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Fact check: Labor redrew the electoral boundaries in the seat of Menzies to guarantee a win.

Checked on May 12, 2025

1. Summary of the results

The claim that Labor redrew electoral boundaries in Menzies is definitively incorrect. Multiple sources confirm that electoral boundaries are determined by independent redistribution committees appointed by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), not by any political party or government [1] [1] [1]. While the boundary changes did shift the seat from a 0.7% Liberal margin to a notional 0.4% Labor margin [2], this was the result of standard demographic and geographical adjustments, not political manipulation.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements are missing from the original statement:

  • Since 1984, federal electoral boundaries have been determined by redistribution committees appointed by the AEC [3]
  • Redistributions occur every seven years or when representation entitlements change [3]
  • The primary purpose of redistributions is to maintain roughly equal numbers of enrolled voters in each seat [4]
  • The Menzies boundary changes involved shifts to the south and west of the electorate [1] [2]
  • While the changes did result in Menzies becoming a "notional Labor seat," this was a consequence of demographic shifts, not deliberate gerrymandering [1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement appears to be promoting a narrative of political manipulation that benefits those who wish to delegitimize:

  • The independence of the Australian Electoral Commission
  • The standard redistribution process
  • The current electoral outcomes

The statement's framing suggests deliberate manipulation ("redrew... to guarantee a win") when in fact the process is:

  • Independent of government control
  • Based on population figures and demographic data
  • Part of a regular, scheduled process

This type of misinformation could benefit opposition parties or critics of the current government by suggesting improper electoral manipulation, when the evidence shows the changes were part of standard democratic processes [1] [1] [4].

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