THE POLL BLUDGER
Victorian Legislative Assembly Election 2006

MALVERN
Liberal 10.2%

The Liberal Party's safest remaining seat is located in Melbourne's inner south-eastern suburbs, from Toorak east to Malvern East with Gardiners Creek as the northern boundary. It has been held by the Liberals at all time since its creation in 1945. Robert Doyle became member at the 1992 election after a preselection win over sitting member Geoff Leigh, who found refugee in the marginal seat of Mordialloc where he was eventually defeated in 2002. When Doyle announced he would not be contesting the election after resigning as leader in May, his colleagues in the Costello-Kroger camp threw their weight behind Michael O'Brien (right), barrister and former adviser to Costello. Elements in the Kennett/Baillieu camp sought to counter this by backing local banker Jane Hume, but O'Brien won with 44 votes out of 54 amid familiar complaints of intimidation and stacking of the preselection panel.

ASSESSMENT: Liberal retain