THE POLL BLUDGER
New South Wales Legislative Assembly Election 2007

KOGARAH
Labor 19.1%

The electorate of Kogarah is on the northern bank of the Georges River about 10 kilometres south of the city centre, extending from Connells Point and Blakehurst north to Bexley. The redistribution has effected a swap of territory with the seat of Georges River, now renamed Oatley, adding 4500 voters in the Beverly Hills area north of Stoney Creek and removing 1000 in Hurstville. A further 2000 voters have been removed by alterations to the eastern boundary with Rockdale. The seat was created in 1930 and has been in Labor hands since 1953, although the margin was well below 5 per cent between 1988 and 1995. The previous member, Brian Langton, retired in 1999 after resigning as Transport Minister when it was found he had lied to the Parliamentary Accounts Department over travel payments. Cherie Burton (right), a former Premier's office staffer and official with the Right faction National Union of Workers, won the ensuing preselection unopposed. Burton has since become associated with the Right sub-faction known as the "Terrigals", the power base of Fairfield MP Joe Tripodi. She was promoted to Housing Minister when Morris Iemma became Premier in August 2005.

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain