THE POLL BLUDGER
Victorian Legislative Assembly Election 2006

BENDIGO EAST
Labor 13.0%

Since the division of Bendigo into Bendigo East and Bendigo West at the 1985 election, the former electorate has proved slightly more conservative than the latter, due to the more rural nature of its territory beyond the city. Where Bendigo West only strayed from the Labor fold for one term after 1992, Bendigo East stayed Liberal until the 1999 rural backlash against the Kennett government, which resulted in an 8.1 per cent swing to Labor and a seat in parliament for Jacinta Allan (left). A member of the Socialist Left faction, Allan worked for front-bench Altona MP Lynne Kosky before her election to parliament one day before her twenty-sixth birthday, which made her the youngest woman ever elected to Victorian parliament. She further enhanced her reputation as a rising star with a 10.0 per cent swing at the 2002 election (substantially above the average for a non-Melbourne electorate) and a promotion to Education Services, Employment and Youth Affairs Minister that made her the youngest minister in the state's history. Liberal candidate Kevin Gibbins (right) was the party's unsuccessful candidate for Bendigo at the 2004 federal election. There were earlier reports Bendigo mayor Greg Williams was considering nominating, but in the event Gibbins was unopposed.

On October 16, the government unveiled the $260 million "Goldfields Superpipe" proposal to pump 38 gigalitres from the Goulburn River to Bendigo and Ballarat, which have been hit by severe restrictions during the current dry spell. Liberal water spokesman Denis Napthine slammed the inclusion of Ballarat in the project, declaring: "People in the Goulburn Valley and the Goulburn irrigation system are absolutely ropeable about the Bracks government moving into their irrigation district and stealing their water for Ballarat".

Early in the second week of the campaign, AAPT announced it would close its Bendigo call centre next year with the loss of 380 jobs, prompting a promise from Labor to "find another company" to replace it.

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain