NSW Labor Senator Deborah O’Neill ’absolutely delighted’ to keep Senate seat

AS THE Coast awaits the official result in the seat of Robertson, Labor Senator-elect Deborah O’Neill has confirmed she is on track to return to the Senate having already secured a quota.

Labor candidate for Robertson Anne Charlton and Senator-elect Deb O'Neill watch the results come in at the Labor’s election party at Ocean Beach Surf Club. Picture: Mark Scott

AS THE Coast awaits the official result in the seat of Robertson, Labor Senator-elect Deborah O’Neill has confirmed she is on track to return to the Senate having already secured a quota.

While some results won’t be known until the end of the week, Senator O’Neill has told the Express Advocate she was “absolutely delighted” to be able to continue her work on the Central Coast as one of four NSW Labor senators to secure seats in the Upper House.

On current projections, the ­Coalition is on track to win ­between 29 and 31 seats in the 76-seat Upper House, Labor ­between 25 and 27, the Greens nine, and independent and micro parties up to 13.

Former lower house MP Ms O’Neill was selected by her own party to replace the retiring Senator Bob Carr when he resigned after the September 2013 federal election.

Senator Deborah O'Neill and Labor’s candidate for Dobell Emma McBride talks to a local resident about cancer care.

She said her most significant contribution to the Senate since she was appointed in 2013 was as chair of the Senate Select Committee on Health.

“And I am still committed as a Labor senator to continue to fight to make sure the Liberals don’t attack Medicare,” she said.

Senator O’Neill congratulated the Labor candidates on the Central Coast including Emma McBride, who claimed victory in Dobell, and Pat Conroy, who held Labor’s position in Shortland.

“The entire community of Dobell will feel the change with Emma — a person of great integrity and someone who grew up in that electorate and who understands the joys and challenges of the community there and will deliver,” Senator O’Neill said.

Of Mr Conroy she said he would bring “a different energy” to the northern suburbs of the Coast in his new seat of Shortland.

“He’s a Coast boy who grew up in Umina and has insights into life as a young family man,” she said.

Shortland Labor candidate Pat Conroy at a polling station in Lake Munmorah. Picture: Supplied

With the result in Robertson still on a knife edge, Ms O’Neill said it was still too early for Labor candidate to concede defeat to incumbent Liberal MP Lucy Wicks.

“People had written this seat off a long time ago. But I’m still very confident for Anne. She has run a tremendous campaign,” she said of her former chief of staff, Ms Charlton.

Senator O’Neill said she would continue to fight for a performing arts centre for Gosford waterfront.

She said the decision to put the Australian Taxation Office building on the former Gosford Public School site would be “a disaster” and “an affront to the people of the Central Coast”.

“We want to bring jobs to the Coast, but through the building of a performing arts centre,” she said.