The federal election campaign is in full swing, and just a handful of seats could decide who lands in The Lodge. Here are the some of the key electorates to watch on polling day.
Corangamite (VIC): Labor MP Darren Cheeseman has held this seat since 2007, and will take on former ABC broadcaster Sarah Henderson for a second time on September 7. A slight redistribution of the seat since 2010 could favour the Coalition. Click here to read more.
Eden-Monaro (NSW): The bellwether seat of Eden-Monaro has for the past 30 years been won by the same party that has won the election. The seat covers rural area east of Canberra and south to the Snowy Mountains, and is currently held by Labor MP Mike Kelly by a tiny margin. Click here for full details.
Forde (QLD): Early in the election campaign, Labor ditched candidate Des Hardman in favour of former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie. If the polls are any indication, the bold move won’t pay off for Labor and the seat will stay with the LNP.
Griffith (QLD): Kevin Rudd holds currently holds this seat, and there’s an outside chance the Prime Minister could lose it, which would not bode well for Labor. In the unlikely event that a party leader loses their seat but their party retains government, a new Prime Minister would have to be chosen from Members of Parliament. It would be only the third time a sitting PM has been ousted from their electorate, after John Howard’s loss to Maxine McKew in 2007.
Greenway (NSW): Labor MP Michelle Rowland currently holds this seat in Sydney’s west, but lost ground to the Coalition at the last election. Liberal contender Jaymes Diaz looked like he had a chance of winning the seat, but has a very public stumble hurt his chances? Click here for more on Greenway.
Lindsay (NSW): Another critical western Sydney seat, and also considered an election bellwether. Currently held by high profile Labor MP and Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury, but hotly contested by Fiona Scott, the candidate Tony Abbott referred to as having “sex appeal” earlier in the campaign. For a detailed look at Lindsay, click here.
Hasluck (WA) and Boothby (SA): Both are very marginal seats held by the Coalition. Labor needs to gain ground to win this election, so if it fails to win these seats it could be a sign it will struggle to get the numbers. Click here for a snapshot of Boothby.
Melbourne (VIC): The only seat in the Lower House currently held by the Greens. Adam Bandt won it in 2010 with the help of Coalition preferences, but Tony Abbott has already indicated they won't preference the Greens ahead of other parties in the 2013 election, in a bid to avoid another hung parliament. Labor has echoed the move. Mr Bandt and the Greens say they'll be looking to win the seat outright this year.
