IND 16.8% vs LNP
Incumbent MP
Chris Foley, since 2003.
Geography
Central Queensland. Maryborough covers most of Fraser Coast Regional Council, as well as a small part of Gympie LGA. A majority of the population lives in the Maryborough urban area.
History
The seat of Maryborough has existed continuously since 1865. The seat was dominated by the ALP for most of the twentieth century but has been dominated by independents since 1998.
The ALP had held Maryborough continuously from 1932 until 1971, when the seat was lost to the Liberal Party’s Gilbert Alison.
Alison held the seat until his defeat in 1977 by the ALP’s Brendan Hanson.
Hansen served two terms before losing to Alison, who was now running in 1983 as a National Party candidate.
Alison held the seat for two more terms, serving briefly as a minister in the Cooper government in late 1989 before losing his seat in 1989.
The seat was held from 1989 to 1998 by the ALP’s Bob Dollin.
Dollin lost in 1998 to One Nation’s John Kingston. Kingston quit One Nation in 1999 but managed to win re-election in 2001 as an independent. He retired in 2003 citing poor health.
The 2003 Maryborough by-election was won by another independent candidate, Chris Foley. Foley was re-elected in 2006 and 2009.
Candidates
No information on whether sitting independent MP Chris Foley is running for re-election. The LNP is running Anne Maddern. Katter’s Australian Party is running Gordon Dale.
- Ezra Burtt (Labor)
- Gordon Dale (Katter’s Australian Party)
- Anne Maddern (Liberal National)
- Chris Foley (Independent)
- Garry Claridge (Greens)
Political situation
Foley holds Maryborough by a substantial margin against the LNP. While a resurgent LNP should be able to cut this margin, Foley should be able to hold on if he runs for a sixth term.
2009 result
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
Chris Foley | IND | 14,119 | 47.7 | -17.7 |
Anne Maddern | LNP | 7,633 | 25.8 | +13.6 |
Brad Hansen | ALP | 6,744 | 22.8 | +6.3 |
David Arthur | GRN | 1,120 | 3.8 | -1.7 |
2009 two-candidate-preferred result
Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
Chris Foley | IND | 16,586 | 66.8 | -13.6 |
Anne Maddern | LNP | 8,232 | 33.2 | +13.6 |
Booth breakdown
Booths in Maryborough have been divided into three areas. Booths in the Maryborough urban area have been grouped together, and those booths to the north and south of Maryborough have also been grouped.
Chris Foley topped the poll in all three areas, with his primary vote varying from 52.6% in Maryborough to 39.4% in the north.
The LNP vote varied from 22% in Maryborough to 33% in the south. The ALP vote varied from 21% in the south to 27% in the north.
Voter group | IND % | LNP % | ALP % | Total votes | % of votes |
Maryborough | 52.6 | 22.1 | 22.3 | 14,318 | 48.3 |
North | 39.4 | 29.4 | 27.1 | 4,852 | 16.4 |
South | 40.4 | 33.4 | 21.1 | 3,528 | 11.9 |
Other votes | 47.0 | 26.9 | 21.7 | 6,918 | 23.4 |
Here’s a bit of a blast from the past… CAP, the Confederate Action Party. They were a far-right party in the early 90’s, part of which went on to form One Nation. They only ran in the 1992 election and didn’t run in too many seats, but they had an OK result without quite breaking through (with the notable exception of Mt Isa). Their best result was 17% in Maryborough, then held by Labor.
Bundaberg – 8.1%
Burnett – 9.3%
Gympie – 13.5%
Lockyer – 11.9%
Mackay – 14.2%
Maroochydore – 7.5%
Maryborough – 17.0%
Mirani – 14.2%
Mooloolah – 7.7%
Mt Isa – 3.2%
Murrumba – 7.1%
Western Downs – 11.8%
My prediction: Foley will probably win again, barring a serious anti-independent tide
Prediciton: Foley will win.