QUEENSLAND ELECTION 2009

BULIMBA Labor 16.1%
Region: Inner Eastern Brisbane Federal divisions: Griffith/Bonner Outgoing Member: Pat Purcell (Labor)
	DI FARMER Labor (top) ANGELA WRIGHT DS4SEQ ANGELA DEAN Greens PAUL WALKER Liberal National (bottom)

Bulimba covers inner eastern Brisbane on the south bank of the river, from Galloways Hill through Bulimba to Doboy and south through Morningside to Cannon Hill. The redistribution has added 1400 voters at Camp Hill from Greenslopes in the south. The electorate has had an uninterrupted existence going back to 1873, having originally occupied most of south-eastern Brisbane. Barring two brief interruptions involving sitting members leaving the party, the seat has been held by Labor since 1932. Pat Purcell is retiring at the coming election after being member since 1992. He was considered likely to be disendorsed in any case after facing charges in mid-2007 for assault against two public servants (later withdrawn following mediation), prompting his resignation as Emergency Services Minister. Labor has nominated Di Farmer, a speech pathologist and party activist whose prior claim to fame was a preselection stoush with party chieftain Mike Kaiser to succeed the disgraced Bill D'Arcy in Woodridge way back in 2000. Farmer reportedly claimed support from Kevin Rudd and Pat Purcell, to whom she paid tribute in a letter to the South East Advertiser in January 2009.

PREDICTION: Labor retain