The Poll Bludger - Australian State and Federal Elections

BLACKWOOD-STIRLING Liberal 19.3%
Previously named Warren-Blackwood Upper house region: South West Federal divisions: Forrest/O'Connor
	TERRY REDMAN Nationals (bottom) LUKE PETERSEN Greens RAYMOND PHILLIPS Labor KEITH SMITH Independent STEPHEN CARSON Family First GRAHAM LAWN Christian Democratic Party WADE DE CAMPO Liberal (top)

The one-vote one-value redistribution has created two seats along the southern coast where previously there were three. In the west, Blackwood-Stirling takes 52 per cent of its voters from outgoing former Liberal leader Paul Omodei's seat of Warren-Blackwood, and 37 per cent from its abolished eastern neighbour Stirling, along with Boyup Brook and eastern Bridgetown-Greenbushes from Wagin. The remainder of Stirling, which falls within the area of the City of Albany municipality, has been absorbed by Albany. Stirling had existed without interruption since 1950, being held throughout by various incarnations of the National/Country Party. Warren was created at the same time and was held by Labor until 1989, owing to the party's strength in the timber towns of Pemberton and Manjimup. That strength permanently evaporated at the 1989 election, when Paul Omodei seized the seat with a 10.8 per cent margin on the retirement of Labor veteran Hywel David Evans. The name of the electorate was changed to Warren-Blackwood in 1996, reflecting its absorption of Augusta and its surrounds.

The effective merger of Warren-Blackwood and Stirling at first appeared to put then-Opposition Leader Paul Omodei on a collision course with the Nationals member for the latter, Terry Redman. Omodei evidently didn't like his chances, as he instead nominated for a South West upper house berth after his loss of the party leadership in January 2008 precluded the need to remain in the lower house. This did not endear him to local party figures such as Forrest division president Craig Carbone, who said the move “could be seen and perceived to be just Paul feathering his own nest”. When the initial local ballot was held in February, Omodei proved unable to dislodge incumbents Robyn McSweeney, Nigel Hallet and Barry House from the three winnable positions. He at first succeeded in having the result overturned by the party’s appeals committee, which ruled that eligible delegates from the Brand division had not been invited to the meeting, but his victory was itself overturned by the state council conference in early May. Omodei reacted by declaring Troy Buswell “unfit to lead” and vowing to quit the party, coming good on the threat a month later.

The departure of Omodei and the problems facing the Liberals more generally have dramatically improved the position of Terry Redman, who came to parliament in 2005 when Monty House retired after 16 years as member. Redman retained Stirling in less than impressive style, polling only 21.7 per cent of the primary vote in the face of competition from Liberal candidate Ron Scott on 26.4 per cent and thwarted Nationals preselection hopeful Vicki Brown on 15.1 per cent. Distribution of preferences nonetheless gave Redman a 7.0 per cent win over Scott (who later won fame for making public Troy Buswell's bra-snapping indiscretion on the eve of his ascension to the leadership), and he has since been designated his party's agriculture spokesman. The Liberals have nominated Manjimup Shire president Wade de Campo, who won a preselection vote against Margaret River Shire vice-president Ray Colyer. Jessica Strutt of The West Australian reported de Campo had also urged members of the media to investigate the bra-snapping incident.

ASSESSMENT: NATIONALS GAIN