Mount Isa – Queensland 2012

ALP 5.7%

Incumbent MP
Betty Kiernan, since 2006.

Geography
North-Western Queensland. The seat of Mount Isa covers the city of Mount Isa and a large mass of northwestern Queensland, covering the entire border with the Northern Territory and stretching as far south as the South Australian border. The seat covers the local government areas of Boulia, Burke, Cloncurry, Croydon, Diamantina, Doomadgee, Etheridge, Flinders, McKinlay, Mornington, Mount Isa, Richmond and Winton, and parts of Carpentaria.

History
The seat of Mount Isa has existed since 1972. It has been predominantly won by the Labor Party.

Alex Inch won the seat for the ALP in 1972. He lost in 1974 to Country Party candidate Angelo Bertini. He held the seat until 1983, when he was defeated by Labor candidate Bill Price. Price himself was defeated in 1986 by Liberal candidate Peter Beard. Beard held the seat for one term, losing in 1989.

The ALP’s Tony McGrady won the seat in 1989. He held the seat throughout the 1990s, and became a minister in 1998. He became Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 2005, and retired in 2006.

Mount Isa has been held by the ALP’s Betty Kiernan since the 2006 election.

Candidates
Sitting Labor MP Betty Kiernan is running for re-election. The LNP is running Mick Pattel. Katter’s Australian Party is running Mount Isa councillor Rob Katter, son of party leader and local federal MP Bob Katter.

Political situation
Mount Isa is held by a 5.7% margin for the ALP, which would normally be considered winnable by the Liberal National Party. However Mount Isa is the heart of Bob Katter’s federal electorate of Kennedy, and Katter’s son is standing in the seat. If Katter’s party performs strongly then the younger Katter would be a strong contender for the seat.

2009 result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Betty Kiernan ALP 7,186 44.5 -9.1
Ted Randall LNP 4,768 29.5 -6.9
Keith Douglas IND 3,590 22.2 +22.2
Paul Costin GRN 406 2.5 +2.5
Roy Collins IND 216 1.3 +1.3

2009 two-candidate-preferred result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Betty Kiernan ALP 8,092 55.7 -2.8
Ted Randall LNP 6,430 44.3 +2.8

Booth breakdown
Booths in Mount Isa have been divided into three areas. Booths in the urban Mount Isa area have been grouped together, with the remainder of booths divided into north and south.

The ALP won a majority of the vote in Mount Isa, where independent Keith Douglas came second with 26.7%. In the south and north the ALP also polled more than the LNP, but less than a majority.

Polling booths in Mount Isa at the 2009 state election. Mount Isa in green, North in orange, South in blue.

 

Voter group ALP % LNP % IND % Total votes % of votes
Mount Isa 51.0 19.2 26.7 7,256 44.9
South 38.9 31.7 27.2 2,773 17.2
North 47.6 29.4 18.0 1,795 11.1
Other votes 35.8 45.3 13.2 4,342 26.9
Labor primary votes in Mount Isa at the 2009 state election.
Liberal National primary votes in Mount Isa at the 2009 state election.
Primary votes for independent candidate Keith Douglas in Mount Isa at the 2009 state election.
Labor primary votes in the Mount Isa area at the 2009 state election.
Liberal National primary votes in the Mount Isa area at the 2009 state election.
Primary votes for independent candidate Keith Douglas in the Mount Isa area at the 2009 state election.

9 COMMENTS

  4. Mick Patell seems like a genuine guy that wants to and can get the job done for the people of Mount Isa. This will be a tough fight however. If the Queensland Party’s founder, Mclindon, abandons the LNP, then abandons the party he created what does this say about the people that he was wooed by to join up into his 3rd party. Patell’s main opposition will obviously be KAP and following through with my previous comments, they will poach people from anywhere, and usually people without conciense or will, who fall in line behind the carrot. I think the KAP are just targeting seats that will get them 4% of the primary to gain some $$$$ so as they can fund a federal campaign next year to target a few far north QLD seats. Clever politics, but where is it good for the people of QLD in a state election.

  5. @James Cooper
    “Mick Patell seems like a genuine guy that wants to and can get the job done for the people of Mount Isa”

    Clearly not a LNP stooge ah?

  8. The LNP and the journalists are clearly playing down KAP. They clearly misdirected South Townsville (Mundignburra) as an LNP victory and the ALP, LNP and KAP are now neck and neck on exit polls. Rob Katter will win here in Mt Isa. The Urbanites do not want to face a determined effort from the Bush to reform what is in effect is a Qld Country Party under Katter. I wish them well. There will be a lot of surprises by 6 PM.

Comments are closed.