SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ELECTION 2010

REYNELL Labor 17.3%
Region: Outer Southern Suburbs Federal division: Kingston
	SHANE HOWARD Liberal (bottom) LISA ADAMS Greens GAY THOMPSON Labor (top) GEOFF DOECKE Family First
Electoral District Boundaries Commission map

Reynell is centred on Morphett Vale deep in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, also covering the coast at the Port Stanvac industrial area and O'Sullivan Beach to the south. The coastal area has been gained in the redistribution from Bright, with O'Sullivan Beach adding 1997 new voters. This transfer was partly prompted by the need to reduce Labor's margin in Bright to achieve the electoral fairness requirement. There has been a countervailing loss of around 3130 voters at Reynella in the north-east, who go to Mitchell. The changes have been generally neutral in their electoral impact, increasing Labor's margin by 0.4 per cent.

Reynell has been a comfortable seat for Labor outside of the 1993 election, at which it was created, when Labor failed to win a seat south of the Torrens. The defeated Labor candidate on that occasion was Arnold government Education Minister Susan Lenehan, who had come seeking refuge from certain defeat in Mawson. Liberal member Julie Greig was tipped out after one-term by a 6.2 per cent swing to Labor candidate Gay Thompson, the state secretary of the Public Sector Union. Thompson has strongly consolidated her position over consecutive elections, picking up swings of 5.1 per cent in 2002 (when Greig again stood for the Liberals) and 11.6 per cent in 2006. She has gone untroubled by ministerial promotion, but was made Deputy Speaker and chairman of committees after the 2006 election.

PREDICTION: Labor retain