New Bass MP Jordan Crugnale By Catherine Watson
IT’S been a nervous wait for former Bass Coast mayor Jordan Crugnale but the latest count from the Victorian Electoral Commission confirms she is the new MP for Bass.
Commentators gave the seat to Labor early on election night with Ms Crugnale almost 1800 votes ahead of the incumbent Liberal MP Brian Paynter on a two party preferred basis.
However, with some 15,000 absentee and postal voters unaccounted for, it has been a slightly nervous wait for the final tick-off.
IT’S been a nervous wait for former Bass Coast mayor Jordan Crugnale but the latest count from the Victorian Electoral Commission confirms she is the new MP for Bass.
Commentators gave the seat to Labor early on election night with Ms Crugnale almost 1800 votes ahead of the incumbent Liberal MP Brian Paynter on a two party preferred basis.
However, with some 15,000 absentee and postal voters unaccounted for, it has been a slightly nervous wait for the final tick-off.
The result was all but confirmed at 1.30pm today (Thursday) when the VEC published updated results that accounted for 86 per cent of voters.
They showed the lead remained virtually unchanged from election night with Ms Crugnale on 24,574 votes (51.8 per cent) ahead of Mr Paynter on 22,866 (48.2 per cent). The result reflected a swing to Labor of more than 6 per cent.
The new MP had plenty to celebrate with her historic victory in Saturday’s election – but foremost for her was the fact that her community, along with the rest of the state, had rejected a negative Liberal campaign.
“That was amazing,” Ms Crugnale told the Post. “Right across the state, people have voted against fear and populism. The Labor Party ran positive all the way and people responded.”
While she never felt confident of toppling a popular MP in a seat that had always been held by the Liberal Party, she said there was “a great vibe” at the early voting centres during the two weeks of prepolling.
“It was wonderful to see the young Labor members, to see the support of the migrant community, the unions, friends and supporters.”
On election night, Mr Paynter led on the primary vote, with 41.37 per cent of the vote (down from 45.35 per cent in 2014), with Ms Crugnale on 40.38 per cent (up from 29.36 per cent in 2014). Most of the 11 per cent swing towards Labor came at the expense of the Greens Party and Independent Clare Le Serve.
Close to one third of Bass voters voted before election day and these favoured the Liberal candidate (8823 Liberal, 7806 ALP), as did postal votes (1163 to 740)
In polling by booth, Wonthaggi, as usual, strongly supported the ALP (432 ALP, 276 Liberal) as did Cowes (452 ALP, 262 Liberal) and Cape Paterson (146 ALP, 115 Liberal). Wonthaggi North was less partisan ((404 ALP, 331 Liberal). Grantville was pretty even (312 ALP, 314 Liberal) as was Inverloch (553 each).
San Remo voted Liberal (222 Liberal, 187 ALP), as did the country towns of Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Bass and Bayles.
Independent Clare Le Serve secured 2013 primary votes, not quite 5 per cent of the vote and well down on the 10.8 per cent she secured in the 2014 election. But that was when she managed to turn the seat marginal and finally attract the attention of both major parties.
After a week of turmoil for the Greens, their candidate David Arnaut was on 5.28 per cent, also well down on the Greens vote of 9.1 per cent in 2014.
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers notched up 1553 votes, or 3.83 per cent, with almost half of their votes coming from Wonthaggi North, Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang and Pakenham Springs.
Despite a highly visible campaign, Phillip Island Independent Ron Bauer, who campaigned on a platform of an independent shire for Phillip Island, only managed 534 votes. The Liberal Party had promised a municipal review of and referendum on independence if it was elected.
Ms Crugnale said the vote showed there was little local support for a municipal review and referendum.
Updated results for the seat of Bass are available at the VEC website.
They showed the lead remained virtually unchanged from election night with Ms Crugnale on 24,574 votes (51.8 per cent) ahead of Mr Paynter on 22,866 (48.2 per cent). The result reflected a swing to Labor of more than 6 per cent.
The new MP had plenty to celebrate with her historic victory in Saturday’s election – but foremost for her was the fact that her community, along with the rest of the state, had rejected a negative Liberal campaign.
“That was amazing,” Ms Crugnale told the Post. “Right across the state, people have voted against fear and populism. The Labor Party ran positive all the way and people responded.”
While she never felt confident of toppling a popular MP in a seat that had always been held by the Liberal Party, she said there was “a great vibe” at the early voting centres during the two weeks of prepolling.
“It was wonderful to see the young Labor members, to see the support of the migrant community, the unions, friends and supporters.”
On election night, Mr Paynter led on the primary vote, with 41.37 per cent of the vote (down from 45.35 per cent in 2014), with Ms Crugnale on 40.38 per cent (up from 29.36 per cent in 2014). Most of the 11 per cent swing towards Labor came at the expense of the Greens Party and Independent Clare Le Serve.
Close to one third of Bass voters voted before election day and these favoured the Liberal candidate (8823 Liberal, 7806 ALP), as did postal votes (1163 to 740)
In polling by booth, Wonthaggi, as usual, strongly supported the ALP (432 ALP, 276 Liberal) as did Cowes (452 ALP, 262 Liberal) and Cape Paterson (146 ALP, 115 Liberal). Wonthaggi North was less partisan ((404 ALP, 331 Liberal). Grantville was pretty even (312 ALP, 314 Liberal) as was Inverloch (553 each).
San Remo voted Liberal (222 Liberal, 187 ALP), as did the country towns of Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Bass and Bayles.
Independent Clare Le Serve secured 2013 primary votes, not quite 5 per cent of the vote and well down on the 10.8 per cent she secured in the 2014 election. But that was when she managed to turn the seat marginal and finally attract the attention of both major parties.
After a week of turmoil for the Greens, their candidate David Arnaut was on 5.28 per cent, also well down on the Greens vote of 9.1 per cent in 2014.
The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers notched up 1553 votes, or 3.83 per cent, with almost half of their votes coming from Wonthaggi North, Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang and Pakenham Springs.
Despite a highly visible campaign, Phillip Island Independent Ron Bauer, who campaigned on a platform of an independent shire for Phillip Island, only managed 534 votes. The Liberal Party had promised a municipal review of and referendum on independence if it was elected.
Ms Crugnale said the vote showed there was little local support for a municipal review and referendum.
Updated results for the seat of Bass are available at the VEC website.