QUEENSLAND ELECTION 2009

BRISBANE CENTRAL Labor 14.2%
Region: Central Brisbane Federal divisions: Brisbane/Lilley
	MARK WOOD Liberal National (bottom) GRACE GRACE Labor (top) ADRIAN MILLER DS4SEQ ANNE N. BOCCABELLA Greens

Brisbane Central covers the northern bank of the Brisbane River, from the city through Spring Hill, Fortitude Valley and New Farm to Newstead, extending north across the Inner City Bypass to Herston and Windsor. The electorate has been reduced in area by the redistribution, which transfers 4600 voters around Wilston in the north to Stafford and 1800 at Kelvin Grove in the west to Mount Coot-tha. Brisbane Central and its predecessor Brisbane (“Central” was added in 1977) has been held by Labor at all times since its creation as a single-member electorate in 1912, except for one term after the 1974 landslide when it was won for the Liberals by Harold Lowes. Former ALP state secretary Peter Beattie became member in 1989, going on to become party leader in February 1996 and Premier after the election of June 1998. Beattie's retirement announcement in September 2007 initiated a by-election on October 13, which was won without incident by Queensland Council of Unions general secretary Grace Grace (who acquired her double name through marriage, her maiden name of Grace Farfaglia bespeaking her Italian heritage). Grace's preselection was reportedly fast-tracked due to factional arrangements that effectively secured the seat for Unity (the “Old Guard”), a sub-faction of the Right distinct from the AWU-dominated Labor Forum.

PREDICTION: Labor retain