Pine Rivers – Queensland 2012

ALP 4.6%

Incumbent MP
Carolyn Male, since 2009. Previously Member for Glass House 2001-2009.

Geography
South-East Queensland. Pine Rivers covers southern parts of Moreton Bay LGA, including Strathpine, Bray Park, Warner Dayboro and Mt Pleasant, and parts of Lawnton.

History
The seat of Pine Rivers first existed from 1972 to 1992. It was abolished in 1992 and restored in 2009. Ever since 1974 the seat has gone with the party of government.

Pine Rivers was held by the ALP’s Kenneth Leese from 1972 to 1974. The seat was held by Rob Akers from 1974 to 1983, when he lost to National candidate Yvonne Chapman. Chapman held the seat until her defeat in 1989. Chapman went on to serve as Mayor of Pine Rivers Shire from 1994 to 2008.

Margaret Woodgate won Pine Rivers for the ALP in 1989. When the seat was abolished in 1992 she moved to the seat of Kurwongbah. She served as a minister in the Goss government from 1995 to 1996. She retired in 1997.

Carolyn Male won the new seat of Glass House in 2001. She held the seat until 2009, when a redistribution changed the seat into a notional LNP seat. She then moved to the restored seat of Pine Rivers. She has served as Parliamentary Secretary for Education since the 2009 election.

Candidates
Sitting Labor MP Carolyn Male is not running for re-election. The LNP is running Seath Holswich.

Political situation
Pine Rivers has a history of going with the party who wins the election, and with a margin of 4.6% it is certainly vulnerable.

2009 result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Carolyn Male ALP 12,321 47.4 -10.1
Luke Mellers LNP 10,280 39.5 +6.2
Tony Cole GRN 2,249 8.6 -0.3
Tim Wallace FF 1,163 4.5 +4.5

2009 two-candidate-preferred result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Carolyn Male ALP 13,433 54.6 -8.7
Luke Mellers LNP 11,163 45.4 +8.7

Booth breakdown
Booths in Pine Rivers have been divided into two areas: north and south. The ALP won more primary votes than the LNP in both areas, with the margin varying from 7% in the north to 11% in the south.

Polling booths in Pine Rivers at the 2009 state election. North in green, South in orange.

Voter group ALP % LNP % GRN % Total votes % of votes
North 47.2 40.0 8.3 13,777 53.0
South 49.2 37.9 8.2 6,712 25.8
Other votes 45.7 40.4 10.0 5,524 21.2

Labor primary votes in Pine Rivers at the 2009 state election.

Liberal National primary votes in Pine Rivers at the 2009 state election.