Handing Bass MHA Sarah Courtney ministerial responsibilities could “shore up” the seat prone to “wild swings”, political analyst Kevin Bonham believes.
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The government has six members on its backbench after the resignation of Matthew Groom at the weekend.
Mr Bonham does not believe Bass is the government’s most volatile seat, but he said it could see a swing similar to the federal election – which saw it Andrew Nikolic lose the electorate.
Ms Courtney is the third of the Liberals’ Bass members, sitting behind her senior colleagues, Treasurer Peter Gutwein and Minister for Health, Michael Ferguson.
She is Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier.
“It’s possible a Liberal seat in Bass could come at risk,” Mr Bonham said.
“I have the perception that [Sarah] Courtney has not been as high-profile as she might have been.”
Mr Bonham said the final seat in Bass was usually a battle between Labor and the Greens.
At the next state election, five Labor candidates are in the running for Bass led by incumbent member Michelle O’Byrne.
Adam Gore, Jennifer Houston, Brian Roe and Owen Powell are Labor’s candidates.
Mr Bonham said “wild swings” in the electorate during the federal election meant a Liberal loss was possible.
In 2016 Mr Nikolic, federal Liberal Member for Bass, suffered a 10.6 per cent swing against him as he lost the marginal seat to Labor's Ross Hart.
