LIB 0.8%
Incumbent MP
Rita Saffioti (ALP), since 2008.
Geography
North-eastern fringe of Perth. West Swan covers southwestern parts of Swan local government area and southeastern parts of Wanneroo local government area, including Ballajura, Malaga, Bennett Springs, Middle Swan, Neerabup and Wangara, and parts of Caversham.
Redistribution
West Swan lost parts of Caversham south of the Reid Highway to Midland, and lost Ellenbrook to Swan Hills, and in exchange gained Middle Swan from Swan Hills and parts of the Wanneroo council area from the seat of Wanneroo. These changes flipped West Swan from a 1.9% margin for Labor to a 0.8% margin for the Liberal Party.
History
West Swan is a new seat created at the 2008 redistribution. The seat largely replaced the former seat of Ballajura, along with parts of other seats.
Ballajura had been held by the Liberal Party’s Rhonda Parker for one term from 1996 to 2001. John D’Orazio won the seat for the ALP in 2001, and was re-elected in 2005. D’Orazio left the ALP in 2006, and ran unsuccessfully for the neighbouring seat of Morley in 2008.
In 2008, West Swan was won by Rita Saffioti, then chief of staff to Premier Alan Carpenter. The notional margin of 10.6% was cut to 4.4%.
Saffioti was re-elected in 2013, with her margin cut further to 1.9%.
Candidates
- James Lawrence (Julie Matheson for WA)
- Beth Mcmullan (Greens)
- Isaac Moran (Australian Christians)
- Rod Henderson (Liberal)
- Rita Saffioti (Labor)
- Trevor Ruwoldt (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers)
Assessment
West Swan is a very marginal seat, and could well be won by either major party. A likely swing towards Labor makes Saffioti the favourite.
2013 result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Redist |
| Rita Saffioti | Labor | 10,617 | 48.0 | +2.5 | 44.3 |
| Natasha Cheung | Liberal | 9,900 | 44.7 | +6.6 | 47.0 |
| Peter Leam | Greens | 1,059 | 4.8 | -4.5 | 5.8 |
| Esther Wieske | Australian Christians | 557 | 2.5 | -1.5 | 2.5 |
| Family First | 0.4 | ||||
| Informal | 1,622 | 6.8 |
2013 two-party-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing | Redist |
| Rita Saffioti | Labor | 11,487 | 51.9 | -2.2 | 49.2 |
| Natasha Cheung | Liberal | 10,644 | 48.1 | +2.2 | 50.8 |
Booth breakdown
Booths have been divided into three parts. There are a cluster of booths in the most suburban part of the seat in the centre, which makes up a majority of election-day ordinary votes. There are then a series of booths in the eastern end of the seat, and a string of booths at the western edge of the seat.
The Liberal Party won a majority of the two-party-preferred vote in the east and west, as well as in the special votes, but Labor won over 54% in the heavily-populated centre of the seat.
| Voter group | LIB 2PP % | Total votes | % of votes |
| Central | 45.8 | 8,729 | 45.8 |
| East | 54.7 | 3,456 | 18.1 |
| West | 57.4 | 2,779 | 14.6 |
| Pre-poll | 54.1 | 931 | 4.9 |
| Other votes | 53.3 | 3,176 | 16.7 |
Two-party-preferred votes in West Swan at the 2013 WA state election
I know redistributions always involve compromises, but these boundaries are ghastly.
Expect large swings to Labor in outer suburban Perth, not that it means much in this seat which it already holds.