mullaloo and Kallaroo to the new seat of Ocean Reef while gaining Edgewater from Kingsley and part of Currambine from Mindarie. The latest redistribution has added a further 1000 voters in Currambine at the electorate’s northern end, previously in Ocean Reef. The two redistributions respectively boosted Labor’s margin by 1.1% and cut it by 0.2%.

The first incarnation of Joondalup was held for Labor from its creation in 1983 by Jackie Watkins, who then carried over to Wanneroo where she was defeated by Liberal candidate Wayde Smith in 1993. When recreated in 1996 the seat was won for the Liberals by Chris Baker, who joined a number of his northern suburbs colleagues in being unseated in 2001, One Nation’s direction of preferences against most sitting members helping to fuel a 6.3% swing. The seat has since been held for Labor by Tony O’Gorman, a member of the Amalgamated Metal Workers Union sub-faction of the Left. O’Gorman was re-elected in 2005 with a 6.0% increase on the primary vote, although this only converted into a 0.2% two-party swing due to a less favourable preference flow, and he suffered a swing of just 0.8% amid the general debacle of the 2008 election.

The Liberal candidate is Jan Norberger, group general manager of resources industry recruitment firm Richards Mining Services, who won preselection ahead of Murray McLennan, candidate for Mindarie in 2008.

Labor made an early campaign promise of $9 million for new facilities at Joondalup Arena for the benefit of WAFL club West Perth, which relocated to the northern suburbs in 1994. The Liberals then trumped this with a $20 million promise that also included facilities for basketball and rugby.

Analysis written by William Bowe. All post-redistribution margins are as calculated by Antony Green at ABC Elections. Read William’s blog, The Poll Bludger.

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