ALP 10.8%
Incumbent MP
Tom Koutsantonis, since 2002. Previously Member for Peake 1997-2002.
Geography
Western Adelaide. West Torrens covers the suburbs immediately to the west of the Adelaide city centre, including Brooklyn Park, Cowandilla, Hilton, Mile End, Mile End South, Netley, Richmond, Thebarton, Torrensville, Underdale and West Richmond, and parts of North Plympton and Novar Gardens. The entire electorate lies within the West Torrens local government area.
Redistribution
West Torrens shifted east, losing suburbs along the coastline and gaining suburbs in the south-eastern corner of the electorate. Those suburbs to the west and south of Adelaide Airport were lost to neighbouring electorates, including West Beach, Camden Park and Glenelg South. The remainder of Lockleys at the northern end of the electorate was also lost. The suburbs of Cowandilla, Mile End South, Richmond and Hilton were gained from Ashford. This increased the ALP’s margin from 6.7% to 10.8%.
History
An electorate named West Torrens has existed in five different incarnations since 1851. The current electorate has existed since 2002, replacing the electorate of Peake, which had replaced West Torrens in 1970.
The electorate of Peake and West Torrens has been held by the ALP at all but one election since 1970.
Don Simmons held Peake from 1970 to 1979, followed by Keith Plunkett from 1979 until 1989. Vic Heron held the seat for the ALP for one term, from 1989 to 1993.
In 1993, a redistribution forced Liberal member for Ashford Heini Becker to switch to Peake. Becker had held Ashford since 1970, and won Peake.
In 1997, Becker retired and Koutsantonis won Peake back for the ALP.
Koutsantonis was re-elected in 2002 in the renamed West Torrens, and again in 2006 and 2010. Koutsantonis has served as a minister since March 2009.
Candidates
Sitting Labor MP Tom Koutsantonis is running for re-election. The Liberal Party is running Serge Ambrose. The Greens are running Tim White. Family First are running Tim Leeder.
- Serge Ambrose (Liberal)
- Tim White (Greens)
- Tim Leeder (Family First)
- Tom Koutsantonis (Labor)
Assessment
West Torrens is a reasonably safe Labor seat, and is unlikely to shift in 2014.
2010 result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Tom Koutsantonis | ALP | 9,684 | 47.3 | -9.3 |
| Jassmine Wood | LIB | 7,449 | 36.4 | +9.5 |
| Tim White | GRN | 2,232 | 10.9 | +2.6 |
| David Beattie | FF | 636 | 3.1 | -1.9 |
| Kon Briggs | RAH | 477 | 2.3 | +2.3 |
2010 two-party-preferred result
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
| Tom Koutsantonis | ALP | 11,613 | 56.7 | -11.5 |
| Jassmine Wood | LIB | 8,865 | 43.3 | +11.5 |
Booth breakdown
Booths have been divided into four areas: north-east, north-west, south-east and south-west.
The ALP won a majority in all four areas, ranging from 54.2% in North-West to 67.9% in North-East.
The Greens came third, polling 16.7% in the north-east. In the rest of the seat, the vote for the Greens ranged from 6.2% in the south-west to 9.8% in the south-east.
| Voter group | GRN % | ALP 2PP % | Total votes | % of ordinary votes |
| South-East | 9.82 | 62.87 | 5,631 | 34.39 |
| North-West | 8.57 | 54.24 | 5,258 | 32.12 |
| North-East | 16.73 | 67.91 | 3,771 | 23.03 |
| South-West | 6.18 | 55.55 | 1,712 | 10.46 |
| Other votes | 12.85 | 56.88 | 4,599 |
I would guess this to be more marginal using Federal results (especially on 2006 results), so another largish swing wouldn’t surprise, but still a safe retain.
My prediction: Labor retain, even if the old boundaries were still in use.
Prediction: Labor retain