Giles – SA 2014

ALP 11.9%

Incumbent MP
Lyn Breuer, since 1997.

Geography
North-western parts of South Australia. Giles is a massive electorate, with most of the electorate’s population in the town of Whyalla in the south-eastern corner of the electorate, and then stretching out to the northwestern corner of the state, covering Coober Pedy, Roxby Downs and Woomera. The electorate also covers Flinders Ranges council area, at the eastern edge of the electorate.

Map of Giles' 2010 and 2014 boundaries. 2010 boundaries marked as red lines, 2014 boundaries marked as white area. Click to enlarge.
Map of Giles’ 2010 and 2014 boundaries. 2010 boundaries marked as red lines, 2014 boundaries marked as white area. Click to enlarge.

Redistribution
No substantial change. There were changes to the southern boundary of the electorate at the western end of the state, with no effect on the margin.

History
The electorate of Giles has existed since 1993, when it replaced the former electorate of Whyalla, which had existed since 1956. Both electorates were always held by the ALP.

Frank Blevins was the third Labor MP to represent Whyalla when he was elected in 1985. Blevins served as a minister, and rose to the position of Deputy Premier from 1992 to 1993. In 1993, he ran for the reconstituted seat of Giles.

Blevins retired in 1997, and Lyn Breuer won Giles, again for the ALP. Breuer won re-election in 2002, 2006 and 2010. She has served as Speaker of the House of Assembly since the 2010 election.

Candidates
Sitting Labor MP Lyn Breuer is not running for re-election. The ALP is running Eddie Hughes. The Liberal Party is running Bernadette Abraham. The Greens are running Alison Sentance. Family First are running Cheryl Kaminski.

Assessment
Giles is a safe Labor seat.

2010 result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Lyn Breuer ALP 9,943 52.6 -7.3
Chad Oldfield LIB 5,333 29.3 +1.0
Andrew Melville-Smith GRN 2,290 12.1 +7.6
Cheryl Kaminski FF 1,134 6.0 +0.1

2010 two-party-preferred result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Lyn Breuer ALP 11,696 61.9 -4.5
Chad Oldfield LIB 7,204 38.1 +4.5
Polling places in Giles. Outback in orange, South in green, Whyalla in yellow. Click to enlarge.
Polling places in Giles. Outback in orange, South in green, Whyalla in yellow. Click to enlarge.

Booth breakdown
Booths have been divided into four areas. Most of the electorate’s population lies in Whyalla, which has been divided into east and west.

Polling places outside Whyalla have been split between South and Outback.

The ALP won large majorities in Whyalla – 65.8% in the east and 74% in the west.

The Liberal Party won majorities outside Whyalla, with 51.7% in the outback and 69.5% in the south.

The Greens came third, with a vote ranging from 15.1% in Whyalla East, to 7.7% in South.

Voter group GRN % ALP 2PP % Total votes % of ordinary votes
Whyalla West 13.23 74.01 6,321 33.44
Whyalla East 15.14 65.76 4,267 22.58
Outback 9.65 48.28 2,156 11.41
South 7.70 30.55 1,519 8.04
Other votes 10.42 58.38 4,637
Two-party-preferred votes in Giles at the 2010 state election.
Two-party-preferred votes in Giles at the 2010 state election.
Greens primary votes in Giles at the 2010 state election.
Greens primary votes in Giles at the 2010 state election.
Two-party-preferred votes in Whyalla at the 2010 state election.
Two-party-preferred votes in Whyalla at the 2010 state election.
Greens primary votes in Whyalla at the 2010 state election.
Greens primary votes in Whyalla at the 2010 state election.

3 COMMENTS

  1. With the sitting member retiring, a below average swing in 2010, changing demographics, and improving performances by the Liberal Party federally, this is not quite a safe Labor seat and could surprise on the night.

  3. Retirement of Breuer may cost Labor some support but their candidate has been on local council for years which counts for something in a country town, question may be extent to which Breuer has a personal vote outside Whyalla. Would be much closer on federal figures.

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