Federal Election 2022: Flynn candidate Matt Burnett calls to congratulate Colin Boyce

With postal votes still to be counted, Labor’s Matt Burnett has called Colin Boyce to congratulate him as the near 7% swing to the ALP is not enough for the Central Queensland seat to change hands.

Despite achieving massive inroads in Central Queensland following the devastating 2019 poll, Labor has conceded it cannot win the seat of Flynn with preferences propping up the LNP vote.

ALP Flynn candidate and popular Gladstone Mayor, Matt Burnett called Colin Boyce on Monday morning, more than 36 hours after polls closed, to congratulate him.

“While we are ahead on the primary vote and there are still many postal votes to count, it is unlikely we can take Flynn after preference,” Mr Burnett said.

“We have achieved an almost 7% swing (primary vote) which makes Flynn a very marginal seat now,” he said.

Mr Burnett remained positive in his message to supports saying the election of Mr Albanese means Labor will honour all election commitments in the region.

“As I said on Saturday night, the best news of the day is that Labor will bring Priya, Nades and their girls home to Biloela,” he said.

Neither men were in a rush to make a call on the seat, with both contacted on Sunday and declining to comment officially, preferring to await a formal declaration from the AEC.

On Monday evening, Mr Boyce was leading by greater than three thousand votes on TCP (two candidate preferred), which Mr Burnett conceded was likely insurmountable.

The LNP will retain the seat of Flynn, however, Mr Boyce will be elected with a much slimmer margin than retiring MP, and Nationals colleague, Ken O’Dowd enjoyed at the last election.

Retired state MP for Callide, Colin Boyce and Gladstone Mayor, Matt Burnett had a positive phone call late Monday morning.

On Monday evening, Mr Boyce spoke to the Gladstone Observer, and said while he would await a formal declaration from the AEC, it would be a huge milestone in his career and personal life.

“While not formally declared, it would be an absolute honour to go to Canberra and represent the people of a large, rural and industrial electorate in Flynn,” Mr Boyce said.

“I sincerely hope that the Labor government does fulfil all their commitments to Central Queensland, I am quite concerned about the survival of the Regional Development Fund and would hate to see communities stripped of those investments,” he said.

“I have served my community in local government, in state parliament and to be elected to the federal parliament would be a great honour.”

Mr Boyce appears to have made the successful jump from state to federal politics after retiring as the Callide MP to contest the federal election in Flynn. Picture: Brad Hunter (Office of Deputy Prime Minister).

Mr O’Dowd gained the 8.7 per cent margin at the 2019 election, partly due to Labor’s perceived dishonest campaign in Central Queensland on issues such as climate change.

There had been a predicted 5.4 per cent swing toward Labor, however, the party will be encouraged by significant swings in places outside of Flynn’s epicentre, Gladstone, where they achieved approximately 7 per cent swings in Emerald, Calliope, and Boyne Island.

The Flynn electorate covers a whopping 132,824 sqkm and consists of Banana Shire Council, Central Highlands Regional Council, Gladstone Regional Council, North Burnett Regional Council, Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council, part of the Bundaberg Regional Council, part of the Rockhampton Regional Council, and part of the South Burnett Regional Council, with voting results varying greatly in different parts of its footprint.

Polling place data from the AEC showed significant swings against the LNP in the Emerald area, with a swing of -7.25 per cent at Emerald, -10.02 at Emerald North, -9.56 per cent at Emerald South and -7.89 at the Emerald pre-poll.

A swing of -6.74 was recorded at Calliope, -9.61 at Boyne Island and -8.06 at South Gladstone.

The LNP did, however, make notable gains in Wallaville, Sharon, Gin Gin and Agnes Water.

Regardless of the result, some voters of Flynn will be heading back to the polls sooner rather than later, with a by-election for Mr Boyce’s state seat expected to be called immediately.

The LNP has already announced its candidate for the state race in geologist and farming advocate Bryson Head, 26, who spent Saturday campaigning for Mr Boyce in Calliope.