THE POLL BLUDGER
Western Australian Legislative Assembly Election 2008

KALAMUNDA Liberal 0.2%
New electorate Upper house region: East Metropolitan Federal divisions: Hasluck/Pearce
	ROB MERRELLS Christian Democratic Party IAN HOPKINSON Family First JOHN DAY Liberal (top) JULIANA PLUMMER Labor (bottom) TONI WARDEN Greens

The newly created electorate of Kalamunda extends from the Darling Scarp suburb of that name northwards across the Helena Valley to Darlington (an area previously divided between Midland and Swan Hills), and south through an area of undeveloped escarpment to Maddington (previously in abolished Kenwick). Labor's overwhelming strength in the latter area makes a marginal seat from an area that has traditionally been represented by the Liberals. Although greatly smaller in area, Kalamunda is effectively the successor to Darling Range, being named after its major source of voters. Only 15 per cent of Darling Range voters have carried over to the newly drawn electorate of that name, the majority coming from abolished Serpentine-Jarrahdale. Darling Range was created at the 1962 election and renamed Kalamunda in 1974, with both electorates co-existing from the recreation of Darling Range in 1977 until the abolition of Kalamunda in 1989. Both Darling Range and Kalamunda were held by the Liberals throughout their respective histories, except when Ian Thompson quit the Liberal Party in 1990 to sit out most of his final term in Darling Range as an independent. John Day recovered the seat for the Liberals at the 1993 election, serving as Police Minister and later Health Minister in the Court government's second term.

Day nearly suffered a shock defeat at the 2001 election when strong performances by Frank Lindsey of Liberals for Forests (10.4 per cent) and One Nation (9.8 per cent) powered a 12.6 per cent two-party swing that cut the margin to just 0.3 per cent. Lindsey went on to successfully challenge Day for Liberal preselection ahead of the 2005 election, harnessing discontent among social conservatives over Day's pro-choice policy positions while Health Minister. However, the result was overturned by the party's state council, which Robert Taylor of The West Australian reported was arranged by the “Northern Alliance” faction (a Crikey correspondent further claimed Lindsey had fallen out with his erstwhile benefactors, Senators Chris Ellison and Ian Campbell). Day has remained on the front bench in opposition, currently holding the energy and water resources portfolios. He has supported leadership changes three times in the last term, backing Paul Omodei's move against Matt Birney in March 2006 and Buswell's move against Omodei in January 2008, before publicly calling for Buswell's replacement by an unwilling Colin Barnett (with whom he had traditionally been closely aligned) after the chair-sniffing scandal broke in late April.

Labor's candidate is Juliana Plummer, described by the Hills Gazette as “president of local organisation Youth Action Kalamunda”.

ASSESSMENT: Liberal retain