QUEENSLAND ELECTION 2009

BURNETT Nationals 7.4%
Region: Central Coast Federal divisions: Hinkler/Flynn
	PETER WYATT Independent CHRIS PIANTA Labor (bottom) ROBERT BROMWICH Independent ROB MESSENGER Liberal National (top) BERNIE WILLIAMS Greens

The central coast electorate of Burnett surrounds but does not include Bundaberg, from which it extends southwards to Childers and northwards along the coast to Agnes Water and Turkey Beach. It has not been significantly affected by the redistribution. Burnett was one of the 16 original electorates proclaimed upon Queensland's establishment in 1859, although it was abolished in 1931 and re-created in 1960. Two National/Country members held the seat from 1960 to 2001, when Labor's Trevor Strong did very well to unseat incumbent Doug Slack in a two-horse race by 1.7 per cent. One Nation came within 2.3 per cent of victory in 1998 from 36.4 per cent of the primary vote, but were thwarted by the flow of Labor preferences to the Nationals. The seat returned to the Nationals fold in 2004 after a 4.3 per cent correction in another two-horse race.

Rob Messenger was well known locally before his election victory as an ABC Radio presenter, and has enjoyed an even higher profile since. He was assigned the role of Shadow Education and Arts Minister immediately after his election, moving to environment when the Coalition agreement was reached in September 2005. The previous March, Messenger tabled in parliament the letter from Bundaberg Hospital nurse Toni Hoffman that blew the lid off the Doctor Death scandal, and was at first criticised for doing so by Health Minister Gordon Nuttall, Bundaberg MP Nita Cunningham and Australian Medical Association of Queensland president David Molloy. During the 2006 campaign he heckled Peter Beattie at a press conference to announce an upgrade to the hospital, yelling: “you stand in a hospital where you have blood on your hands”.

Messenger moved to the police and corrective services portfolios after the election, from which he was contentiously demoted to tourism, regional development, small business, industry and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander partnerships when Lawrence Springborg took over the Nationals leadership from Jeff Seeney in January 2008. The Liberal National Party merger in August 2008 further reduced his workload to tourism and small business.

PREDICTION: Liberal National retain