THE POLL BLUDGER
Western Australian Legislative Assembly Election 2008

JOONDALUP Labor 4.4%
Upper house region: North Metropolitan Federal division: Moore
	NATHAN CLIFFORD Family First MILLY ZUVELLA Liberal (bottom) MARGARET LAUNDY Christian Democratic Party ANIBETH DESIERTO Greens TONY O'GORMAN Labor (top)

Joondalup began to develop as an outer metropolitan centre in the 1970s, and an electorate was created to accommodate it in 1983. It was absorbed by the new seat of Wanneroo from 1989, then detached from it in 1996 as the region continued to experience rapid growth. The electorate has been substantially redrawn by the one-vote one-value redistribution, losing its coastal area of Mullaloo and Kallaroo to the new seat of Ocean Reef while gaining Edgewater from Kingsley and part of Currambine from Mindarie. These changes have boosted the Labor margin from 3.3 per cent to 4.4 per cent.

The first incarnation of Joondalup was held for Labor from its creation in 1983 by Jackie Watkins, who then carried over to Wanneroo where she was defeated by Liberal candidate Wayde Smith in 1993. When recreated at the 1996 election Joondalup was won for the Liberals by Chris Baker, who like many of his local colleagues was defeated in 2001 when One Nation directed preferences against most sitting members, contributing to a 6.3 per cent swing. The seat has since been held for Labor by Tony O'Gorman, a member of the Amalgamated Metal Workers Union sub-faction of the Left. O'Gorman was re-elected in 2005 with a 6.0 per cent increase on the primary vote, although this only converted into a 0.2 per cent two-party swing due to a less favourable preference flow. He has so far failed to win promotion, not counting committee work and an acting Speaker's position.

The Liberal candidate is Milly Zuvella, who has an extremely low media profile despite a stint on Wanneroo City Council a decade ago and a tilt at a Senate seat ahead of last year's federal election.

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain