Mr Haase stopped by the Advocate office in Moora on his way back from visiting the towns of Jurien Bay, Cervantes and Badgingarra.

In a radical re-drawing of electorate boundaries announced by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) in November, 2008, these changes will not come into affect until the next Federal election.

Mr Haase said that he was happy with the new electorate name of Durack.

Durack will occupy the northern section of the current seats of O’Connor and Kalgoorlie and will include Geraldton and the central Wheatbelt.

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Esperance, along with Albany, the South-West and the Goldfields will become the re-drawn O’Connor electorate, currently held by the Hon Wilson Tuckey.

“In a sense, I was disappointment the augmented Electoral Commission neglected to honor the powerful and enduring legacy of the late Sir Charles Court, but Durack is an appropriate name,” Mr Haase said.

“It acknowledges all those who have toiled on the land to carve out a future for themselves and their families, and consequently developed our nation.

“The decision by the AEC creates a great opportunity for me to visit the towns in the existing electorate of O’Connor and I want to meet as many people as possible. I want to familiarise myself with the issues and icons that matter to the local residents as this previously unfamiliar area will soon become part of the seat of Durack.

“I look forward to meeting and representing all those who will join the seat of Durack from the northern portion of the previous O’Connor division, however, I am conscious that the practical implications of this change won’t take effect until the next election – most likely in 2010. Until then, I will continue to work hard for the people of the Federal electorate of Kalgoorlie. “It’s business as usual, with an eye to the future.”

Mr Haase said two priorities he was particularly keen to bring forward in Durack were the expansion of the Ord River Irrigation Area and the development of a thriving northern city in the Pilbara.

He noted that the Ord River scheme had been made possible by the Durack family’s sacrifice of its original Argyle Station homestead, which was flooded during the creation of Lake Argyle.

When the Liberal Party pre-selection is announced, Mr Haase will put his name forward as a candidate to represent the seat of Durack.