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Why Labor plans to run star candidate Melissa Parke in unwinnable seat of Curtin

Headshot of Annabel Hennessy
Annabel HennessyThe West Australian
VideoFormer Labor Minister Melissa Parke will run in Julie Bishop's seat of Curtin

Labor insiders do not believe star Curtin candidate Melissa Parke will be able to win the seat, but are aiming to embarrass the Liberals in their safest WA electorate.

With independent Louise Stewart also running in the seat and the Greens hoping to increase their margin, Labor are hoping Ms Parke’s high profile will be enough to force the Liberals to divert resources to Curtin that would have gone to marginal seats and cause some chaos in the electorate.

With one of the highest yes votes in the country Curtin has been likened to NSW seats Wentworth which was snatched from the Liberals by independent Dr Kerryn Phelps and Warringah where independent Zali Steggall is ahead of Tony Abbott in the polls.

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Polling conducted by the ALP in the electorate earlier in the year before Julie Bishop announced she was retiring show voters rate the environment their most important issue.

Liberal candidate Celia Hammond has acknowledged climate change is a big issue for voters, but said she believes that humanity’s contribution to global warming has been “very minimal”.

Attacks on safe seats is a struggle Liberals are facing across the country with the party forced to spend war chests on blue-ribbon electorates.

In Victoria, the party is preparing to spend up to $1 million to save Josh Frydenberg’s seat of Kooyong which currently is help by a margin of 12.8 per cent.

When Labor ran candidate Tim Murray in the Wentworth by-election, the party was open about the fact a win for Dr Phelps would also be good for the ALP.

While a win for Ms Stewart in Curtin is unlikely, any dents to the Liberals’ margin in Curtin will be viewed as a win for the ALP.

Ms Parke was a big advocate for refugee rights and the environment during her previous time in parliament and is likely to focus on these issues during her campaign.

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