Court the tip for new WA seat
WA's influence on national affairs is to grow, with the boom State to get an extra Federal seat at the next election - and the tip is it will be named after Sir Charles Court.
The Australian Electoral Commission yesterday confirmed there would be a redistribution of Federal boundaries in WA to increase the State's entitlement to 16 seats.
But WA's gain will be NSW's loss. The most populous State will be reduced to 47 seats, down one, out of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives. Acting Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers ordered redistributions in WA, NSW and the ACT based on the latest official population figures.
A year-long consultation with political parties, local government authorities and community groups will be held before new boundaries are finalised. The redistribution committee will also accept suggestions on the new seat's name.
New Federal electoral boundaries were not expected to be finalised until late next year or early 2016, Mr Rogers said.
The Liberal Party is expected to propose the new seat be named after Sir Charles and the Labor Party may suggest the name Beazley in honour of Whitlam-era minister Kim Beazley Sr.
Traditionally, Federal redistributions take account of local government and State electorate boundaries. But this one will be unusually complicated by the redistribution of State electorates, beginning in March next year, and Premier Colin Barnett's local government reforms.
One theory is a new seat could be centred on Armadale, now in Canning, squeezing most electorates in the Perth surrounds.
A new seat south of Perth in the Mandurah-Rockingham growth belt is another option.
