THE POLL BLUDGER
New South Wales Legislative Assembly Election 2007

GRANVILLE
Labor 19.2%

The electorate of Granville covers western Sydney suburbs to the south of Parramatta, from Granville west through Merrylands to South Wentworthville. The redistribution has added 5000 voters in the west from Smithfield and the abolished Wentworthville, and a further 5000 immediately north of the Granville town centre from Parramatta. In the south, it loses nearly 9000 voters around Guildford to Fairfield. These changes have had little impact on Labor's healthy margin. The seat was last in conservative hands during the Lang years, from 1932 to 1938, and has been held by Labor ever since. Left faction powerbroker Laurie Ferguson was the member from 1984 to 1990, when he entered federal parliament as the member for Reid. His successor Kim Yeadon served as a minister in various portfolios until he was dumped after the 2003 election, and is now retiring.

Labor's candidate for the coming election is Parramatta lord mayor David Borger (left), who ran for the federal seat of Parramatta in 2001. Borger won preselection after the matter was referred to the party's national executive to secure the endorsement of five of Morris Iemma's preferred candidates. The Parramatta Advertiser reported that Laurie Ferguson had wished for union official Jim Lloyd to assume the seat and for Borger to take Parramatta from sitting member Tanya Gadiel, who was to be accommodated in Toongabbie. Michael Duffy wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald that Borger was earlier considering running against Gadiel as an independent. Another Parramatta councillor, Paul Garrard, has quit the ALP after 40 years and will run against Borger as an independent. The Liberal candidate is Holroyd deputy mayor Eddy Sarkis (right).

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain