THE POLL BLUDGER
Victorian Legislative Assembly Election 2006

SEYMOUR
Labor 9.5%

The town of Seymour is located at the northern end of an electorate that extends through Yea and Wallan to Kinglake, 60 kilometres to the south. Typically of a marginal rural electorate, Labor performs most strongly in the larger booths in the towns (Seymour, Healesville and Kilmore) and poorly in the many small rural booths. Seymour was won easily by the Liberals on its creation at the 1992 election, but the electorate did not take kindly to the Kennett government: a 6.8 per cent swing brought the seat on to Labor's radar in 1996, and another 4.9 per cent shift in 1999 gave Labor a 0.7 per cent win over Liberal incumbent Di Rule. The winning candidate was Ben Hardman (left), a former school principal aligned with the Labor Unity (Right) faction. The redistribution ahead of the 2002 election eliminated Hardman's existing margin, but he did unusually well for a rural electorate to pick up a 9.4 per cent swing. The Liberals have again nominated their candidate from 2002, former Murrindindi shire mayor Mike Dalmau (right).

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain