Luis Feliu
Incumbent northern rivers MPs Kevin Hogan (Page, Nationals) and Justine Elliot (Richmond, Labor) have retained their seats after a knife-edge federal election result which could see a hung parliament.
Mr Hogan narrowly fended off a strong challenge from Labor’s Janelle Saffin, who held the seat before him.
In the latest counting he had won the seat with a 52.06 per cent of the vote on a two-candidate preferred basis to Mrs Saffin’s 47.94 per cent.
The Coalition nationally suffered a 3.7 per cent swing against them.
Surprise results include:
The possible kingmaker role of the Nick Xenophon Team in a hung parliament;
Deputy premier Barnaby Joyce retaining his seat of New England against popular Independent Tony Windsor;
Former state MP Linda Burney becoming Australia’s first Indigenous person to be elected to the House of Representatives;
One Nation Party leader Pauline Hanson looks set to re-enter the Senate, possibly taking another seat for her party as well;
Former prime minister Tony Abbott hanging onto his seat of Warringah; and
Malcolm Turnbull’s controversial immigration minister Peter Dutton is just hanging on to his Queensland seat of Dickson, having suffered a swing twice the national average.
The swing against Mr Hogan was 1.04 per cent with 96,842 votes counted from the 117,317 voters enrolled. (See latest results for Page at the Australian Electoral Commission tally room website:
http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionPage-20499-138.htm
The Greens’ Kudra Falla-Ricketts won 10.83 per cent of the vote with 10,079 primary votes, a swing to them of around 1.78 per cent.
In Richmond, as widely tipped, Mrs Elliot retained her seat, despite a swing of 2.65 per cent against her.
She had 54.23 per cent of the two-candidate preferred vote to Mr Fraser’s 45.77 per cent.
While Mr Fraser won 30,823 primary votes over Mrs Elliot’s 25,830, Greens preferences helped her across the line.
Mr Fraser suffered a swing of around 3 per cent against him on a two-candidate preferred basis.
The Greens polled stronger than ever, with Dawn Walker drawing 22.84 per cent of the primary vote, a 7.11 per cent swing to the party.
Mrs Elliot told media feedback on election day was ‘encouraging, particularly on Labor’s positive plan to protect and save Medicare’.
Mr Fraser, however, declined to concede defeat, blaming his poor showing on Labor’s ‘Mediscare’ campaign.
In Richmond, 85,617 people had voted of the 112,820 enrolled.
For the latest Richmond results, see: http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionPage-20499-145.htm
Counting resumes on Tuesday.
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The ball remains in Labor’s hands in Richmond with Justine Elliot being a good sport while further down the coast in Page, the page did not turn for Janelle Saffin as the Nationals Kevin Hogan stayed in his seat crossing his bridges as he came to them.
The election result for the country is in limbo as neither Government nor Opposition have the winning numbers on the scoreboard of 76 seats.
Len Why did I ever doubt the admonishments of our English teacher on the use of mixed metaphors! Also on the article, who is surprised that Mr Abbott retained Wahringah? Although many did not like his policies, many other people did, and he is generally well liked by those who know and work with him, regardless of their views on his policies. He also received 62 per cent of the vote on a two-party party preferred basis, which is hardly just “hanging on”.
Justine Elliott’s primary vote fell 3% to 31%
She was won Richmond with less than a third of the primary vote – the lowest in the history of Richmond. With 7 out of 10 constituents voting against her, Justine is an incumbent MP – it is bewildering to read that she views this result as “encouraging” and an “endorsement”. Even with the disgraceful Mediscare campaign, Labor’s primary vote is teetering on the edge of falling into third place behind Greens. I very much doubt the ALP will allow Justine to run again in Richmond and lose to the Greens.
Catherine. Labor got 30$ of the vote and the Greens 20%.- that is hardly a case of “Labor’s primary vote is teetering on the edge of falling into third place behind Greens. It is a resounding preference of non-Liberal voters for Labor Seven of ten constituents did not as you suggest vote against Justine Elliot – we do not at the ballot box vote against anyone. We v express preferences first and second etc preferences and more people in Richmond preferred Labor in power than the Liberals or the Greens or anyone else. We do not know how the vote for minor parties will go in future elections. The vote for the Greens increased this time in Richmond; the vote for populist candidates thankfully decreased (PUP/One Nation), I suspect the Greens will probably grow in popularity in the future, by targeting young people and renters, even if that means alienating homeowners and self-funded retirees like myself. And with gen-x and gen-y’s addiction to the use of private car don;t expect continued Green inaction on any meaningful implementation of better public and active transport in Richmond. Let the inter generational wars begin.
The Nationals always rig the election, excluding their real enemy, the Lieberal party, then have the gaul to state they recieved the highest vote. If the Lieberals stood a candidate the Nationals would come a distant fourth.
Hogan only kept his seat by flying in an army of young people from Canberra, Wollongong and other areas and putting them up in hotels right across the electorate to outmuscle everyone other candidate during the campaign. I wonder who paid for their accomodation and meals? Not to mention all the other politicians he had visit the area during the campaign – the Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, Fiona Nash, Darren Chester, etc. It just goes to show that if you throw enough money at a campaign you can come up with the goods. I had never seen Kevin Hogan before the election campaign and I guess he will continue to do nothing during his next term as our Federal MP. Its just a pity that when he cries poor and doesn’t have enough money for local things like our Community Legal Centre or the Tools Allowance for local apprentices he hadn’t spent his money wisely or for the benefit of the community he is supposed to serve.
Christine It would appear from your comments that Hogan has followed in a long LNP tradition in the area. In the early sixties Dad. who was a Country Party member, gave us two shillings each to distribute pamphlets around the Bay for Doug Anthony. I could not understand why school friends from St Finbarr’s were distributing Labor pamphlets for nothing.
The Green vote handed Page to Hogan.