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THE POLL BLUDGER REID
Reid takes in western Sydney suburbs from the southern edge of Parramatta west to Westmead and Merrylands, and south to Granville, Auburn and Rookwood. Created in 1922, it included Bankstown for much of its history, but was pushed northward when Blaxland was created in 1949. The seat has always been held by Labor members of one type or another, including a member of Jack Lang's breakaway state party branch from 1931 to 1940, and by Lang himself for one term following a surprise win under the ALP (Non-Communist) banner in 1946. Left faction heavyweight Laurie Ferguson succeeded Whitlam and Hawke government minister Tom Uren as member in 1990. There was speculation that Reid would be abolished at the recent redistribution, leading Ferguson to speculate that he might have to unseat factional colleague Julie Owens in Parramatta. This did not come to pass, but the electorate has nonetheless been significantly redrawn, gaining more than 20,000 voters from Parramatta to the north. This area, which includes Westmead, Harris Park, Rosehill, Rydalmere and Dundas, was originally to include the Parramatta town centre itself, but objections prompted the redistribution commissioners to redraw the boundary. Other changes are include the loss of South Wentworthville and Merrylands West to Prospect and Woodpark and Guildford West to Blaxland, and small gains of territory from Lowe to the east. | |