Counting continues for final seats in 2022 South Australia election

There’s just 11 votes between them – former Liberal premier Steven Marshall is clinging on to his seat by a sliver as counting continues in the state’s landslide election.

A handful of votes separates former Liberal premier Steven Marshall from his Labor opponent Cressida O’Hanlon.

By the close of counting on Tuesday – which now consists of postal, pre-poll and absentee votes – the pair were both on 50 per cent in the eastern suburbs seat of Dunstan, named after former Labor premier Don Dunstan.

The counting of two-party-preferred votes had Mr Marshall 11 votes behind Ms O’Hanlon, a mediator who runs her own business.

Ms O’Hanlon has significantly improved her position since first preference votes were counted, when she had 5823 compared to Mr Marshall’s 7572.

By late Tuesday, with 61 per cent counted, Mr Marshall had a total two-party preferred vote of 8157 while Ms O’Hanlon had 8168.

Former Liberal premier Steven Marshall arrives at Government house to formally resign as after the weekend’s election. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Labor candidate Cressida O'Hanlon with husband James and children Cy, 14, and Phoebe, 9, at her Evandale home. Picture: Tom Huntley

In other results, former Liberal transport minister Corey Wingard has lost his previously safe seat of Gibson to Labor’s Sarah Andrews.

The former television sports reporter became involved in several controversies, including the eviction of residents at Hove before a railway crossing was designed or funded.

There also were allegations of verbal clashes with a sports bureaucrat and community unrest over the compulsory acquisition of properties for the South Rd tunnels.

Mr Wingard did not respond to a request for comment on the election result.

In other tight contests, independent candidate Lou Nicholson is poised to take the Fleurieu Peninsula seat of Finniss off former Liberal primary industries minister David Basham. Ms Nicholson, an occupational therapist who lives in Goolwa, is leading Mr Basham 55.1 per cent to 44.9 per cent on first-preference votes.

Former Liberal premier Steven Marshall with Liberal supporters at Norwood on election day. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

A final result is not expected for some days, as the seat had some of the highest pre-poll and postal voting in the state.

Despite speculation Liberal police minister Vincent Tarzia might lose to Labor opponent Trent Ames, he has kept his northeastern seat of Hartley despite a 7.7 per cent swing.

Meanwhile, the leader of Adelaide City Council’s dominant faction has failed in his attempt to enter state politics as a Liberal MP.

Alexander Hyde, 28, contested the previously safe Liberal seat of Waite, held by former Liberal Sam Duluk before he became an independent last September.

Labor and the Greens drove a wedge between the pair by giving their preferences to Mr Duluk, who left the Liberal Party after being acquitted of assaulting SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros while intoxicated at a parliamentary Christmas party in 2019.

City councillor Alexander Hyde at the Adelaide Town Hall. Picture Matt Turner.

Mr Hyde and Mr Duluk failed to win enough first preference votes to beat Labor candidate Catherine Hutchesson, with Mitcham mayor and Independent Heather Holmes-Ross further denting their chances.

Despite a late surge in first preference votes while counting continued on Tuesday, Mr Hyde, a former Young Liberals state president, said it looked certain Labor would win.

“I struggle to see it coming back on these numbers,” he said. “The margin is too big.”

Mr Hyde said he would return to Town Hall “to continue what I have always done and that is serving the ratepayers of Adelaide by keeping the council running well”.