Federal seat of Stirling set to be scrapped under WA redistribution but Christian Porter’s seat saved

The Australian Electoral Commission is proposing to abolish federal Liberal MP Vince Connolly’s seat of Stirling in a redistribution of WA’s electorates.

Voters in Stirling, in Perth’s northern coastal areas, would be split into the expanded seats of Cowan, Curtin, Moore and Perth.

Stirling was created in 1955 and won by Mr Connolly at the 2019 federal election, when he took over from retiring Liberal frontbencher Michael Keenan.

Under the redistribution, Attorney-General Christian Porter’s northern Perth seat of Pearce would be spared but would lose Wheatbelt areas on its northern outskirts to Durack and O’Connor.

In other changes, the commission has proposed bringing the northern Perth suburbs of Girrawheen, Koondoola, Balga and Mirrabooka into Labor backbencher Anne Aly’s electorate of Cowan, potentially strengthening her position in the marginal seat.

The AEC is also proposing to make adjustments to the regional electorates of Durack and O’Connor, which it said both need to gain electors.

The AEC had determined that due to population changes, WA’s electoral entitlement had decreased from 16 to 15 members in the House of Representatives.

Labor had argued that Mr Porter’s seat of Pearce, in Perth’s north east, should be cut because it was “unsustainable”.

The Liberals wanted Ms Aly’s seat of Cowan to go, and for the electorate to be redistributed into the surrounding seats.

ABC election analyst Antony Green predicted the proposed changes would result in Mr Porter’s margin in Pearce being cut from 7.5 per cent to 5.2 per cent, to Labor’s benefit.

He estimated the Liberals or Nationals would gain 1.7 per cent in Labor backbencher Patrick Gorman’s seat of Perth, with his margin reduced from 4.9 to 3.2 per cent.

Ms Aly’s margin would only increase 0.1 per cent from 0.8 to 0.9 per cent.

Objections to the AEC’s proposal to cut Stirling can be lodged until April 16.

Comments on any objections must be filed by April 30 and the AEC will make its final decision in July.