THE POLL BLUDGER
New South Wales Legislative Assembly Election 2007

HORNSBY
Liberal 4.2%

Located in Sydney's outer northern suburbs, the electorate of Hornsby extends from Hornsby itself north along the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway through Mt Ku-ring-gai and Berowra. The redistribution has amended its southern boundaries, where it absorbs 6700 voters around Cherrybrook from Hawkesbury and 5400 at Dural from The Hills (now renamed Castle Hill). To the east, 7000 voters around Waitara have been transferred to Hornsby and another 3000 at Westleigh have gone to Epping. Hornsby has been in conservative hands since its creation in 1927, the most recent personnel change coming in January 2002 when former Shadow Treasurer Stephen O'Doherty quit to become chief executive of Christian Schools Australia. Those mentioned as potential nominees to replace him included barrister Greg Pearce and, more fancifully, former federal Bass MP Warwick Smith and future Wentworth federal MP Malcolm Turnbull. The eventual winner was Judy Hopwood, executive director of the Australian Podiatry Association and a former adviser to Philip Ruddock. Also in the field were Steven Pringle and Nick Berman, both Hornsby councillors and serial preselection contenders (Pringle being the future member for Hawkesbury).

Judy Hopwood (left) has come to be associated with the party's Left, and it was reported early last year that she could fall victim to the purge against faction members conducted by the ascendant Right. As factional players marshalled their forces, two candidates emerged as potential challengers: Nick Berman again, by now the mayor of Hornsby, and Steve Russell, a former councillor. These events appeared to provoke a sharp response in the local community, judging by letters to local newspapers and a public demonstration in Hopwood's favour that reportedly drew 130 people. Berman instead chose to contest the Epping preselection, while Russell withdrew after "discussions" with Peter Debnam (reports were also emerging that he was likely to fall short). According to the Sydney Morning Herald, 120 branch members who were thus denied an influence then proceeded to transfer their membership to a branch in Hawkesbury, where Steven Pringle went on to lose preselection to the Right-backed Ray Williams. Hopwood went on to win promotion to the front bench in the November 2006 reshuffle, taking on the community services and mental health portfolios. Labor's candidate is Hornsby councillor Janelle McIntosh (right).

ASSESSMENT: Liberal retain