BONNEY

LABOR’S biggest hopes for placing an MP on the Gold Coast rest with one of the city’s two new seats.

Bonney takes in Labrador and Biggera Waters, areas where booth results were turning away from the LNP at the last election. Bonney also takes in Parkwood and Arundel.

Broadwater MP Verity Barton has her electoral office in the new seat. Questions have been raised about whether Ms Barton will run in the new seat or in Broadwater.

Whatever her decision, other LNP party members are already understood to be looking at the seat. LNP sources told the Bulletin federal Fadden MP Stuart Robert’s media adviser Sam O’Connor has his eye on the seat as well as Gold Coast Turf Club’s Richard Towson, who has previously run as an LNP candidate. Both declined to comment.

The boundary changes mean the electorate loses Parkwood, Arundel and Labrador.

But it has gained to the south picking up Molendinar, Ashmore, Benowa and Bundall.

The boundary changes have only made the seat safer with a predicted 60 per cent on a twoparty preferred basis flowing to the LNP.

Mr Molhoek, who was born in the area, confirmed he would contest the next election in Southport.

He said he was not concerned abut his office being outside the area as he preferred to work in mobile offices to talk to constituents.