Warrego – Queensland 2012

LNP 24.3%

Incumbent MP
Howard Hobbs, since 1986.

Geography
South-Western Queensland. The seat covers the south-western corner of Queensland, bordering New South Wales and South Australia. Warrego covers Balonne, Bulloo, Murweh, Paroo, Roma and parts of Dalby and Toowoomba local government areas. The seat’s major centres include St George, Cunnamulla, Thargomindah, Chinchilla, Miles, Roma and Charleville.

History
The seat of Warrego has existed continuously since 1865. The seat was held by the ALP continuously from 1908 to 1974. The seat has been held by Country/National/Liberal National MPs since 1974.

Neil Turner won Warrego for the Country Party in 1974. He held the seat until 1986. He later returned to Parliament as Member for Nicklin from 1990 to 1998, when he lost to independent candidate Peter Wellington. He served as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 1998.

Howard Hobbs won Warrego for the National Party in 1986. He has been re-elected for a further eight terms since 1986.

Candidates
Sitting Liberal National MP Howard Hobbs is running for re-election. Murweh Shire Mayor Mark O’Brien is running as an independent. The ALP is running David Bowden.

Political situation
Warrego is a very safe LNP seat.

2009 result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Howard Hobbs LNP 13,805 59.8 -5.4
Elliott Thornton ALP 4,378 19.0 -5.1
Wally Gleeson IND 3,831 16.6 +16.6
Tony Kusters FF 548 2.4 -3.8
Kathryn Wildermuth GRN 411 1.8 +1.8
Allen Hassall IND 126 0.5 +0.5

2009 two-candidate-preferred result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Howard Hobbs LNP 14,884 74.3 +1.7
Elliott Thornton ALP 5,138 25.7 -1.7

Booth breakdown
Booths in Warrego have been divided into four areas. Booths in Balonne, Dalby and Roma local government areas have each been grouped together. Booths in Bulloo, Murweh and Paroo LGAs have been grouped together as ‘west’.

The LNP primary vote varied between 41% in the west and 64% in Roma. Independent candidate Wally Gleeson polled 11% in Roma and Balonne, but polled well over 20% in Dalby and the west. The ALP’s vote varied from 13% in Dalby to 33% in the west.

Polling booths in Warrego at the 2009 state election. Dalby in green, Roma in red, Balonne in yellow, West in blue.

 

Voter group LNP % ALP % IND % Total votes % of votes
Dalby 56.1 13.6 24.9 6,382 27.6
Roma 64.4 19.7 11.0 5,032 21.8
West 41.3 33.7 22.2 2,821 12.2
Balonne 59.3 25.6 11.0 1,806 7.8
Other votes 67.3 15.6 12.2 7,058 30.6
Liberal National primary votes in Warrego at the 2009 state election.
Labor primary votes in Warrego at the 2009 state election.
Primary votes for independent candidate Wally Gleeson in Warrego at the 2009 state election.

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