Either major party may face the loss of a notable name under new redistributions that have left WA with one less federal seat.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt or Attorney General Christian Porter will have to seek a new seat if the Australian Electoral Commission accepts the Labor Party’s proposals for the redistribution of federal boundaries in Western Australia and abolishes one of their electorates.
But if the Liberal Party’s proposals are accepted, it would be the northern suburbs seat of Cowan that would go, and Labor MP Anne Aly would be casting around for endorsement to continue her political career.
The AEC has released the submissions of the political parties on the WA redistribution, which will result in the abolition of one of the state’s 16 seats in the House of Representatives because of sluggish population growth relative to other states.
Twenty-seven submissions from political parties, various interest groups, and voters were lodged with the AEC, and it was no surprise that the Labor and Liberal parties targeted each other’s seats for the chop.
Labor identified Mr Porter's seat of Pearce and Mr Wyatt's seat of Hasluck as the two electorates in need of review.
It indicated a single new electorate should be formed with the fast-growing suburb of Ellenbrook at its core.
Labor said its plan would better align ‘communities of interest in northern and eastern metropolitan areas’, and also minimise the need for further boundary disruptions in subsequent redistributions.
The Liberal proposal identified Cowan as being in the centre of a cluster of seats north of the CBD that had an average enrolment of 108,691 voters, and was 8.5 per cent below the ‘quota’ required for each electorate.
"We therefore recommend that it be abolished," the party said.
The AEC’s Redistribution Committee is inviting public suggestions and comments on the proposals, which must be lodged by November 6. It will deliver its final report by March 31 next year.
One sitting MP will then know if they have to seek endorsement and challenge a party colleague for another seat in an attempt to continue their political careers.
