South Perth

Margin: Liberal 19.7%
Region: South Metropolitan
Federal: Swan

RESULTS AT 2013 ELECTION
HISTORICAL TWO-PARTY RESULTS
PREVIOUS ELECTION RESULTS MAP

Candidates in ballot paper order

JASON BRETT ST MARTIN Micro Business Party M FRANCIS Independent MARK BROGAN Greens (bottom) JOHN McGRATH Liberal (top) FIONA REID Independent ROSEMARY FRANCES CAPON STEINECK Australian Christians MICHAEL VOROS Labor (centre)

Confined by the natural boundaries of the Swan River to the north and the Canning River to the west and south, the safe Liberal seat of South Perth extends from the suburb of that name through Como and Manning to Salter Point in the south, and Kensington, Karawara and Waterford in the east. The redistribution has added 2300 voters in Kensington in the electorate's north-east, cutting 1.4% from the still ample Liberal margin.

South Perth has existed as an electorate without interruption since 1950, and has never been held by Labor. The member from 1956 to 1993 was Bill Grayden, who held the seat sometimes as an independent, but usually as a Liberal (he was also federal member for Swan from 1949 to 1954). Grayden was succeeded in 1993 by Phillip Pendal, who had been an upper house member since 1980, and first had to overcome an independent challenge from John Grayden, son of Bill. Pendal retained the seat as an independent in 1996 and 2001 after quitting the quit the Liberal Party in 1994, then retired at the 2005 election.

The seat has since been held for the Liberals by John McGrath, a former sports journalist for The West Australian who was installed as a cleanskin candidate after the party organisation overturned the result of a messy preselection. McGrath was in the shadow ministry from 2005 to 2008, but was initially overlooked for a front bench position after the 2008 election victory. He was promoted to a parliamentary secretary position in July 2011, which he has maintained since.