Mary Aldred campaigns in Wonthaggi before the election. By Catherine Watson
MARY Aldred has been declared the new MP for Monash just in time to make it to the Liberal Party’s ballot for a new leader in Canberra today.
After over a week of counting she was declared the winner ahead of Labor’s Tully Fletcher in the two-candidate preferred vote.
In doing so, she achieved a rare swing to the Liberal Party in the midst of a national Labor Party landslide.
MARY Aldred has been declared the new MP for Monash just in time to make it to the Liberal Party’s ballot for a new leader in Canberra today.
After over a week of counting she was declared the winner ahead of Labor’s Tully Fletcher in the two-candidate preferred vote.
In doing so, she achieved a rare swing to the Liberal Party in the midst of a national Labor Party landslide.
Source: Australian Electoral Commission
Monash is one of the last electorates to be declared, with a close contest between Labor and independent Deb Leonard forcing the AEC to a three-candidate preferred count that lasted over a week.
Aldred finished that count on 46.3 per cent and picked up enough preferences once Leonard was eliminated to take her over the line.
Scrutineers have commented that many voters had ignored candidates How to Vote cards so the preference flows were unpredictable.
Aldred’s vote sits at 54.28%, a swing of 1.38% from the 2022 election when long-serving Liberal MP Russell Broadbent finished on 52.9%.
Broadbent stood as an independent this time round, after failing to secure Liberal Party pre-selection, but only secured 10.26 per cent of the vote.
Leonard said that after being a safe Liberal seat for the past 2 decades, Monash could no longer be taken for granted by the major parties.
Aldred finished that count on 46.3 per cent and picked up enough preferences once Leonard was eliminated to take her over the line.
Scrutineers have commented that many voters had ignored candidates How to Vote cards so the preference flows were unpredictable.
Aldred’s vote sits at 54.28%, a swing of 1.38% from the 2022 election when long-serving Liberal MP Russell Broadbent finished on 52.9%.
Broadbent stood as an independent this time round, after failing to secure Liberal Party pre-selection, but only secured 10.26 per cent of the vote.
Leonard said that after being a safe Liberal seat for the past 2 decades, Monash could no longer be taken for granted by the major parties.