THE POLL BLUDGER
New South Wales Legislative Assembly Election 2007

LAKE MACQUARIE
Labor 11.6%

The electorate of Lake Macquarie is bounded to the east by the feature that bears its name, consisting of a thinly populated western half dominated by state forest and an east dominated by the Sydney to Newcastle Freeway and Main Northern Railway. The main population centres, from south to north, are Wyee, Morriset, Cooranbong and Fassifern. The electorate has expanded south-eastwards with the redistribution, absorbing around 4500 voters in Dooralong, Jilliby, Wyee and Wyong Creek from Wyong. The far northern end of the electorate, including 4000 voters around Barnsley, has been moved to Cessnock, while 1500 voters at Argenton in the north-west have been transferred to Wallsend. The Electoral Commission had originally proposed the creation of a geographically larger new electorate called Morriset which was to include Wyong and Peats, but was inundated with submissions opposing the idea.

Lake Macquarie has been in Labor hands since its creation in 1950, current member Jeff Hunter (above right) having succeeded his father Merv in 1991. Brother Alan is also a player in the family dynasty and has been described as a "Right faction warlord", although Jeff Hunter is in the Left. Hunter has not risen so far as a parliamentary secretary position in his 16 years in parliament, although there was talk he might fill the factional vacancy created by Andrew Refshauge's departure in 2005. Like many other local MPs, he was compelled to deny knowledge of rumours surrounding Swansea MP Milton Orkopoulos after his arrest on child prostitution, sexual assault and drugs charges in November 2006. Also in November, David Humphries of the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the seat was being "sought" by the Right. The Liberal candidate is Lake Macquarie councillor Ken Paxinos (left). Also in the field is the mayor, Greg Piper (right), who will join fellow local mayors John Tate (in Newcastle) and Peter Blackmore (in Maitland) in running as an independent.

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain