Campaigners for Labor candidate and incumbent Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters on election day. Photo: Facebook/Lisa Chesters.
Despite being considered a safe Labor seat, the Division of Bendigo saw a shift away from incumbent member Lisa Chesters at Saturday’s federal election.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Ms Chesters has represented the seat since 2013, and the Labor Party has held it since 1998.
While Ms Chesters received 33.89 per cent of the first preference count, the Nationals challenger, Andrew Lethlean, trailed closely behind on 30.57 per cent.
Nationals Party candidate Andrew Lethlean’s volunteers on election day. Photo: Facebook/Andrew Lethlean
On Monday afternoon, the ABC projected a narrow win to Ms Chesters, estimating a result of 50.3 per cent to 49.7 per cent on a two-party preferred basis following the distribution of preferences.
First preference counts have been received by the Australian Electoral Commission from all 66 polling places.
In Rochester, Mr Lethlean received 48.41 per cent of first preference votes, Ms Chesters 18.54 per cent, the Liberal Party’s Matt Evans 11.02 per cent, Heather Freeman of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation 7.52 per cent, Family First’s Evelyn Keetelaar 4.34 per cent and the Greens’ Avery Barnett-Dacey 4.13 per cent. The remaining candidates each received around one per cent or less.
Liberal Party candidate Matt Evans votes with wife Kate at Kennington Primary School. Photo: Facebook/Matt Evans
In Elmore, Mr Lethlean received 48.3 per cent of first preference votes, Ms Chesters 22.45 per cent, the Liberal Party’s Matt Evans 9.07 per cent, Heather Freeman of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation 8.39 per cent, the Greens’ Avery Barnett-Dacey 5.44 per cent, the Legalise Cannabis Party’s Wayne Taylor 2.95 per cent, Family First’s Evelyn Keetelaar 2.49 per cent and the remaining candidates each received less than one per cent.
In Goornong, Mr Lethlean received 45.76 per cent of first preference votes, Ms Chesters 24.85 per cent, The Greens’ Avery Barnett-Dacey 7.58 per cent, the Liberal Party’s Matt Evans 6.06 per cent, Heather Freeman of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation 5.76 per cent, Family First’s Evelyn Keetelaar 4.55 per cent, the Legalise Cannabis Party’s Wayne Taylor 4.24 per cent and the remaining candidates each received less than one per cent.
Greens candidate Avery Barnett-Dacey and her team of supporters. Photo: Facebook/Avery Barnett-Dacey
Preferences will determine the final result of the seat in coming days.
In order of the ballot, the first preference count for each candidate across Bendigo is as follows:
First preference count for the Division of Bendigo (Ballot Order)
Evelyn Keetelaar, Family First Party Australia 2.85 per cent
Avery Barnett-Dacey, Australian Greens 11.15 per cent
Heather Freeman, Pauline Hanson's One Nation 4.66 per cent
Lisa Chesters, Australian Labor Party 33.89 per cent
Andrew Lethlean, the Nationals 30.57 per cent
Matthew Bansemer, Libertarian Party 0.91 per cent
Rohan Tyler, Victorian Socialists 1.70 per cent
David Vincent, Independent 0.98 per cent
Wayne Taylor, Legalise Cannabis Australia 3.21 per cent
Matthew Evans, Liberal Party of Australia 10.08 per cent
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and fiancée Jodie Haydon celebrate on election night after the landslide Labor victory. Photo: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
Federally, the ABC was projecting Labor to obtain 85 seats, the Coalition 39, independents eight, and Centre Alliance and Katter’s Australian Party one each.
The remaining 16 were still in doubt, particularly in metro Melbourne and Brisbane.
For a party to form a majority government, 76 of 150 seats are needed, with the ABC chief election analyst Antony Green calling the election to fall in Labor’s favour early on Saturday night.
In what is being described as a landslide election for Labor, the LNP have managed to secure terms locally once again, including in Sam Birrell’s seat of Nicholls and Sussan Ley’s seat of Farrer.
23°C