|
THE POLL BLUDGER NEW ENGLAND
Created at federation, New England has been remarkably little changed over the course of its history, at all times including the Armidale and Tamworth and losing Glen Innes only between 1934 and 1949. Even the abolition of neighbouring Gwydir with the current redistribution has effected only minor change, adding the Shire of Liverpool Plains in the south-west. The 2001 election saw the National/Country Party lose the seat for the first time since the party was founded in 1922, with independent Tamworth state MP Tony Windsor easily defeating one-term member Stuart St Clair with 45 per cent of the primary vote. St Clair had assumed the seat in 1998 upon the retirement of one-time party leader Ian Sinclair, member since 1963. Despite his electorate's strong conservative leaning, Windsor has said that if he holds the balance of power he will support whichever party had the most seats or, in the event of a tie, had polled the most votes. | |