Fourth term for Provest in Tweed
THE Nationals have retained the seat of Tweed in the NSW election and will push ahead with the controversial new hospital at Cudgen.
While about two-thirds of the votes had been counted late yesterday, it was clear Member for Tweed Geoff Provest would begin his fourth term in office as part of a Liberal National government.
He beat Labor candidate Craig Elliot after a campaign largely focused on the location of the $534 million Tweed Valley Hospital.
Mr Provest snagged 54 per cent of the total vote after preferences, marking a 0.8 per cent swing towards the Nationals.
“We won, the hospital will be built. We’re not going to muck around now, we’re going to build this damn thing,” Mr Provest said.
“All those anti-people, go away. It’s done, the people of the Tweed have spoken. We’re in, that’s it.”
A total of 38,222 votes had been counted – nearly one in 20 of those votes (4.53 per cent) were informal.
Mr Provest had attracted 47.1 per cent of first preferences (17,179) while former police officer Mr Elliot had 31.9 per cent (11,652), according to statistics from the NSW Electoral Commission.
Greens candidate Bill Fenelon had 13.6 per cent of first preferences (4971), while Sustainable Australia candidate Ronald McDonald got 4 per cent of first preferences (1464) and Animal Justice Party candidate Susie Hearder 3.4 per cent (1224).
The polls were showing a 0.4 per cent swing away from Labor.
Mr Provest declared victory on Saturday night. Mr Elliot conceded defeat yesterday morning.
He congratulated Mr Provest and thanked his supporters.
The Federal seat of Richmond overlaps the State seat of Tweed.
It has been held by Mr Elliot’s wife and Labor Party representative Justine Elliot since 2004.
Some analysts predicted Labor would likely take Tweed back from the Nationals this election after conceding the seat in 2007.
Mr Provest will be part of a Liberal National coalition, but last night it was unclear if Premier Gladys Berejiklian would secure a majority in NSW.