Everton – Queensland 2012

ALP 1.4%

Incumbent MP
Murray Watt, since 2009.

Geography
Northern fringe of Brisbane. The seat straddles the border between the City of Brisbane and Moreton Bay Regional Council. A majority of the population lives in the City of Brisbane at the southern end of the seat, with a smaller number living in a larger geographic area in Moreton Bay LGA. The seat covers the suburbs of Oxford Park, Everton Hills, Albany Hill and parts of Mitchelton, Keperra and Arana Hills.

History
Everton has existed since the 1972 election. The ALP has won the seat at all but one election.

Gerry Jones won the seat for the ALP at the  1972 election. He lost the seat in a massive landslide to Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s National-Liberal government in 1974. Jones went on to serve in the Senate from 1980 to 1996.

In 1974 the seat was won by the Liberal Party’s Brian Lindsay. He served for one term before losing in 1977 to the Labor Party’s Glen Milliner.

Milliner held the seat from 1977 to 1992. Milliner became a minister in the Goss Labor government in 1989. In 1992 he moved to the new seat of Ferny Grove, and was succeeded by Rod Selford in Everton.

Selford had been first elected in the seat of Stafford in 1989 before moving to Everton in 1992. Welford joined the ministry when Peter Beattie became Premier in 1998. He served as a minister for eleven years, until he retired in 2009.

Welford was succeeded in 2009 by Murray Watt, who had previously served as Chief of Staff to Anna Bligh.

Candidates
Sitting Labor MP Murray Watt is running for re-election. The LNP is running Tim Mander, a former NRL referee and CEO of Scripture Union Queensland.

Political situation
Despite a solid history of Labor representation, Everton is the second-most marginal Labor seat in Queensland and would be in serious danger of falling if there is any substantial swing to the LNP.

2009 result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Murray Watt ALP 12,304 44.4 -8.4
Troy Knox LNP 12,229 44.1 +11.0
Bruce Hallett GRN 2,513 9.1 +1.1
Anthony Vella DSQ 674 2.4 +2.4

2009 two-candidate-preferred result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Murray Watt ALP 13,605 51.4 -9.2
Troy Knox LNP 12,870 48.6 +9.2

Booth breakdown
Booths in Everton have been divided into three areas. Those booths at the southern end of the seat in the City of Brisbane have been divided into Everton Park and Mitchelton, with those booths at the northern end of the seat grouped as Albany Creek. A majority of ordinary votes were cast in Albany Creek.

The ALP vote peaked at 49.2% in Mitchelton and the LNP vote peaked at 46.6% in Albany Creek.

Polling booths in Everton at the 2009 state election. Albany Creek in blue, Everton Creek in green, Mitchelton in orange.
Voter group ALP % LNP % GRN % Total votes % of votes
Albany Creek 43.5 46.6 7.0 11,611 41.9
Everton Park 44.1 44.3 9.5 6,215 22.4
Mitchelton 49.2 35.8 13.1 3,917 14.1
Other votes 43.3 44.5 10.0 5,977 21.6
Labor primary votes in Everton at the 2009 state election.
Liberal National primary votes in Everton at the 2009 state election.
Greens primary votes in Everton at the 2009 state election.

7 COMMENTS

  2. MURRAY WHAT??? Which street, his own? He is gone, goodnight sunshine. More inaction for his electorate. good riddance. You should run for council next time around and maintain the trend for lack of representation in your ward.

    LnP – the old football referee Tim Mander and his band of LIBERALS are coming to town unfortunately.

    Why can’t we get true local representation by someone for a minor party? That question is not an oxymoron.

  5. Well we have the chance to vote for a wise long standing politician who is willing to give us a real choice for real change jump on board with the Australian Party. Don’t shy away from youth,we have educated our future well and now is the time to allow them to put their zest and passion to good use….

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