ALP 7.3%
Incumbent MP
Stirling Hinchliffe, since 2006.
Geography
Brisbane. Stafford covers the northern Brisbane suburbs of Gordon Park, Stafford, Stafford Heights, Grange and parts of Wilston, Alderley, Lutwyche, Kedron and Chermside.
History
The seat of Stafford was first created in 1972. It was abolished in 1992 before being restored in 2001. The seat was a marginal seat throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but has been held by the ALP since its restoration.
The seat was first won in 1972 by William Harvey. He was defeated by the Liberal Party’s Terry Gygar in the 1974 landslide election.
Gygar held the seat at the 1977 and 1980 elections before losing in 1983 to the ALP’s Denis Murphy. Murphy was diagnosed with cancer and died in 1984 without ever speaking in Parliament.
Gygar regained his seat at the 1984 by-election, and held it until 1989.
Rod Welford won the seat for the Labor Party in 1989. When Stafford was abolished in 1992 he moved to the neighbouring seat of Everton. He held Everton until his retirement in 2009. He also served as a minister in the Beattie and Bligh governments from 1998 to 2009.
The ALP’s Terry Sullivan won the newly restored seat of Stafford in 2001. Sullivan had first been elected at the 1991 Nundah by-election. Nundah was abolished in 1992, and Sullivan moved to the new seat of Chermside. This seat was also abolished in 2001, and Sullivan moved to Stafford. He retired in 2006.
Stirling Hinchliffe, also of the ALP, won the seat in 2006, and retained it in 2009.
Candidates
Sitting Labor MP Stirling Hinchliffe is running for re-election. The LNP is running Chris Davis, a former president of the Queensland branch of the Australian Medical Association.
- Chris Davis (Liberal National)
- Peter Jeremijenko (Greens)
- Stirling Hinchliffe (Labor)
- Karin Hunter (Katter’s Australian Party)
Political situation
A seat with a margin of over 7% would regularly be considered safe but at the moment it could be vulnerable to the Liberal National Party.
2009 result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Stirling Hinchliffe | ALP | 12,870 | 48.4 | -5.9 |
| Brad Carswell | LNP | 10,062 | 37.9 | +7.3 |
| Tristan Peach | GRN | 3,133 | 11.8 | -0.1 |
| Paul Fomiatti | FF | 499 | 1.9 | +1.8 |
2009 two-candidate-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Stirling Hinchliffe | ALP | 14,460 | 57.3 | -6.9 |
| Brad Carswell | LNP | 10,778 | 42.7 | +6.9 |
Booth breakdown
Booths in Stafford have been divided into three areas: Chermside in the north, Stafford in the centre, and an area in the south.
The ALP polled a majority in the Stafford area, a smaller plurality in Chermside, and their smallest margin in the south, although the ALP still outpolled the LNP by 6.1% in the south.
Polling booths in Stafford at the 2009 state election. Chermside in green, Stafford in orange, South in blue.
| Voter group | ALP % | LNP % | GRN % | Total votes | % of votes |
| Stafford | 50.9 | 37.3 | 9.9 | 9,262 | 34.9 |
| South | 45.7 | 39.6 | 13.5 | 7,444 | 28.0 |
| Chermside | 47.9 | 39.7 | 9.8 | 3,566 | 13.4 |
| Other votes | 48.5 | 35.6 | 13.7 | 6,292 | 23.7 |
Labor primary votes in Stafford at the 2009 state election.
Liberal National primary votes in Stafford at the 2009 state election.
Greens primary votes in Stafford at the 2009 state election.
Stirling Hinchcliffe has shown his arrogance for years and has neglected the electorate of Stafford. Arrogantly ramming roads through with 24/7 road works and no consideration of locals. Word is he just wants to be opposition leader. He is a real lightweight though.
I have many friends in Stafford electorate, none of which are voting for Stirling who they all agree is an arrogant out of touch member.
I live in Gordon park just down the road from the busway works. When they’re finished I’ll get to the city for work by bus in around 15 minutes and property values will go up in the area. Nimby anyone?
Nimby anyone! I live just near the busway works and when it’s done I’ll be in the city for work in fifteen minutes or less everyday. Plus our house prices will go up. I’ve got mates working on the project so we’ll all be voting for stirling for sure.
Wow “Dion” your successive positive comments there look very fake being 9 minutes apart and all. ALP hq will have to do a bit better than that. Local residents are outraged about Stirling’s mismanagement of local road works in his electorate while he was the MINISTER!
Joe, so true, my friend lives in the heart of the electorate at Lutwyche, has voted Labor all her life. But due to Stirling’s arrogance and unwillingness to listen to locals concerns she has decided to vote LNP for the first time. I’d expect she is one of many disenfranchised former Labor supporters. Bring on March 24!
With a name like “Stirling Hinchliffe” he sounds like he should be the LNP candidate….
My prediction: LNP gain
LNP narrow gain.