Mary Aldred is likely to be the new Liberal MP for Monash. By Catherine Watson
MONASH has denied the national trend with the Liberal Party looking set to retain the seat it has held for almost 20 years.
At close of counting on Saturday night the Liberal Party’s Mary Aldred was on 32 per cent, well ahead of Tully Fletcher (Labor) on 20 per cent and independent Deb Leonard on 17 per cent.
Liberal and Labor were both 5 per cent down on primary vote while Leonard’s vote was 7 per cent higher than in 2022.
Long-term Liberal MP Russell Broadbent, standing as an independent, trailed the field of genuine contenders with just 10 per cent of the vote.
MONASH has denied the national trend with the Liberal Party looking set to retain the seat it has held for almost 20 years.
At close of counting on Saturday night the Liberal Party’s Mary Aldred was on 32 per cent, well ahead of Tully Fletcher (Labor) on 20 per cent and independent Deb Leonard on 17 per cent.
Liberal and Labor were both 5 per cent down on primary vote while Leonard’s vote was 7 per cent higher than in 2022.
Long-term Liberal MP Russell Broadbent, standing as an independent, trailed the field of genuine contenders with just 10 per cent of the vote.
Source: Australian Electoral Commission, 8am Sunday
One Nation’s Kuljeet Kaur Robinson was not far behind on 8 per cent. The Greens vote halved from 10 per cent in 2022 to under 5 per cent. Trumpet of Patriots failed to make an impression with 2 per cent of the vote.
While the Liberal Party’s primary vote was down by 5 per cent, Aldred is likely to mop up preferences from Broadbent, Robinson, Geoff Dethlefs (Family First) and Alex Wehbe (Trumpet of Patriots).
Labor, the Greens and the Legalise Cannabis Party have all preferenced Leonard second but it would be hard for her, or Fletcher, to catch up from here.
The booth results show marked differences in political leanings across the electorate. Aldred (who replaced Broadbent as the Liberal candidate) secured almost 40 per cent of the votes in Warragul’s prepoll and 36 per cent at Leongatha.
Fletcher did well in the industrial heartland of Moe (28 per cent in early voting).
Leonard polled strongly in her home country of Bass Coast, with a high of 34 per cent at Cape Paterson, 28 per cent at Cowes and 26 per cent at San Remo.
Long-time MP Russell Broadbent (formerly Liberal and recently independent) failed to make an impression even in his heartland of Warragul (10 per cent in early voting) and Drouin (10 per cent)