THE POLL BLUDGER
House of Representatives Election 2007

McPHERSON
Liberal 14.0%

The Gold Coast seat of McPherson was created in 1949, at all times including the New South Wales border at the coast and originally extending inland to rural Beaudesert and Warwick. The seat was held for the Country Party by one-time Prime Minister Arthur Fadden (previously member for Darling Downs) until his retirement in 1958, and henceforth by Charles Barnes. However, the Gold Coast population explosion drew the electorate into the coast over time and strengthened the Liberals, so that the seat fell to Liberal candidate Eric Robinson when Barnes retired in 1972. Margaret May became the member in 1998 when incumbent John Bradford quit the Liberal Party to stand unsuccessfully for the Senate with Fred Nile's Christian Democratic Party.

Two weeks out from the election the Gold Coast Bulletin published a Thomas Direct poll of 402 voters showing a fairly modest swing to Labor. After exclusion of the undecided, Margaret May led Eddy Sarroff 57 per cent to 36 per cent on the primary vote, compared with 58.9 per cent and 30.1 per cent at the 2004 election.