Waite – SA 2014

LIB 12.1%

Incumbent MP
Martin Hamilton-Smith, since 1997.

Geography
Southern Adelaide. Waite covers the suburbs of Brown Hill Creek, Clapham, Hawthorn, Kingswood, Lower Mitcham, Lynton, Mitcham, Netherby, Pasadena, Springfield, St Marys, Torrens Park, Urrbrae, Westbourne Park as well as parts of Belair, Daw Park, Leawood Gardens and Panorama.

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

Redistribution
Changes were made to Waite’s western boundaries, losing north-western areas to Ashford and Elder, and gaining St Marys and Pasadena from Davenport and Elder. The Liberal margin was cut from 12.9% to 12.1%.

History
The electorate of Waite has existed since 1993, when it mostly replaced the abolished district of Mitcham.

Mitcham had existed since 1938. The seat was held by Robin Millhouse from 1955, originally from the Liberal and Country League. He left the LCL in 1973 to join the Liberal Movement, and eventually served as the first Democrats member of Parliament from 1977 to 1982.

The 1982 Mitcham by-election was won by the Democrats’ Heather Southcott, but she lost the seat later that year at the general election to the Liberal Party’s Stephen Baker.

Baker held Mitcham until 1993, and then the renamed seat of Waite at the 1993 election. Baker served as Treasurer and Deputy Premier in the Brown government from 1993 until 1996, when both Brown and Baker were deposed from the Liberal Party leadership. Baker announced his retirement in late 1996, stepping down at the 1997 state election.

Martin Hamilton-Smith has held Waite since 1997. Hamilton-Smith led the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2009, and briefly served as deputy leader in 2010.

Candidates
Sitting Liberal MP Martin Hamilton-Smith is running for re-election. The Greens are running Simon Hope. Family First is running Steve Edmonds. Dignity for Disability is running Cathi Tucker.

Assessment
Waite is a safe Liberal seat.

2010 result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Martin Hamilton-Smith LIB 12,166 56.1 +9.1
Adrian Tisato ALP 5,997 27.6 -6.0
Matt Wilson GRN 2,899 13.4 +2.8
John Vottari FF 631 2.9 -1.3

2010 two-party-preferred result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Martin Hamilton-Smith LIB 13,636 62.9 +8.8
Adrian Tisato ALP 8,057 37.1 -8.8
Polling places in Waite at the 2010 state election. Central in green, East in orange, South in blue. Click to enlarge.
Polling places in Waite at the 2010 state election. Central in green, East in orange, South in blue. Click to enlarge.

Booth breakdown
Booths have been divided into three parts: central, east and south.

The Liberal Party won a majority in all three areas, ranging from 55.5% in the south to 68.5% in the east.

The Greens came third, with a vote ranging from 11.8% in the east to 13.3% in the centre.

Voter group GRN % LIB 2PP % Total votes % of ordinary votes
South 13.00 55.48 7,922 40.53
Central 13.34 61.08 5,832 29.84
East 11.84 68.48 5,793 29.64
Other votes 13.85 63.94 4,564
Two-party-preferred votes in Waite at the 2010 state election.
Two-party-preferred votes in Waite at the 2010 state election.
Greens primary votes in Waite at the 2010 state election.
Greens primary votes in Waite at the 2010 state election.

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