Michael McCormack (second from right) with supporters on election day. Photo: Facebook.
Riverina MP Michael McCormack and his Farrer counterpart Sussan Ley have defied an otherwise disastrous night for the Coalition and are likely to win their respective seats comfortably.
As at 9 pm, Mr McCormack was expected to do even better than he did at the previous election. While his primary vote has fallen, the ABC projected him to win 65 per cent of the vote on a two-party preferred basis, while his closest competitor Mark Jefferson of Labor was on 35 per cent. That’s a swing towards his National Party of just over five per cent.
In Farrer, Liberal Sussan Ley MP has suffered a primary vote swing against her but is comfortably ahead of her two main rivals, independent Michelle Milthorpe and Labor’s Glen Hyde.
In both seats, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party appears to have made strong gains, particularly Riverina candidate Mark Craig, who as of writing had over 11 per cent of the vote and was in third place.
Mr Craig said he was delighted by his performance so far this evening and felt his party had picked up a lot of votes from right of centre voters disappointed with the Coalition.
“It’s been a tough slog for the Coalition but they’ve got nobody to blame but themselves. Just three months ago they were ahead. Leadership requires conviction,” Mr Craig said.
Riverina candidate Richard Foley made headlines on election eve, but he stood by his controversial comments on election night. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
He said Peter Dutton’s backflip on sending public servants working from home back to the office hurt him.
“I think it’s a good policy but they walked away from it,” he said
“People should go back to work. They were able to turn it and say it was going to disproportionately affect different people. But if the rest of us have to go to an office, so should they.
“The Coalition said they would work toward reducing our power bill by seven per cent, but that’s absurd. Seven per cent off our bills that have doubled over the last three years won’t make a difference.
“A lot of people were turned off the Nationals and voted for us.”
Mr Craig said he ran a minimal campaign, but would have more resources and time when he runs at the next election and expected to do even better.
Another minor party candidate, Richard Foley of the Citizens Party, had primary vote sitting below two per cent as at 9 pm. He attracted headlines the day before the election for a now-deleted social media post in which he said Riverina voters were the “dumbest” on the planet for repeatedly backing the Coalition.
He stood by his comments as the results came in on election night .
“Yes I gave the whole electorate a spray,” he said.
“But look at the decay and destruction caused by the ineptitude [of the Coalition] … and they’ve voted for them again.”
He said that given Labor would win nationally, the Riverina had “shot itself in the foot” by electing a National Party MP would wouldn’t be able to have a say on policy.
As at 9 pm, the top three in each seat were as follows:
Riverina
Michael McCormack (Nationals) – 39.7 per cent
Mark Jefferson (Labor) – 16.4 per cent
Mark Craig (One Nation) – 11.2 per cent
Farrer
Susan Ley (Liberals) – 41.1 per cent
Michelle Milthorpe – 19.9 per cent
Glen Hyde (Labor) – 14 per cent
