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

I will speak briefly to the Australian Electoral Commission report. I will highlight again for senators and for the commission the stupidity of the most recent redistribution in Queensland. Where I live up in the north of Queensland there is an electorate, Dawson, based upon Mackay. It has been held by Mr Bidgood of the Australian Labor Party for a little while. He has, of course, announced his retirement for personal reasons. I am told that the personal reasons were that the polling was showing that he could not possibly win.

Catryna Bilyk (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is just below the belt. I hope you are really embarrassed.

The Acting Deputy President:

Order! Senator Macdonald, you are speaking to take note of the document. I ask you to continue to do so.

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

Judging from the reaction, there is something I do not know, so I withdraw—without being asked—if something I said has been offensive. I do know that Mr Bidgood, who is my local member, is not well regarded as a local member. His photography skills have become world renowned.

The Acting Deputy President:

You are actually speaking to the government document and the Electoral Commission report. I think you particularly identified the redistribution.

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

I did.

The Acting Deputy President:

I draw you back to that issue.

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

I was talking about the electoral redistribution in the electorate of Dawson, which takes in Mackay. It is currently held by Mr Bidgood, as I said. The Electoral Commission has taken the boundaries of the seat of Dawson, which is principally based on Mackay, Bowen, Eyre and Home Hill, where I live, and extended the electorate into the inner suburbs of Townsville. It now goes into the suburb of Annandale, where, curiously enough, the current member for Herbert, Mr Peter Lindsay, currently lives. So the current member for Herbert, who lives slap bang in the centre of his electorate, now finds himself living in the electorate of Dawson. And wouldn’t you know it? Herbert is a very marginal seat. The suburb of Annandale, where Mr Lindsay lives, was always the best Liberal voting area in the electorate of Herbert. I am not for a moment suggesting that the Electoral Commission took that into account when determining the boundaries—

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why are you raising it then?

The Acting Deputy President:

Order! Senator Macdonald, I am endeavouring to listen to your speech very closely, for reasons which I think are apparent, so it will assist if we do not have any interjections and if you do not respond to interjections but speak to the report.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to 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.