Electoral district of Mundingburra

Mundingburra Queensland—Legislative Assembly
Mundingburra (2008—)
State or territory:	Queensland
MP:	Lindy Nelson-Carr
Party:	Labor
Namesake:	Mundingburra

The district of Mundingburra is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.

Overview

The seat is one of four within the Townsville urban area in North Queensland. Significant utilities within the Mundingburra electorate are the Townsville Hospital, the Douglas Campus of James Cook University and Stockland Shoppingcentre. Suburbs of the Electorate include; Heatley, Cranbrook, Aitkenvale, Mundingburra, Vincent, Douglas, Annandale, Gulliver, Mysterton, Rosslea, part of Kirwan and Pimlico north of the Ross River.^[1][2]

Mundingburra Electorate is bordered by the Burdekin (South), Townsville (North and East) and Thuringowa (West) Electorates.^[3] With 28,145 voters, the Electorate has almost exactly the Queensland average^[4] however due to neighbouring Electorates being due for redistributions, the borders of the Mundingburra Electorate will probably change in the upcoming redistribution.^[5]

Mundingburra is currently a safe Labor Party seat, held by Hon Lindy Nelson-Carr MP, Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism.

1996 by-election

Main article: Mundingburra state by-election, 1996

The Mundingburra electoral district attracted national attention and headlines in early 1996 with a by-election called after the Court of Disputed Returns declared the result in the seat from July 1995 election void. The result had taken over a week to determine and ended up with the incumbent member, Ken Davies of the Labor Party, winning by 16 votes.^[6] This gave the Goss government a one-seat majority in Parliament - 45 seats to the Coalition's 43 and one conservative-leaning independent, Liz Cunningham. Davies was subsequently appointed as Minister for Emergency Services and Consumer Affairs.

The Liberals challenged the result in August and on 8 December, the court ordered a new election, partly on the basis that administrative difficulties had deprived several military personnel serving in Rwanda of their vote. It was generally understood that the fate of the Goss government likely rested on the result, and Goss himself was prominent in it, announcing amongst other things a A$1 billion Korean zinc smelter for Townsville and asking voters to end the uncertainty "bedevilling" the Queensland political system. An expected federal election in March 1996 where the unpopular Keating Government (also Labor) would face the voters was a key feature in the background.^[7]

Things became somewhat chaotic when Labor, on the basis of internal polling data and a legal case between Davies and the Commonwealth Bank, decided to dump Davies as its endorsed candidate, selecting Tony Mooney, the mayor of Townsville in his place. Davies reacted angrily, ultimately running as an independent and generating a considerable level of media publicity. A total of 12 candidates supporting a raft of causes ended up nominating by the draw of ballot papers on 12 January. On 25 January, Keating called the federal election for 2 March, which Goss described as an "outside distraction".^[7]

Contradictory polls generally suggested the Coalition would win, although a late poll by AGB McNair two days before polling day suggested Labor could still win. However, on the day, a swing of 2.83% to the Liberals saw their candidate Frank Tanti, a shop manager and committed Christian who had run a low-level doorknocking campaign for months, win the by-election. Within days, it became clear that Independent Liz Cunningham would support the Coalition, and the Goss government resigned, allowing Rob Borbidge to form a minority government which lasted until the 1998 election. At that election, Labor, under Peter Beattie, won back both Mundingburra and governing party status.^[7]

General History

The 1911 redistribution created the seat of Mundingburra encompassing parts of the former electorates of Herbert and Bowen. In 1949 the Electoral district was moved to Townsville and was subsequently abolished in a 1959 redistribution with most of the district becoming part of the new Townsville South Electorate. Mundingburra was re-created in the 1991 redistribution mostly in its current location.^[8]

Former teacher Lindy Nelson-Carr won the seat back for Labor in 1998 contributing towards Labor being able to form a Minority Government under Peter Beattie.^[1] Ms. Nelson-Carr was promoted in 2004 to Parliamentary Secretary for North Queensland, her portfolio was expanded in 2005 to include Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads.^[9]

The Electorate is now a safe Labor Party seat, with Mundingburra going against the State wide trend of a slight swing against Labor at the most recent election, Ms. Nelson-Carr's margin is now 10.54%. In September 2006 Ms. Nelson-Carr was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister for Environment and Multiculturalism.^[10]

Members for Mundingburra

First incarnation (1912–1960)
Member		Party	Term
	Thomas Foley	Labor	1912–1920
	John Dash	Labor	1920–1944
	Tom Aikens	North Queensland Labor	1944–1960
Second incarnation (1992–present)
Member		Party	Term
	Ken Davies	Labor	1992–1995
	Frank Tanti	Liberal	1996–1998
	Lindy Nelson-Carr	Labor	1998–present

Election results

Queensland state election, 2009: Mundingburra
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Lindy Nelson-Carr	12,625	48.4	-6.8
	Liberal National	Colin Dwyer	9,859	37.8	+2.7
	Greens	Jenny Brown	2,259	8.7	-0.5
	Family First	Amanda Nickson	925	3.5	+3.5
	Independent	Francis Pauler	415	1.6	+1.6
Total formal votes			26,083	97.4
Informal votes			652	2.6
Turnout			26,735	89.1
Two-candidate preferred result
	Labor	Lindy Nelson-Carr	13,636	56.6	-4.5
	Liberal National	Colin Dwyer	10,460	43.4	+4.5
	Labor hold		Swing	-4.5

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "ABC Electorate guide". http://www.abc.net.au/elections/qld/2006/guide/mund.htm. Retrieved 2006-12-16. 
2. ^ "Team Beattie Electorate guide". http://www.teambeattie.com/01_cms/details.asp?ID=101. Retrieved 2006-12-16. 
3. ^ "Electoral Commission of Queensland map of Electorate". http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/profiles/Mundingburra/Map.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-15. 
4. ^ "Electoral Commission of Queensland". http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/profiles/currentEnrolmentFigures.html. Retrieved 2006-12-15. 
5. ^ "The Australian, Premier announces electoral redistribution, 28 Nov 2006". http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20836410-29277,00.html. Retrieved 2006-12-15. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "Newman, Gerard, Queensland election 1995. Aust Parliamentary Library research note Number 28". http://www.aph.gov.au/LIBRARY/pubs/RN/1995-96/96rn28.pdf. Retrieved 2006-12-16. 
7. ^ ^{a b c} Wanna, John (December 1996). "Australian Political Chronicle: January–June 1996". Australian Journal of Politics and History 42 (3): 419–421. ISSN 0004-9522. 
8. ^ "REPRESENTATIVES OF QUEENSLAND STATE ELECTORATES 1860 - 2006". http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/historical/documents/electionsReferendums/electoratelist.pdf. Retrieved 2007-01-15. 
9. ^ "Media Statement - Double Duties For MPs As Beattie Team Stays Fresh 26/5/2005". http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=41000. Retrieved 2006-12-16. 
10. ^ "Media Statement - PREMIER AND DEPUTY TAKE CHARGE OF DELIVERING WATER GRID 13/9/2006". http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=48298. Retrieved 2006-12-16. 

External links

• Electorate Profile (Antony Green, ABC)