Prodigal politician Mark Latham set for return after 14-year absence
Mark Latham is extremely likely to win a seat in the NSW upper house today and return to public office after a 14 year absence.
NSW State Election 2019
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Mark Latham is extremely likely to win a seat in the NSW upper house today and return to public office after a 14 year absence.
The former federal Labor leader is running under Pauline Hanson’s One Nation — a populist right wing party which is reportedly polling an underlying primary vote of 6 per cent.
Half of the 42 seats of the Legislative Council are up for grabs today for an eight year term, with 346 candidates spread across 21 columns on the ballot paper.
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The quota to win a seat is 4.55 per cent of the primary vote – or just over 200,000 votes – but the optional preferential voting system means minor parties can get voted in with less than these numbers.
With One Nation polling at 6 per cent, a senior Liberal source said Mr Latham was a shoe in.
“Latham is guaranteed to get in, and with preferences One Nation could even pick up a second seat,” they said.
“The Shooters are guaranteed a spot and David Leyonhjelm from the Liberal Democrats has a chance too.”
Mr Leyonhjelm resigned from federal parliament to contest today’s election and is basing his campaign around removing “nanny state issues” like red tape, liquor licencing and lockout laws.
The Liberal/Nationals have 11 MPs in the upper house up for re-election today thanks to their landslide victory in 2011, and with polls deadlocked at 50-50 the Coalition are already resigned to losing Liberal MP Peter Phelps.
“Our ninth spot (on the ballot) is unwinnable, and it’s held at the moment by Peter Phelps,” the Liberal source said.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers candidate Mark Banasiak is expected to win a seat and join his party leader Robert Borsak in the chamber, who is up for re-election in 2023.
Meanwhile independent Jeremy Buckingham is a long shot to retain his seat, as is Christian Democrats member Paul Green.
Labor could also pick up a seat or two today and the Greens could lose one.
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