NSW needs to lose one of its 47 electorates,with a seat in Sydney’s northern suburbs or inner west the most likely to be scrapped.
Tink,who represents North Sydney,and Steggall,who represents Warringah,have made conflicting suggestions to the commission that would protect the existence and shape of their own seats at the expense of the other’s.
The Liberal Party has alsocalled for the abolition of Warringah,the seat held by Steggall since she ousted former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott in 2019,arguing it should be combined with the neighbouring seat of North Sydney,won by Tink from Liberal Trent Zimmerman in 2022.
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In her submission to the commission,Steggall notes that “in contrast to the majority of suggestions” Tink was pushing for,moving North Sydney’s boundaries eastward would result in “excising the areas of Cremorne and Neutral Bay out of Warringah and moving them into North Sydney”.
“This eastward boundary movement should be rejected as Warringah has firm coastal boundaries to the east and as such,westward movement of boundaries is preferable,” Steggall wrote,effectively arguing for her seat to consume parts of Tink’s existing seat.
In her submission,Tink said the Liberal Party and “Ms Steggall’s two[submissions] would result in a deeply bifurcated electorate with little or no overarching community of interest between coastal precincts and one of Sydney’s identified priority residential growth zones”.