Labor and Jacqui Lambie likely to fight over sixth Tasmanian Senate seat
The results in the House of Representatives took centre stage but now attention is turning to the Senate. Check out the latest in the count.
Tasmania
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The election of Tasmania’s sixth senator is expected to be a battle between Labor and Jacqui Lambie.
Sitting Liberal senator Richard Colbeck is optimistic he will be elected and has taken aim at some who he said had not worked in the party’s best interests during the federal election campaign.
Senator Lambie is disappointed the Liberals have preferenced Pauline Hanson’s One Nation ahead of her and says the final result is “anyone’s guess”.
Australian Electoral Commission counting on Sunday showed that the Labor Party has 2.4 quotas, the Liberals 1.5 quotas, the Greens 1.2 quotas, Jacqui Lambie .46 of a quota, One Nation .38 and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers .16 of a quota.
Twelve parties were on the Senate ballot paper in Tasmania and to be elected a candidate needs a full quota.
Based on the early counting Labor’s Carol Brown and newcomer Richard Dowling would be elected along with the Liberals’ Senator Claire Chandler and the Greens Senator Nick McKim.
The third Labor contender is Bailey Falls.
Senator Colbeck said he was feeling “flat” at the election results.
“I’m not happy, I’m pretty flat,” he said.
“I think I should be ok because I will get One Nation preferences but it is a hodge podge ballot paper and the preferences could scatter anywhere.
“The most difficult thing for me is that there were some in the party who worked against our campaign.
“They did not want to get involved and they had other agendas.”
Senator Colbeck put the Liberals’ poor showing down to “Labor’s negative scare campaign”.
“People were very worried about their health care and the cost of our nuclear power policy was based on dodgy costings,” he said.
He was disappointed at the results in Clark and Franklin but praised the two candidates who ran.
“We were the most conservative party in the most progressive parts of the state.”
Senator Lambie said she was “sick of competing” against the major parties in terms of funding.
“We haven’t raised the cash we usually do from people giving us $10 or $20 because times are tough,” she said.
“I only had about $600,000 for eight candidates.
“The Liberals have put me nearly last in preferences and One Nation will get their preferences.”
After an exhausting campaign she said she would be back at work on Monday and await the final results in the next two weeks.
No Liberals fronted the media on Sunday but in a short statement, Senator Chandler thanked candidates for their “incredible efforts”.
“I want to thank everyone who voted Liberal, and those who worked tirelessly on our campaign: our volunteers, our staff and of course each and every one of our candidates who sacrificed so much in order to contest the election,” she said.
“In particular, I want to acknowledge and thank Bridget Archer.
“She has been an outstanding Member for Bass for the past six years, and her voice advocating for her community in the Federal Parliament will be sorely missed.”
Originally published as Labor and Jacqui Lambie likely to fight over sixth Tasmanian Senate seat
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