Victorian State Election 2010: Doncaster
Electorate: Doncaster
Margin: Liberal 8.1%
Upper house region: Eastern Metropolitan
Federal: Menzies
Click here for Victorian Electoral Commission map
The candidates
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WOOLDRIDGE, Mary
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Electorate analysis: Doncaster covers suburbs in Melbourne’s middle east, from Doncaster itself east to Donvale. It has had three Liberal members since its creation in 1976: Morris Williams until 1988, Victor Perton until 2006, and Mary Wooldridge thereafter. Perton came within 269 votes of defeat in 2002 despite polling 48.0 per cent on the primary vote, preference leakage from the Greens’ 8.7 per cent ultimately getting him over the line. The preselection that followed Perton’s retirement announcement in early 2006 was won by Mary Wooldridge, head of the Foundation for Young Australians, former adviser to federal Industry Minister Nick Minchin and sister of former federal Health Minister Michael Wooldridge. A factional moderate, Wooldridge was immediately elevated to the shadow ministry in the mental health, drug abuse and aged care portfolios, and has since gained further promotions with the addition of the community services portfolio in August 2007 and the exchange of aged care for environment in November 2009.
Analysis written by William Bowe. Read William’s blog, The Poll Bludger.