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THE POLL BLUDGER KINGSFORD SMITH
Kingsford-Smith was created with the enlargement of parliament in 1949 around Clovelly, Coogee and Randwick in Sydney's inner south-east. Originally held by Labor with narrow margins, their positioned was strengthened when the Maroubra area at the northern entrance to Botany Bay was first added in 1955. The only time their hold has been threatened since was with the 1966 disaster, when the margin was reduced to 1.5 per cent. Laurie Brereton became member in 1990 after a career as a senior minister in the Wran-Unsworth government, and served on the federal party's front-bench from 1993 until his surprise retirement announcement four months ahead of the 2004 election. Mark Latham took the opportunity to secure endorsement for Midnight Oil lead singer and Australian Conservation Foundation president Peter Garrett, amid local grumbling from party hopefuls who had been shut out. | |