Bateman – WA 2013

LIB 9.4%

Incumbent MP
Christian Porter, since 2008. Previously Member for Murdoch February-September 2008.

Geography
Inner-southern Perth. Bateman covers the suburbs of Bateman, Brentwood, Bull Creek, Murdoch, Myaree, Winthrop and parts of Booragoon, Kardinya and Mount Pleasant. Bateman entirely lies in southern parts of the City of Melville.

Redistribution
Bateman lost Rossmoyne to Riverton and gained parts from Alfred Cove and Jandakot. The Liberal margin was cut from 11.4% to 9.4%.

History
Bateman is a new district created in 2008, largely replacing the former district of Murdoch. Murdoch had existed from 1977 to 1989 and from 1996 to 2008, and was always won by the Liberal Party.

Murdoch was won in 2005 by Trevor Sprigg. He died in January 2008, triggering a by-election.

The 2008 by-election was easily won by Liberal candidate Christian Porter.

Porter was immediately appointed as Shadow Attorney-General. Murdoch was largely replaced by Bateman in 2008, and Porter was appointed Attorney-General in the newly elected Liberal government.

Porter became Treasurer in late 2010. In late 2012 he stepped down from the front bench to run for the federal seat of Pearce at the 2013 federal election. Pearce is a safe Liberal seat on the northern and eastern fringe of Perth.

Candidates

• Rebecca Leighton (Greens)
• Matt Taylor (Liberal)
• Rob Chasland (Labor)

Assessment
Bateman is a safe Liberal seat.

2008 result

2008 two-candidate-preferred result

Booth breakdown
Bateman has been divided into two halves: east and west.

The Liberal Party polled a majority of the primary vote in both halves – with a slightly larger margin in the east.