THE POLL BLUDGER
Victorian Legislative Assembly Election 2006

NARRE WARREN NORTH
Labor 9.7%

Narre Warren North is located in Melbourne's south-eastern outskirts, from the suburb that bears its name west to Endeavour Hills. It was created at the 2002 election upon the abolition of Berwick, which had been held by the Liberals from its creation in 1976. Berwick MP and Liberal Shadow Treasurer Robert Dean had intended to contest the neighbouring seat of Gembrook, but the plan came memorably undone when he was removed from the electoral roll because he no longer lived at his registered address, leaving him ineligible to stand. It was suggested that local anger that Dean was enrolled in Berwick while living in Hawthorn contributed to the remarkable 15.8 per cent swing in Narre Warren North, which contained most of the voters in the old seat of Berwick. The defeated Liberal candidate was Maree Luckins, who had previously been the member for the upper house province of Waverley and sought refuge here following unfavourable boundary changes. The victor was Luke Donnellan (left), real estate agent and member of the Labor Unity ("Right") faction. This time the Liberals have nominated Mick Morland (right), Casey councillor and former mayor. The capital punishment debate was reignited in March when police investigated claims Morland had taken drinks from a fridge in the councillors' meeting room; Morland went so far as to claim that "the only reason it's been thrown at me is I'm standing for Parliament".

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain