Region trio go down to wire

THE seat of Townsville is among three North Queensland electorates still in limbo after the state election, with no candidates willing to claim victory.

Townsville, Hinchinbrook and the Burdekin all remain on a knife’s edge with pre- poll, postal and preference votes to be critical in deciding the fate of all three.

Incumbent Townsville Labor MP Scott Stewart is just holding on with 33.51 per cent of the vote with 75.22 per cent counted as of late yesterday.

His main threat, LNP’s Casie Scott, is 538 votes behind at 31.38 per cent.

Ms Scott said yesterday she had been told the wait would likely go on for two weeks with the postal votes, expected to be about 700, not due until December 5.

“The seat of Townsville is coming down to the wire with just a handful of votes in it so I’m just sitting tight enjoying time with my daughter,” she said. “When I first preselected in January, nearly every person said it was unwinnable but I put the hard yards in, and I’m enormously grateful for the people of Townsville’s overwhelming support.”

Ms Scott said she was also using her time to closely follow the results of the LNP- held Hinchinbrook and Burdekin, with Andrew Cripps and Dale Last both at risk of losing their seats.

“They are two of the most wonderful humans I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and I am so proud of the campaign the entire LNP ran and our policies,” she said.

Incumbent LNP Hinchinbrook MP Andrew Cripps is holding 30.08 per cent of the vote with 78.97 per cent counted as of yesterday.

Both One Nation candidate Margaret Bell and Katter’s Australian Party’s Nick Dametto are still real contenders with 21.94 per cent and 21.13 per cent of votes counted respectively.

In the Burdekin, Labor’s Mike Brunker is in front with 36 per cent, with the LNP’s incumbent Dale Last trailing at 31.62 per cent and One Nation’s Sam Cox at 29.59 per cent.