THE POLL BLUDGER
Victorian Legislative Assembly Election 2006

FOOTSCRAY
Labor 24.9%

Footscray is bounded to the east by the Maribyrnong River and extends west through Maribyrnong and Footscray to Sunshine. Except for a period between 1904 and 1927, it has existed continuously since 1877 and has been in Labor hands since its re-creation. Bruce Mildenhall is retiring at the coming election after 14 years as member, making way for Marsha Thomson (right) to move down from the lower house. Both are members of the Right faction. There was earlier speculation the seat might be used to accommodate Fiona Richardson or Evan Thornley, who have respectively been found places in Northcote and the Southern Metropolitan upper house region. Marsha Thomson worked in various government and electorate office jobs before entering politics, spending the 1990s in the employment of Right faction chieftains Robert Ray and Stephen Conroy. She was elected to the safe Labor upper house province of Melbourne North in 1999 and moved straight to the front bench in the consumer affairs and small business portfolios. Thomson agreed to relinquish the former portfolio in February 2002 so Christine Campbell could remain in cabinet after her demotion from community services over the Berry Street chroming affair, and was compensated with information and technology. She returned to consumer affairs in the January 2005 reshuffle, in which her small business portfolio went to Andre Haermeyer following his demotion from Police Minister.

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain