Dec 10, 2007 - 2007 Federal Election, A.L.P., Liberal Party | comments(0)
The ALP’s candidate in McEwen, Rob Mitchell, has had his winning margin cut to 6 votes as he waits on the Australian Electoral Commission’s response to the Liberal Party’s request for a recount.
Media reports today say the lead has been cut to 5 but the AEC’s website shows 6.
The Queensland seat of Dickson has now been declared by the AEC, with victory going to the former Howard minister, Peter Dutton, by 221 votes. Damian Hale has been officially declared the winner of the Northern Territory seat of Solomon for the ALP by 196 votes.
Three other Queensland seats remain in doubt. In Flynn, the ALP’s lead has been cut by 247 votes to 212. In Bowman, the Liberal candidate’s lead has slipped 21 votes to 81. In Herbert, the incumbent Liberal, Peter Lindsay, has increased his lead by 29 votes to 352.
In the Western Australian seat of Swan, the ALP’s Kim Wilkie looks set to become the only incumbent Labor member to lose his seat. In NSW, former Howard minister Jim Lloyd seems certain to lose Robertson to the ALP’s Belinda Neal.
Herbert - (Qld - Liberal) - Lib ahead by 352.
Bowman (Qld - Liberal) - Lib ahead by 81.
Swan (WA - Labor) - Lib ahead by 280.
Robertson - (NSW - Liberal) - ALP ahead by 185.
McEwen - (Vic - Liberal) - ALP ahead by 6.
Flynn (Qld - open) - ALP ahead by 212.
Trivia note: today is the 30th anniversary of Malcolm Fraser’s victory in the 1977 Federal election. Today is also the 58th anniversary of Menzies’ 1949 victory, as well as the 52nd anniversary of his fourth consecutive victory in 1955.
Dec 8, 2007 - 2007 Federal Election | comments(0)
The final count of votes in the Victorian electorate of McEwen has given the seat to the ALP candidate, Rob Mitchell, by 7 votes, in what is likely to be a federal record.
Despite holding a lead during most of the past two weeks of counting, the former Howard government minister, Fran Bailey, fell behind today as the final batch of postal and absentee votes was counted.
After the distribution of preferences, Bailey has 48,409 votes to Mitchell’s 48,416. This is a swing to the ALP of 6.42% from the 2004 election.
The AEC says there have already been two counts in the seat but that the candidates are entitled to a recount.
On present trends, if the ALP holds McEwen, it will have 84 of the 150 seats in the new House of Representatives.
Dec 7, 2007 - 2007 Federal Election, A.L.P., Rudd Government | comments(0)
Nearly two weeks after polling day, counting continues for all electorates in the House of Representatives, with absentee, postal and declaration votes trickling in.
The Australian Electoral Commission now has the ALP on 80 seats, the Liberals 50, The Nationals 10, and independents 2.
There are 8 seats still in doubt.
La Trobe is no longer regarded as doubtful, retained by the Liberal member, Jason Wood, by 889 votes.
Herbert - (Qld - Liberal) - Lib ahead by 323.
Dickson (Qld - Liberal) - Lib ahead by 221.
Bowman (Qld - Liberal) - Lib ahead by 102.
Swan (WA - Labor) - Lib ahead by 280.
Solomon (NT - CLP) - ALP ahead by 196.
Robertson - (NSW - Liberal) - ALP ahead by 182.
McEwen - (Vic - Liberal) - Lib ahead by 22.
Flynn (Qld - open) - ALP ahead by 459.
On these figures, a final result seems likely to deliver 83 ALP, 65 Coalition, 2 independents.
This would produce a Labor majority of 16 (15 on the floor of the House).
