Labor leader Bill Shorten's seat switch is off
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will not move from his Melbourne seat of Maribyrnong as widely expected, saying he will continue to contest the western suburbs seat he has held since 2007.
Mr Shorten has written to party members in his electorate advising them that the anticipated switch to the seat of Fraser, a newly created electorate next to Maribyrnong, is off.
A recent boundary reshuffle by the Australian Electoral Commission moved about 40,000 voters out of Maribyrnong and into the new seat of Fraser, which is expected to be very safe Labor territory.
Mr Shorten's seat is tipped to become progressively more marginal over coming electoral cycles as its changing demographics fuel more support for The Greens.
"This is not an easy decision," Mr Shorten wrote.
"However, as the majority of voters from the old Maribyrnong electorate will still reside within the boundaries, I advise you of my intention to nominate as the candidate for Maribyrnong."
Despite the AEC's boundary movements drastically remodelling Maribyrnong, Mr Shorten's home is still within the electorate, which he told party members was a big factor in his decision to stay put.
"My family's home is in the new seat of Maribyrnong," the Labor leader wrote.
"This weighed heavily on my decision."
MORE TO COME