North-West race not yet decided as Luke Edmunds, Meg Webb re-elected to Legislative Council

Without an incumbent, the vote for a North-West Legislative Council seat is yet to be decided, in contrast to the two southern races. Hear from the two candidates battling for the last spot >>

Meg Webb voting at Mt Nelson primary school. Picture: Caroline Tan

Former Liberal president of the Senate, Stephen Parry, admits it is “highly unlikely” he will win the seat of Montgomery in the Legislative Council – but he hasn’t conceded yet.

Casey Hiscutt, who leads Mr Parry by just 542 votes, is also not claiming victory.

The final result will come down to preferences to decide who replaces Mr Hiscutt’s mother retiring Liberal MLC Leonie Hiscutt.

Mr Hiscutt, who ran as an independent, is hoping to follow his mother and great uncles Des and Hugh Hiscutt, who both served in the Upper House.

He’s pleased he topped the poll with 7056 votes or 31.89 per cent ahead of Mr Parry with 6514 votes or 29.44 per cent.

Independent candidate for Montgomery Casey Hiscutt at Dial Park, Penguin. Picture: Elise Kaine

Mr Hiscutt, a Central Coast councillor, is hopeful preferences will go his way.

“To get the most primaries is always a pleasing situation to be in but you can’t claim a victory until you know a little bit more about where the preferences are going to flow but I think I’m happy with the position that I’m in,” he said.

“I think it likely (to get preferences) but I’ve been avoiding the word ‘confident’ for the entire campaign so I’m not going to say (I am) confident.

“I definitely stand on the shoulders of giants. But I have been a councillor in Central Coast Council for the last six years and I’ve done many things to stand on my own two feet as well.

“I think being present in the community and getting to events and being there with the people is very important.

“I’d like to think I’ve done my fair share of that, but also recognising the fact that the Hiscutts have been doing that for 150 years as well.”

Mr Parry was disappointed he was not winning.

Former senate president Stephen Parry is the Liberal candidate for Montgomery. Picture: Elise Kaine

“It’s highly unlikely that I can win from here, but there’s still a lot of counting to be done and we’ve got no idea where the preferences are going to go,” he said.

“Until there’s some more counting done, and until we start to see a bit of a preference flow, there’s still a lot of postal and phone votes that still come in, so look, I think it’s unlikely from here, but there’s still a chance.”

Mr Parry said the Hiscutt name was strong in the North-West and he “was always fighting the name”.

He did not blame the poor performance of the federal Liberal Party at the recent federal election for his likely loss.

“There’s no doubt there are many, many factors and I still believe that voters are discerning enough to work out the difference between federal and state politics.

“There might have been a percentage unhappy but how do you measure it?”

Legislative Council elections: Two sitting MLCs returned

Two sitting members in the Legislative Council have won their seats – but there is a closer race in the North-West seat of Montgomery.

In the south, Meg Webb has been comfortably re-elected winning every polling booth in Nelson with 51 per cent of the votes counted so far.

At the close of counting on Saturday night in the three-way contest in Nelson, Ms Webb had received 9761 first preference votes, with Liberal candidate Marcus Vermey on 6407 votes or 34 per cent of the total and the Greens’ Nathan Volf had 2614 or 13.9 per cent.

Ms Webb, who worked in the community sector, was first elected in 2019. She replaced Jim Wilkinson, a former president of the Legislative Council, who retired after 24 years.

In the eastern shore seat of Pembroke, Labor’s Luke Edmunds ended the night clearly ahead with 43.9 per cent of the vote counted receiving 7535 votes.

Luke Edmunds accompanied by his family voting at Bellerive Primary School. Picture: Caroline Tan

Green candidate Carly Allen was in second spot with 20.91 per cent or 3585 votes – narrowly ahead of Clarence deputy mayor and former member of the Legislative Council Allison Ritchie with 3546 votes and 20.68 per cent.

Clarence councillor and former MLC Tony Mulder has 1739 votes with Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Steve Loring with 741 votes.

Mr Edmunds was first elected in 2022 in a by-election to replace Labor MLC Jo Seijka, who won the previously Liberal held seat.

In Montgomery, Casey Hiscutt, the son of retiring Liberal member Leonie Hiscutt is ahead of the Liberal’s Stephen Parry, the former president of the Senate.

Mr Hiscutt, who stood as an independent, had received 7056 votes or 31.89 per cent of those counted.

Independent candidate for Montgomery Casey Hiscutt and his mother and incumbent member for the seat, Leonie Hiscutt. Picture: Supplied

Mr Parry was sitting on 6514 votes or 29.44 per cent while the Greens’ candidate Darren Briggs has 21.43 per cent with 4742 votes.

Adrian Pickin of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers had 2870 votes or 12.9 per cent with Gatty Burnettt on 4.25 per cent and 941 votes.

The Tasmanian Electoral Commission says Sunday will be an administrative day when provisional votes will be processed and out-of-division votes will be returned to their home division.

Rechecking of polling place and pre-poll first preferences will start on Monday, along with the counting of provisional and out-of-division votes and approximately 1200 telephone votes.

The TEC said after a recent amendment to the Electoral Act, 66 people with a print disability had voted by phone at the three elections held on Saturday.

Counting of postal votes will begin on Thursday.

The TEC issued 4027 postal ballot packs for the elections, with more than 3000 already returned.

Originally published as North-West race not yet decided as Luke Edmunds, Meg Webb re-elected to Legislative Council