Caloundra – Queensland 2012

LNP 6.2%

Incumbent MP
Mark McArdle, since 2004.

Geography
Sunshine Coast. Caloundra covers Golden Beach, Pelican Waters, Meridan Plains and parts of Little Mountain, Caloundra, Caloundra West and Currumundi.

History
The seat of Caloundra has existed since the 1992 election, and has always been held by the Liberal Party, now the LNP.

Liberal leader Joan Sheldon first won the seat in 1992. She had been first elected at the 1990 Landsborough by-election. Landsborough had been held by former Nationals Premier Mike Ahern.

Sheldon became Liberal leader in 1991, and moved to Caloundra at the 1992 election. She went on to serve as Deputy Premier and Treasurer in the Borbidge coalition government from 1996 to 1998, and stepped down as Liberal leader in 1998.

Sheldon retired in 2004, and was succeeded by Mark McArdle. McArdle became leader of the Liberal Party in 2007 as a compromise after the party’s 8-member caucus was deadlocked between Bruce Flegg and Tim Nicholls.

McArdle led the Liberal Party until the merger with the National Party in 2008, and served as Deputy Leader of the Liberal National Party until the 2009 election.

Candidates
Sitting Liberal National MP Mark McArdle is running for re-election. The ALP is running Christine Anthony. The Greens are running Allan McKay.

• Christine Anthony (Labor)
• Mark McArdle (Liberal National)
• Allan McKay (Greens)

Political situation
Caloundra is a reasonably safe LNP seat, and McArdle should have no trouble retaining his seat.

2009 result

2009 two-candidate-preferred result

Booth breakdown
Booths in Caloundra have been divided into three areas. Most of the booths in the area lie at the eastern end of the seat, close to the coastline. These booths were divided into Caloundra in the south and Currimundi in the north. There are another four booths at the western edge of the seat which have been grouped together.

The LNP won a majority of the primary vote in Caloundra, which was also the worst area for the ALP and the Greens.

The ALP and the Greens polled more strongly in Currimundi and the west, but the LNP still polled the highest vote, with around 45% of the primary vote in those two areas.