Kerryn Phelps widens gap between her and Dave Sharma after scrutiny of Bondi count
THE Morrison government’s hopes of clinging to Wentworth have been dealt a blow after an error in the counting at Bondi Beach handed Kerryn Phelps an extra 680 votes.
NSW
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THE Morrison government’s hopes of clinging to Wentworth have been dealt a blow after an error in the counting at Bondi Beach handed Kerryn Phelps an extra 680 votes.
The high-profile independent now holds a commanding lead of 1862, making it near impossible for the government to keep its one-seat majority
For Dave Sharma to win, more than 85 per cent of the 12,788 postal votes would need to be sent in and favour the Liberal candidate 65 per cent to 35 per cent.
The gap between independent Kerryn Phelps and Mr Sharma, which was as narrow as 884 votes this morning, stood at 1179 votes at 3pm.
On Saturday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Liberal candidate Dave Sharma was still a chance to win the Wentworth by-election as counting of postal and pre-poll votes had revealed a sharp tightening in the result.
He said he had not in fact conceded the government had lost the seat or — as a consequence — its one seat majority in parliament.
Speaking at Kirribilli House Mr Morrison said counting was continuing and “things were a lot tighter than they were last night”.
However the Australian Electoral Commission also confirmed there would be “fresh scrutiny” underway of votes cast at Bondi Beach, Double Bay, Bellevue Hill, Paddington Central, Darling Point and Bronte as there were suspected errors in the way preferences were handed out at Bellevue Hills.
Dr Phelps on Sunday morning gained an extra 281 votes after officials checked the preference distribution at the Bellevue Hills booth where the results had been questioned.
Similar issues with the way preferences were counted have been suspected at the Bondi booth, which is about the same size as Bellevue Hills.
Mr Sharma gave a concession speech on Saturday night after early results showed a swing of about 20 per cent against the Liberals.
Dr Phelps claimed victory which, if the result holds, would create a crossbench of six members in the House of Representatives with Labor holding 69 seats and the Coalition 75.
On Sunday morning updated results showed the margin between the two candidates narrowed to 884.
If the trend of 65 per cent of the outstanding votes being put in Mr Sharma’s column continued it would be enough to secure victory for the Liberals.
Mr Morrison said he “heard the message loud and clear” from angry voters.
“There is no doubt it is down to 900 votes now,” Mr Morrison said.
“I always said it’s going to be tight.
“It is proving to be tighter by the minute.”
“In the 10 to 15 minutes before coming here … the gap closed by several hundred votes.”
Mr Morrison told a press conference in Sydney on Sunday there were many votes still to be counted.
“We will just simply wait for that normal, robust, democratic, credible process to follow its course before we are in a position to know who the successful candidate will be at that by-election,” Mr Morrison he said.
With historic swings of more than 20 per cent against Mr Sharma, Dr Phelps declared victory at 8.15pm last night.
“I was told that this was an impossible task and if we actually won the seat of Wentworth it would be a miracle,” she told supporters.
“My friends, we have made history.
“This win tonight should signal a return of decency, integrity and humanity to the Australian Parliament.”
Taking time out from his Invictus duties to deliver a concession speech alongside Mr Sharma, a rattled Mr Morrison attempted to put a brave face on the defeat.
“I don’t come to you tonight with a vanquished spirit. I come with the indomitable spirit of Liberals around the country,” he told a crowd of supporters at the Double Bay Intercontinental Hotel.
“This is a tough day. You always show up for the tough days as well as the good days — and that’s what you will always get from me.”
Recognising widespread frustration in the electorate, he said: “We listen, we learn, accept the process. Liberal voters are angry and we respect that.”
In tacit acknowledgment that he would have to rely on the good will of crossbenchers to govern effectively, Mr Morrison said he would now work constructively with Dr Phelps in her role as an independent MP.
But he also vowed he would fight to win the election next year, adding: “I won’t let you down.”
Mr Sharma told his supporters: “This is the first time I have ever run for elected office and it’s been a little bruising, there’s no doubt about it.
“It’s also been a very humbling and an enlightening experience, and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to earn the trust of the voters of Wentworth.”
He also revealed Mr Turnbull had contacted him after the result.
The Labor Party has now called on Mr Morrison to go to an early election.
“Morrison is still the Prime Minister but he now leads a minority government,” a spokesman for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said.
“The swing is so big and historic, the result is disastrous for Morrison.
“Given he said losing Wentworth would cause chaos and unprecedented instability, he should do the right thing for the country and go to an election.”
Dr Phelps has all but ruled out any prospect of supporting a no-confidence motion in the coalition government.
“I’ve certainly said that the government and all governments should go full term unless there are exceptional circumstances and the next election is due in May next year and that’s time enough,” Dr Phelps told ABC on Sunday.
Dr Phelps said she would be setting two priorities — action on climate change and getting asylum seeker children off Nauru.
She may also lend support for a national integrity commission which has been promoted by Labor, the Greens and crossbenchers for some time. On Sunday, she repeated that she would provide stability, but not tick off on government legislation.
“I’ll support good legislation. I would reject bad legislation,” she told Channel 9.
“We can talk about whatever is in the middle in terms of negotiating better out comes for Australians because I think the role of the crossbench is to hold government to account.”
Dr Phelps, whose campaign targeted the dumping of Mr Turnbull, benefited from Labor and Greens preferences, easily wiping away the 17.7 per cent margin that the former prime minister had secured.
The previous biggest swing against a Coalition government at a federal by-election had been 12 per cent, with the average swing less than 5 per cent. A former Labor Party official said: “Scott Morrison has taken the worst historic swing against a Coalition government and doubled it.”
At Woollahra South polling booth, the Liberals copped a swing of 26.7 per cent, with the pain replicated at Woollahra Public School (24.7 per cent), Darlinghurst East (23 per cent) and Kings Cross Central (18.6 per cent).
With six months until the next election, the result sent shockwaves through the Liberal Party. One senior government minister described the result as a “bloodbath”.
Mr Turnbull, who spent the day in Singapore, laid low throughout the campaign, although his son Alex was privately accused of undermining the party through his social media attacks.
He took to Twitter again last night, declaring: “Incredible result and proud of the people of Wentworth. A hearty congratulations to @drkerrynphelps who fought a great campaign. A great day for Australian democracy.”
Anger at the dumping of Mr Turnbull was evident early, with long lines forming as soon as polling booths opened and voters brushing past Liberal volunteers handing out how-to-vote cards, instead heading directly to booths.
In a sign of defeat, only a handful of government MPs campaigned at polling booths yesterday, including Education Minister Dan Tehan, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Social Services Minister Paul Fletcher, despite the risk to the government’s majority.
In the past fortnight the Morrison government was gripped by drama after its senators accidentally voted in favour of Pauline Hanson’s controversial “It’s OK to be white” motion. The government also faced a backlash from key trading partners over the possible relocation of Australia’s Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, which was meant to shore up the Liberal vote in Wentworth.
Mr Sharma talked down the impact of the chaos in Canberra, claiming voters were focused on “issues that really matter to them and their lives”.
“You run a campaign in the circumstances you got,” he said.
There are fears the dramatic swing against the government could further fuel instability within the National Party, amid simmering tensions about the performance of Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack.
William Klare was among the voters who abandoned the Liberals, with the 30-year-old from Bondi lodging a protest vote against what he saw as the party’s failings.
“I did used to vote Liberal but now I’ve gone the opposite way,” Mr Klare said, after casting his vote at Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club.
“Unfortunately the Liberal Party has gone in an ultraconservative position, is in disarray and can’t get anything done.”
Then there was the Turnbull factor. Mr Klare said: “He was hamstrung in his ability to get things done and the party showed its true colours of being run by factions.”
Labor candidate Tim Murray said many ALP supporters had crossed party lines to vote for Dr Phelps.
“I think people wanted to ensure the Liberal Party didn’t hold this seat,” he said.
Fearing Mr Murray would do too well in the seat, Labor ran dead in the final weeks of the campaign to ensure Dr Phelps would benefit from its preferences.
But party officials were so impressed by Mr Murray’s performance sources say he is likely to be groomed to become a mayor.