Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for protecting me. I know the Labor Party are a bit sensitive about these issues. I have said to the Electoral Commission time and time again that the people of Townsville are incensed that they—people who live within five kilometres of the GPO in Townsville—will now have to look 300 or 400 kilometres to the south for the office of the current local member for Dawson. Under no circumstances can that be a community of interest. I am just appalled at the way the Australian Electoral Commission handled that redistribution. I know they have difficulties. I know they have to balance the areas around. But putting the suburb of Annandale, which is practically in the dead centre of the city of Townsville, in the electorate of Dawson is just beyond belief. I certainly hope that the Electoral Commission will in future take more care in ensuring that there is a community of interest when they redraw boundaries.

Question agreed to.