THE POLL BLUDGER
Victorian Legislative Assembly Election 2006

NARRE WARREN SOUTH
Labor 12.6%

Located deep in Melbourne's outer south-eastern suburbs, Narre Warren South was created at the 2002 election to accommodate expanding suburban sprawl and the abolition of Berwick. The 1.5 per cent notional Liberal margin going into the election was blasted away by a 13.8 per cent swing that delivered the seat to Labor newcomer Dale Wilson, an electorate officer to Dandenong MP John Pandazopolous and member of the Socialist Left faction. Despite his strong electoral performance, Wilson was defeated for preselection in March 2006 by Judith Couacaud Graley (left), whose support from the party's central panel overcame the 53.5 per cent Wilson received in a local preselection ballot. Graley is a former Mornington shire councillor and electorate officer to Police Minister Tim Holding, sharing his power base in the Right faction National Union of Workers. Holding, who had recently been bruised by his support for NUW colleague Martin Pakula's unsuccessful attempt to unseat Simon Crean in the Hotham preselection, drew fire for his campaigning for Graley, which included using his chauffer-driven ministerial car while door-knocking on her behalf. The Liberal candidate is Michael Shepherdson (right), a Casey councillor and public relations consultant.

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain