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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
3 Comments

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Jeni - 1 year ago
I am left wondering. Can an election that was just barely won on the back of mistruth, slander and misrepresentation give the winner a true mandate to represent? I believe it shows just how important 'Truth in Political Advertising legislation' is, for our democratic process. I am disappointed that Labor and Coalition continues to vote against it.
Paul Cross - 1 year ago
Jeni Jobe, considering you have not posted any citations to prove your point I think it only fair that the reader sees your words as just your extreme LW opinion.
It was wonderful that Mary won and a major bonus the Leonard crashed and burned leaving the electorate aghast at the huge amount of money that was squandered.
As a scrutineer I strongly believe that Australia should adopt Proportional voting.
Adrian Nelson - 1 year ago
Hello, I would like you to know of the demoralising situation in the wonthaggi hospital ED. When you talk to the triage nurse you are in the waiting room no privacy and everyone can here what your problem is, this is disgraceful, even the nurses think it's disgraceful but you will never get one of them too admit it because they will be sacked