Federal election 2022: Cowper results reveal possible Pat Conaghan win

Cowper’s count and the strong support for Independent candidate Carolyn Heise reflects the nation’s appetite for change and a move away from the traditional parties.

Early counts show Pat Conaghan potentially taking back Cowper for The Nationals; but the strong support for Independent candidate Carolyn Heise reflects the nation’s appetite for change.

On the morning after election night, the seat was still too close to call.

Preferences will be key

An initial count was based on a two-party preferred basis between Labor and The Nationals but now, analysts are saying it could take days for a clear result as preferences are looked at more closely.

In the early hours of Sunday morning the Australian Electoral Council tally room was showing a total of 100,908 first preference votes counted in Cowper so far.

Pat Conaghan was ahead with 38,863 votes (40.35 per cent) followed by Carolyn Heise on 25,800 (26.79 per cent).

Next was Labor’s Keith McMullen 13,234 (13.74 per cent); Pauline Hanson‘s One Nation candidate Faye Aspiotis on 7,567 (7.86 per cent); and Timothy Nott for The Greens with 4,922 (5.11 per cent).

Early count reflects nation’s appetite for change

By 10pm on election night just over 63,000 first preference votes had been counted in Cowper.

Pat Conaghan was ahead with 22,604 votes (37.35 per cent) followed by Independent ‘teal’ candidate Carolyn Heise on 17,236 (28.48 per cent).

Pat Conaghan with supporters at The Pier Hotel on election night including The Nationals State Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh in the background .

Next on the list was Labor’s Keith McMullen on 8,200 votes, Pauline Hanson‘s One Nation candidate Faye Aspiotis on 5,082 and Timothy Nott for The Greens with 3,424.

Out and about at polling booths

Mr Conaghan was elected at the 2019 federal election following the retirement of Luke Hartsuyker who represented the electorate for 17 years.

He was swept to power as a first time MP with 56.79 per cent. High profile independent and one-time government-maker Rob Oakeshott finished on 43.21.

Mr Conaghan was born in Kempsey in 1971 - the youngest of five children and the son of a local doctor. He went on to enter the police force and study law. He was a NSW Police Prosecutor from 1997 to 2001 and a solicitor from 2001 to 2019.

On election day there were plenty of supporters out and about urging voters to return Mr Conaghan to power.

A tussle occurred at Hastings Public School in Port Macquarie, where Mr Conaghan had just arrived to vote around 9am on Saturday morning.

As Conaghan and his wife, Ilona, were heading into the school to cast their votes, the volunteer shoved an independent how to vote card in their faces, repeatedly encouraging them to vote for “integrity” this election.

Independent ‘teal’ candidate Carolyn Heise ran a strong campaign with Cowper’s count reflecting the nation’s appetite for change.

Carolyn (Caz) Heise was selected as the Voices4Cowper (V4C) endorsed independent candidate for Cowper.

Part of the selection process involved an online voting forum between Caz and Port Macquarie’s Julie Jamieson who had also declared her intention to stand for the role.

Until a cancer diagnosis three years ago she was the Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the Coffs Harbour Health Campus.

She started her nursing career at Bellingen Hospital after working in health education and youth mental health across the Coffs Coast.

“I am now cancer-free and fit, and more determined than ever to be a champion for all the communities in Cowper,” she said in the lead up to the campaign.

Dave Phister and Dominic King on election day. On Sunday morning candidate Timothy Nott for The Greens had 4,922 first preference votes (5.11 per cent).

On Sunday morning Ms Heise said she was feeling incredibly proud.

“Cowper looks to be a marginal seat now - at the very least.

“We won’t know the final result for a couple of days. What a superb effort from the Caz4Cowper team,” Ms Heise said.

“We’re not going away and (even if she doesn’t win) we’ve all vowed to do it again in three years’ time.”

Many votes were already cast in Cowper prior to election day - a whopping 43 per cent at the close of postal voting.

Nine per cent of eligible ‘Cowperians’ had made an application for a postal vote, and it’s expected some 70-80 per cent of these will have been lodged in time to matter.

Thirty-four per cent of voters pre-polled, many at the Coffs International Stadium carpark.