THE POLL BLUDGER
Victorian Legislative Assembly Election 2006

LOWAN
Nationals 17.1%

At 35,540 square kilometres, Lowan is Victoria's geographically biggest electorate. It covers more than half of the border with South Australia, ending in the south just short of the coast, and includes the towns of Horsham, Hamilton, Nhill, Jeparit, Edenhope and Casterton. The seat has existed since 1889, except between 1945 and 1955 when it was replaced by Borung and between 1992 and 2002 when it was replaced by Wimmera. The Liberals and the National/Country Party have been fighting it out here since the former party emerged in the 1940s; it was last held by the Liberals from 1970 until 1979, when Bill McGrath defeated sitting member Jim McCabe. McGrath was succeeded as member for Wimmera in 1999 by Hugh Delahunty (right), brother of retiring Labor MP and Bracks government minister Mary Delahunty, who progressed to the recreated Lowan in 2002. In February it was reported that Labor was considering a bid to finish the struggling Nationals off by directing preferences to the Liberals ahead of them; if so, Delahunty would be somewhat better placed to hold on than some of his colleagues, having outpolled a Liberal candidate 42.0 per cent to 26.5 per cent in 2002.

ASSESSMENT: Nationals retain