THE POLL BLUDGER
Western Australian Legislative Assembly Election 2008

CENTRAL WHEATBELT Nationals 26.0%
Replaces abolished electorate of Merredin Upper house region: Agricultural Federal division: O'Connor/Pearce/Kalgoorlie
	ROSS PATTERSON Christian Democratic Party YVONNE DOLS Greens STEPHEN STRANGE Liberal (bottom) GERRY STURMAN Labor BRENDON GRYLLS Nationals (top) JUDY SUDHOLZ Citizens Electoral Council

Central Wheatbelt combines the abolished Nationals seats of Merredin and Avon, taking 79 per cent of the voters previously in the former and 73 per cent in the latter. The boundaries commissioners originally proposed that it maintain the name of Merredin, but ultimately agreed to accept a variation on the Nationals' proposal that it instead take the name Wheatbelt. The redrawn electorate runs from the Avon Valley towns of Northam and York 90 kilometres east of Perth extending east along the Great Eastern Highway to Merredin, and out to farming areas and rural communities as far north as the Shire of Mount Marshall. Merredin was safely held for the Nationals from its creation in 1977 by party leaders Hendy Cowan and Brendon Grylls, although the predecessor seat of Merredin-Yilgarn was usually held by Labor before Cowan won it in 1974. Avon was almost invariably held by the Nationals and precursor parties from its creation in 1911 until it merged with Northam at the 1974 election, when it was won by Labor's Northam MP Ken McIver. Max Trenorden defeated McIver in 1986, and safely held the seat thereafter.

The clash between Brendon Grylls and Max Trenorden to carry over from their existing electorates to Central Wheatbelt was inevitably coloured by Trenorden's replacement by Grylls as leader in June 2005. Robert Taylor of The West Australian reported that Trendorden was “known to be concerned that Mr Grylls will push the party towards amalgamation with the Liberals”, and quoted him saying: “If I hadn't decided to resign, the vote would have been three-three or four-two against me, either way the position of the leader would be untenable”. Trenorden showed no inclination to make life easy for his party by choosing to retire, and threatened to run as an independent if denied preselection. The party took his threat seriously enough that it initially appeared Grylls would either challenge a sitting Liberal in another seat, or seek a berth in the upper house. The situation was ultimately resolved in December 2007 when Trenorden agreed to take the Agricultural region upper house seat being vacated by the retiring Murray Criddle.

The Liberals have nominated Stephen Strange, shire president of Bruce Rock.

ASSESSMENT: Nationals retain