Winning Sunshine Coast MPs vow to fight on in opposition for key transport project
Returning Sunshine Coast LNP MPs Andrew Wallace and Ted O’Brien have vowed to keep up the fight from opposition for a major infrastructure project. Check out the results.
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Sunshine Coast and Noosa residents have had their say in the 2022 federal election with no boilovers recorded but swings against the LNP in Fisher, Fairfax and Wide Bay.
Check out the complete coverage from election day and the aftermath of the LNP’s national loss here:
Booths reveal key battlegrounds
New estates in the southern Sunshine Coast were tipped as the keys to any serious challenge that would be mounted by Labor in the seat of Fisher.
The booth of Baringa in Caloundra South was won by LNP MP Andrew Wallace however a swing of almost 12 per cent against him was recorded at the booth on first preferences.
On two-party preferred counting the margin in the booth populated by many young families was just 53 votes between Mr Wallace and Labor’s Judene Andrews who secured a 7 per cent swing in Baringa.
More than 15,000 pre-poll votes from Caloundra Cricket Club counted as of Sunday evening showed Mr Wallace had held the swing against him to less than 1 per cent with Labor claiming a 3.7 per cent swing after preferences.
Mr Wallace suffered first preference swings away of more than 5 per cent at booths in Kawana Waters and Glenview.
In Palmview, home to the Harmony estate, Mr Wallace suffered a swing away from him of more than 13 per cent.
After preferences Ms Andrews claimed a win by a two-vote margin with an almost 8 per cent swing which will encourage the ALP to continue to target the new housing estates.
In Fairfax sitting MP Ted O’Brien suffered a sizeable swing against him on first preferences at the Bli Bli booth.
In the conservative stronghold of Buderim Mr O’Brien suffered first preference losses of 8.97 per cent, 8.42 per cent, 9 per cent and 21.38 per cent across four booths in the blue-chip suburb.
From 11,000 pre-poll votes counted from Buderim Mr O’Brien’s primary vote was down more than 7.5 per cent and Labor candidate Sue Ferguson was able to secure a 5.73 per cent swing towards her party after preferences.
Labor made up ground in other major booths across Fairfax including a 5.15 per cent swing (two-party preferred) in Coolum Beach and an almost 3 per cent swing towards the party in the Coolum Beach pre-poll.
Mr O’Brien was able to stem the losses somewhat in Maroochydore where Labor achieved a 3 per cent swing after preferences and more than 5.6 per cent swing towards it in the Maroochydore pre-poll.
Labor made up ground in Nambour with a 4.48 per cent swing after preferences and the party claimed a significant 11.18 per cent swing in the Nambour pre-poll of more than 11,000 votes counted.
The swing against the LNP was less than 0.5 per cent in Nambour West.
In Yandina the ALP secured a swing of 2.34 per cent after preferences while United Australia Party picked up almost 10 per cent of the primary vote.
Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien copped a swing against him of more than 9 per cent on first preferences in Noosa Heads but kept it to just 1.16 per cent after preferences.
Of almost 14,000 votes counted in the Tewantin pre-poll centre Labor had secured a swing of almost 3 per cent.
Winners vow to fight on
Victorious Sunshine Coast MPs Ted O’Brien (Fairfax) and Andrew Wallace (Fisher) have revealed how they intend to navigate the world of opposition.
The incumbent LNP MPs held their seats despite both suffering swings against them.
But their roles will be significantly different this time around as the LNP suffers significant losses across the nation.
It meant the duo would prepare for a term in opposition both eager to secure funding commitments for the largest infrastructure project in the region as an Olympic Games loomed in 2032.
While both were hesitant on Sunday to attempt any in-depth post-mortem of the result Mr Wallace said the party performed at its best when it held true to its core values.
“At the end of the day we as a centre-right party, we need to be true to our values going all the way back to Menzies (former Prime Minister Robert Menzies),” Mr Wallace said.
“When we do that we do well.”
Mr Wallace said he’d been surprised by the support for United Australia Party given the tumultuous years of Clive Palmer’s reign as Fairfax MP.
Mr O’Brien said he would do his best to move on and address the economic and strategic challenges ahead.
“You have to honour the will of the Australian people, that’s the beauty of democracy,” he said.
He said his starting point for dealings with the new government “should be to take Anthony Albanese at his word that he wants to work together”.
Both MPs had improved rail services at the top of their agendas.
“I look forward to seeking the new PM’s support on those infrastructure priorities (rail upgrades to Nambour and new passenger line to Maroochydore CBD) for our region,” Mr O’Brien said.
Mr O’Brien said there would be “plenty of time for a post-mortem” on the result.
“Today is not the day to reach any major conclusions but you can learn big lessons from every election and this one is no different,” he said.
Mr Wallace said it would be a “learning experience” operating in opposition.
He said he would continue to “be annoying the new government’s ministers as much as the old government’s ministers” for money for the region.
He said his mission was to ensure the $1.6bn budgeted for Beerwah-Maroochydore rail was fulfilled by the Labor government.
Mr Wallace said he was concerned that state and federal Labor had not committed to the funding pre-election.
“That has me a little bit concerned,” he said.
“We need to keep banging on the door.”
He said he was not prepared to “sit idly by” and let the $1.6bn commitment “go off the table”.
Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien had also retained his seat with a more comfortable margin than his Sunshine Coast counterparts.
A swing of about 1.95 per cent had been recorded against the Wide Bay MP as of Sunday afternoon, less than the 4.48 per cent and 5.5 per cent swings recorded against the LNP in Fisher and Fairfax respectively.
Mr O’Brien was approached for comment.
Labor concedes Fisher is lost
Labor’s candidate for Fisher Judene Andrews has conceded she can’t topple sitting MP Andrew Wallace.
“We can’t win it,” she told the Sunshine Coast Daily on Saturday night.
Ms Andrews said there was still a “long way to go” but admitted it was beyond reach.
LNP MP and 31st Speaker of the House Andrew Wallace was forecast to hold the seat, securing a third term despite a forecast swing of about 3 per cent against him.
“We’ve done really well,” Ms Andrews said.
“It’s (swing against LNP) good.”
Early counting hinted at a greater challenge being mounted with Greens candidate Renay Wells flying out of the blocks.
She enjoyed almost 20 per cent of primary votes early in the count but that had been trimmed back to about 14 per cent as of 10pm Saturday night.
Mr Wallace was unwilling to claim victory on Saturday night despite his opponent’s concession.
He said it was “mixed emotions” as he faced retaining the seat of Fisher as his party faced the prospect of being turfed out.
“It’s a great privilege if that happens to get a third term and opportunity to serve the people of Fisher,” he said.
“If it looks like we are going to lose government and that looks to be the case at this stage, that will be a new experience for me.
“I have not served as an opposition before but I will do my best to hold a Labor government to account.”
Mr Wallace said he would “be very much concentrating still on infrastructure”.
“Whilst we don’t hold the treasury benches, it’s incredibly important for the Sunshine Coast which is growing as quickly as it is that we continue to get road and rail infrastructure that we need for a growing community,” he said.
“Importantly, I‘ll be doing my absolute level best that a Federal Labor government match our $1.6bn for heavy rail on the Coast and the state Labor government match that $1.6bn as well.”
Meanwhile Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien was tipped to retain his seat with a 1.1 per cent swing to Labor.
O’Brien holds Fairfax
The Labor Party has admitted it can’t win the seat of Fairfax but will celebrate what it says are significant inroads made into incumbent MP Ted O’Brien’s buffer.
The ALP was forecast to secure an almost 5 per cent swing on two-party preferred as of about 9pm Saturday night.
Mr O’Brien had suffered an almost 7 per cent swing against him on first preferences after 32,000 votes had been counted on Saturday night.
A spokeswoman for Labor candidate Sue Ferguson told the Sunshine Coast Daily on Saturday night they “won’t win the seat” but were celebrating “considerable gains” made.
“We’re very, very proud of the effort,” the spokeswoman said.
Mr O’Brien refused to claim the victory despite his opponent’s concession victory was unattainable.
“There are many votes to be counted,” Mr O’Brien said.
He said out of respect of those voters he would wait to see the final count.
“It’s been a long day for many and things are looking positive in Fairfax,” he said.
He said he “felt for other colleagues” doing it tough in several other seats around the nation.
First results drop
First results for the Sunshine Coast seats of Fairfax and Fisher have dropped and minor parties are pulling significant portions of the early votes.
In Fisher Andrew Wallace (LNP) leads with 37.05 per cent of first preferences ahead of Labor’s Judene Andrews (25.02 per cent).
Greens candidate Renay Wells is off to a flyer with almost 17 per cent of the primary vote while One Nation young gun Sam Schriever (10.28 per cent) leads United Australia Party candidate Tony Moore (8.25 per cent).
The early results came after two booths had been counted.
It was understood pre-polling votes would be counted later tonight.
In Fairfax incumbent LNP MP Ted O’Brien has secured 40.26 per cent of first preferences so far ahead of Labor’s Sue Ferguson (14.79 per cent) and Greens candidate Sue Etheridge (14.51 per cent) after three polling places had been counted.
One Nation had more than 10 per cent of the primary vote in early results.
Falls make it hard to read Fairfax
Incumbent Fairfax MP Ted O’Brien says it’s almost impossible to gauge voters’ intentions with punters forced to dash in and out of polling booths amid torrential downpours.
The LNP member said he thought voter numbers were down on Saturday due to the deluge making it hard to judge the sentiment on the day.
“Voters are literally running in and running out,” Mr O’Brien said.
Mr O’Brien said he was pleased the booths he’d visited had been “by and large friendly”.
He said he had seen some appetite for the United Australia Party – chaired by his former nemesis Clive Palmer.
The mining magnate won the seat of Fairfax after a recount in 2013, pipping Mr O’Brien to the seat by just 53 votes.
“I think there has been (appetite) during pre-poll and there continues to be today,” Mr O’Brien said.
He expected the United Australia Party to pick up a large portion of One Nation votes and noted One Nation had not been manning as many booths as 2019.
Labor campaigners in Fairfax told the Sunshine Coast Daily they would “definitely make some ground” on the LNP tonight.
They said they had seen a change in demographic in the electorate spurred on by the increasing development in the region and southern migration.
“I think we’ll make the national trend and a bit more,” one ALP insider said.
They’d also noted lots of United Australia Party how-to-vote cards being taken during pre-polling which had taken them by surprise.
Others noted what they said was a distinct lack of reference to Prime Minister Scott Morrison in LNP promotional material and signage in both Fisher and Fairfax.
‘Young booths’ could hold key to Labor’s chances in south
Labor insiders say fresh young faces in the southern Sunshine Coast could hold the key to the party’s hopes of gaining ground on Fisher incumbent Andrew Wallace.
A party source told the Sunshine Coast Daily this afternoon the party had received positive feedback in Caloundra South and Palmview – two suburbs with a high portion of young families in new housing estates.
Sources estimated there were about 23,000 new voters in the electorate since 2019 with most located in the two estates.
The party insider said there was a feeling the booths may favour them and if they could hold take close to 40 per cent of the pre-poll votes (two-party preferred) and retain a similar share of the postal votes they received in the 2020 state election.
“Pre-polls will decide it,” the source said.
The insider said they’d notice United Australia Party gaining some traction in the past few days of pre-polling but said there had been little interest in One Nation.
Incumbent Fisher MP Andrew Wallace said he’d been “doing it 23 years” and had never been in the practice of trying to predict a federal election outcome.
“The mood’s been very bright this last two weeks and it’s positive today,” Mr Wallace said.
He said he had seen some voters gravitating towards both United Australia Party and One Nation during his time on the hustings.
“Absolutely, I do see that,” he said.
“Time will tell.”
There had been speculation pre-poll votes would begin to be counted from 4pm but Australian Electoral Commission officials confirmed pre-poll ballots would begin to be opened and sorted from 4pm but counting would not begin until 6pm.
Polling booths are now open
Fairfax voters have braved the rainy conditions to head to their local polling booth in the first few hours of the 2022 federal election on Saturday.
At the Coolum Beach Uniting Church hall in the seat of Fairfax held by the LNP’s Ted O’Brien since 2016, John Bundrock, 63 and Joshua Bundrock, 24, said they were disillusioned with the major parties.
“I’d like to see a leader for the people and that is why Pauline Hanson especially is getting a lot of coverage, because she talks about what is best for the people not the party,” Joshua said.
The structural draughtsman said he voted for a minor party.
“A lot of the independents don’t get a forefront in the election,” he said.
“They don’t come up in mainstream media.”
John, also a structural draughtsman, said all the parties had put out conflicting information in the lead-up to this election.
“It doesn’t help people make a decision,” he said.
Retiree, 64-year-old Angela Strong, has lived in Coolum for 22 years.
She said she did not know half the parties on the ballot.
“Because of all these weird parties, they’re one-agenda parties but if you don’t fill out the boxes your vote doesn’t count,” she said.
“Ted will get in here.
“I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t because he does a really good job here.”
Brightwater residents Justine and Josh Bennett have voted for the first time, after becoming Australian citizens in 2021 since immigrating from South Africa seven years ago.
“It’s very exciting and we need to use our vote,” Ms Bennett said.
“It was very, very easy. I thought I had to line up for hours but I’m disappointed I didn’t get our democracy sausage.”
Meanwhile in the seat of Fisher, incumbent MP Andrew Wallace is encouraging anyone who is yet to vote to head down to a polling booth after he cast his own ballot on Saturday.
Mr Wallace said he’s hoping to get to at least 21 polling stations across the seat of Fisher throughout the day despite the rain.
“The weather hasn’t deterred people. We’ve had already more than half of Fisher voters who have already voted or done a postal vote so that’s obviously put a dint in the numbers of voters coming out today but still there’s a steady stream of voters,”
“It doesn’t matter what the weather is like but people are still keen to have their say about the future of the country.”
Meanwhile, Labor candidate for Fisher Judene Andrews has also been busy visiting booths between rain showers including Mooloolaba State School on Saturday.
Volunteers and voters have also been enjoying a democracy, with the Palmview State School P & C reaping the benefit of a long line of people trying to keep warm.
Organisers are hoping to sell the 500 sausages by 6pm.
Pre-polling data shows insight into who might win each seat
Latest pre-poll figures revealed 31.6 per cent of people had already voted in Wide Bay two days out from election day after 10 days of pre-polling, up from 28.9 per cent in 2019 with 15 days of pre-polling.
As of Thursday, May 19, 34.9 per cent of enrolled voters had cast their ballots in Fisher compared to 34.5 per cent in 2019 while 36.4 per cent had voted early in Fairfax compared to 37.5 per cent in 2019.
It was understood pre-poll votes would begin to be counted from 6pm when polling booths close at counting centres in Chevallum and Caloundra.
Booths would also begin to be counted once voting wrapped up at 6pm.
It was understood counting would go until about 11pm Saturday with some postal vote counting to be undertaken on Sunday and Senate vote counting would not begin until Monday.
Residents in the federal electorates of Fisher and Fairfax will be able to vote on Saturday, May 21 at the following locations:
The Sunshine Coast Daily conducted exit polling of more than 300 voters across the region as part of a broader survey of about 6000 pre-poll voters across the country carried out by News Corp Australia.
The Daily’s exit poll showed the two major parties appear to be holding relatively on trend compared with pre-polling figures recorded in 2019 but the Greens vote is bouncing somewhat around the region.
Here’s the full list of candidates running for the seat of Fisher and Fairfax:
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