Mirabella fighting for political life

THE electoral plight of noted parliamentary pugilist Sophie Mirabella is promoting ghoulish intrigue among her political colleagues.

For her sworn opponents in the Labor Party with whom she has grappled so vigorously during her 12 years in parliament, the notion of Mrs Mirabella fighting for her political life draws undisguised pleasure.

From the National Party that directed its preferences to her independent opponent Cathy McGowan, there came thinly-veiled satisfaction.

And even from Liberal Party colleagues who didn't need her to secure their victory, it prompted treasonous mutterings.

The stoush between Mrs Mirabella and her independent rival for the electorate of Indi proved one of the most intriguing battles of the election.

In a seat she had occupied since 2001, Mrs Mirabella has seen the 61 per cent two-party preferred margin she inherited shrink to the point that she could become a rare commodity in this election - a Coalition casualty.

Mrs Mirabella accepts she has the capacity to polarise. She puts it down to a forthright and passionate parliamentary style.

Others prefer caustic, cutting or worse.

It was her parliamentary style that prompted the totally unacceptable slur from similarly strident Labor MP Belinda Neal to a pregnant Mrs Mirabella: "Your baby will be turned into a demon by evil thoughts."

The less-than-savoury incident was one of the few in her parliamentary career in which Mrs Mirabella has been beaten to the punch.

From a savaging of Malcolm Fraser in which she likened him to a "frothing-at-the-mouth leftie" to her expulsion from parliament on the eve of a crucial vote on the carbon tax, Mrs Mirabella has regularly been close to controversy.

The incident that probably alienated most, however, was her deliberate absence from the parliament in February 2008 when Kevin Rudd read his motion apologising to Aboriginal people for the removal of indigenous children.

Mrs Mirabella maintained there was no evidence that any children were "truly stolen" and no formal policy of removal ever existed in Victoria. On the second count at least, she was blatantly wrong.

A tempestuous period in her private life also resulted in the children of a one-time partner threatening court action over her handling of his affairs before his death and his estate afterwards.

But Mrs Mirabella is also one of the opposition's most energetic performers and her profile in her north-east Victorian electorate is undeniably high.

A staunch ally of incoming prime minister Tony Abbott and also a supporter, although less staunch, of Malcolm Turnbull before him, Mrs Mirabella's first political experience came as president of the Melbourne University Liberal Club.

After entering federal parliament in 2001 Mrs Mirabella got her first elevation in the Liberal Party following Mr Turnbull's ousting of Brendan Nelson as opposition leader in 2008, becoming opposition spokeswoman on early childhood education, childcare, women and youth.

She duly supported Tony Abbott in his move against Mr Turnbull and was rewarded with a place in the shadow cabinet as spokeswoman for innovation, industry, science and research.

It is a portfolio she will hold for at least another few days.

Mrs Mirabella went into the election with a notional nine per cent advantage over Ms McGowan who a week ago correctly tipped the result in Indi would take days to be decided.

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