THE POLL BLUDGER
Queensland Legislative Assembly Election 2006

MULGRAVE
Labor 7.7%

RegionNorthern Queensland
FederalKennedy/Leichhardt
CandidatesKrista Dunford (Nationals)
Warren Pitt (Labor)
Click here for PDF map at Parliament House site

Mulgrave extends from the southern outskirts of Cairns southwards along the coast to Innisfail, the area in between being less populated and more conservative. The electorate was created in 1950 and held by the National/Country Party from 1957 to 1989, when it fell to Labor's Warren Pitt (right) upon the election of the Wayne Goss government. It has since changed hands on three occasions – in 1995, when Naomi Wilson of the National Party squeaked ahead by 0.5 per cent; in 1998 when One Nation candidate Charles Rappolt narrowly succeeded in reducing the Nationals (who had again nominated Naomi Wilson) to third place and coasted home on their preferences; and at the December 1998 by-election that followed Rappolt's decision to quit parliament following after the first round of One Nation upheavals. The latter contest was yet another showdown between Warren Pitt and Naomi Wilson, with Pitt prevailing this time by just 0.6 per cent. This delivered a one-seat majority to what had previously been Peter Beattie's minority government. In 2001, Wilson tried her luck in Cairns and Pitt romped home in Mulgrave; he won 53.6 per cent of the primary vote, with the Nationals reduced to third place behind One Nation. The Nationals recovered 14.7 per cent from the decline of One Nation in 2004, but Pitt's primary vote only fell 2.2 per cent and he again won without needing preferences.

A stalwart of Labor's AWU faction, Warren Pitt's 1995 election defeat cut short a five-month ministerial career that had begun with his promotion to Business, Industry and Regional Development Minister in February. He found himself back at the rear of the queue when re-elected at the end of 1998, finally returning to cabinet with the communities and disability services portfolios after the 2004 election. Pitt was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lyphoma after collapsing in his parliamentary suite in March 2005, and has spent much of the current term laid low by chemotherapy. Retiring Mount Isa MP Tony McGrady described his benign brain tumour as "head cold compared to what poor old Warren Pitt has gone through". He has nevertheless maintained his position as minister. Nationals candidate Krista Dunford (left) is just 20 years old, and if elected will become Queensland's youngest ever parliamentarian. The record is currently held by Lawrence Springborg, who entered parliament at 21.

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain