Libs face State shuffle

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The State Government electoral districts in which people vote are being redistributed, and if the proposed changes are implemented, the Liberal Party will find themselves with the short straw. 

After every two State Government elections, the electorate boundaries are changed so that the population of each seat across the state is roughly the same. 

But the proposed changes, implemented by a panel of electoral district commissioners, could see the office of Mulgoa MP, Tanya Davies in Queen Street of St Marys, no longer located in her electorate, with plans to relocate Mulgoa further south-east.

And, rather than simply covering suburbs that are in Penrith City Council and Liverpool City Council, Mrs Davies would also have a large portion of constituents in Fairfield and Blacktown Councils.

But the changes could have potentially dire consequences for fellow Liberal sitting member, Bart Bassett.

Londonderry would lose the suburb of Cranebrook and gain St Marys, Colyton, Oxley Park and Claremont Meadows, which are traditionally Labor areas.

This was shown in the Penrith Council elections in 2012, where East Ward was the only ward to have just one Liberal Councillor elected, Tricia Hitchen.

Despite the potentially adverse impacts of the proposal, the Liberal Party has not made a formal objection to the changes.

A spokesperson for the electoral districts commissioners said: “The Commissioners will consider any suggestions or objections received before determining the names and boundaries of electoral districts.”

The new boundaries and electoral districts do not come into effect until the next State general election in March 2015.

Ms Davies declined to comment on the proposed changes, citing that they are still in their draft stages.

 


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