December 11, 2023
This is the maiden speech to the House of Representatives by Cathy O’Toole, ALP member for Herbert.
Hansard transcript of maiden speech by Cathy O’Toole, ALP member for Herbert.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Mr Goodenough): Before I call the honourable member for Herbert, I remind the House that this is the honourable member’s first speech, and I ask the House to extend to her the usual courtesies.
When the new House of Representatives meets for the first time on August 30, it will have 39 new members, 26% of the chamber’s 150 members.
The ALP will have 23 new members, the Coalition 15 and the Nick Xenophon Team 1. There are 25 males and 14 females.
The ALP will have 23 new faces, exactly one-third of its 69 MPs. This includes 16 members in seats the ALP won from the Coalition and includes two returning members, Mike Kelly in Eden-Monaro and Steve Georganas in Hindmarsh. The other 7 new members have replaced retiring sitting members.
The Liberal Party will have 11 new members (19.7%), including Julia Banks, the member for Chisholm, who represents the only seat the Coalition took from the ALP in the election. Ted O’Brien regained the seat of Fairfax from the Palmer United Party. Nine other Liberals replace retiring members.
The ALP has won the seat of Herbert by 37 votes, following a recount that finished this morning.
The ALP’s Cathy O’Toole (pictured) defeated sitting LNP member Ewen Jones, who has held the seat since 2010. O’Toole had 44,187 votes after preferences, to Jones’ 44,150. There was a swing of 6.19% to the ALP.
The ALP’s victory takes it to a final total of 69 seats in the House of Representatives. The Turnbull coalition will have 76 seats and there are 5 crossbenchers.
The 45th Parliament meets for the first time on August 30. After providing a Speaker, the government will have 75 votes on the floor of the House. The ALP and crossbenchers will have 74 votes. Three crossbenchers – Bob Katter, Cathy McGowan and Andrew Wilkie – have committed themselves to supporting the government on Supply and matters of confidence.
11.58pm – The Second Turnbull Government was sworn in today but the Queensland seat of Herbert remains undecided, with the ALP now back in the lead by 8 votes and a recount looming.
A two-party swing of 6.17% has produced a virtual tie in Herbert. At the close of counting on Monday, the ALP had regained the lead it lost on July 13 and was ahead by 8 votes, 44,184 to 44,176.
The AEC website tonight shows 574 outstanding votes to count. These include 61 absent votes, 316 provisionals, 183 declaration pre-poll and 14 postal votes. 68.8% of provisional votes are being rejected as ineligible, so the actual number of uncounted votes is probably closer to 370.