Close race for Huon
LABOR’S Josh Willie has been reelected to represent the division of Elwick and independent Tania Rattray will return as the member for McIntyre, after the weekend’s three-seat Legislative Council elections.
Labor leader Rebecca White celebrated Mr Willie’s win for the opposition, adding the party was “feeling very hopeful” that Toby Thorpe could also get over the line in the seat of Huon.
At the end of counting on Sunday night, Mr Thorpe held a narrow lead in the division with 25.23 per cent of the primary vote, followed closely by independent Dean Harriss with 23.93 per cent, Liberal candidate Aldo Antolli at 22.79 per cent and Greens candidate Gideon Cordover with 20.32 per cent.
Mr Willie’s and Ms Rattray’s leads were deemed insurmountable, with 53.49 per cent and 58.10 per cent of the primary vote respectively.
It is unlikely the Huon result will be known until the end of the postal return period on May 17.
Ms White said the election results were good news for Labor, saying the “Liberal party vote has plummeted”.
“Their results in this election, compared to just one year ago, is pretty bad for the Liberal Party. It’s a reflection on the chaos and instability in their government,” she said.
“This is a very positive first step for us after last year’s election … I think this also bodes very well for the upcoming federal election.”
Mr Willie said it was a “great privilege” to be re-elected in Elwick, which he said was where he lived and sent his children to public school.
“I’m very humbled by the result and I think what it shows is that I listen to the community and I fight for the community,” he said.
“I was surprised that there wasn’t a Liberal candidate. I’m sure they’d like to see the back of me at times, because I’m not afraid to ask the hard questions and hold them to account when things aren’t going well, particularly in the education portfolio, which is a passion of mine. We need to do better as a state.”
Mr Thorpe said the results could still “go either way”.
“It’s a really close race,” he said. “I’ve worked incredibly hard this campaign. I’ve knocked on over … 8000 doors.
“We had all those hard conversations and we spoke about what we need to do better.”