Former Cairns mayor, Terry James, in the box seat to win Mulgrave
A familiar face is set to return to the Far North political landscape after emerging as a late entrant to the race for Mulgrave at this weekend’s state election.
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A familiar face is set to return to the Far North political landscape after emerging as a late entrant in the race for Mulgrave at this weekend’s state election.
At deadline, former Cairns mayor Terry James appeared the likely frontrunner to claim the seat with Labor’s Richie Bates still an outside chance to win, with more than half the vote tallied.
With around 4000 postal votes yet to be counted, it’s possible that an official result may not be declared until Wednesday.
Mr Bates narrowly trails his LNP rival in the preliminary count.
But it’s understood that preference votes from the Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) and One Nation will give Mr James the nod.
The former councillor, who started collecting his more than 250 corflutes with his wife Carole on Sunday morning, said he was quietly confident he’d emerge victorious later in the week.
“I’m cautious at the moment but optimistic,” he said. “The trend is going in the right direction but I won’t believe anything until I see it in writing.
While other candidates hit the ground running in the electorate, a protracted preselection process forced Mr James to wait until September before his campaign could be launched.
“It was a 10-horse race and I had seven weeks to do it,” he said.
“(Former Member for Mulgrave) Curtis Pitt’s retirement made it a new seat and a new game and that’s probably why there were so many candidates.
“I’ve also only just come out of council which I think gives you some profile and little bit of an edge.”
The next challenge will be to unite the constituency after yielding around 26 per cent first preference votes, Mr James said.
“It’s a great challenge but that’s what I’ve thrived on in my political life and that’s what I’ll do,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter whether you voted for me or not, you’ll get the same service.”
Should the LNP win Mulgrave, Mr Bates said it was vital that voters lobbied for better services in the region’s southern growth corridor.
“They want those infrastructure and services,” he said.
“They want a satellite hospital, they want community centres, they want an upgraded police station and we were able to make those commitments.
“In Mulgrave, people are also questioning whether a Crisafulli government can deliver the things that they need.”
Mr Bates praised his volunteer base for their dedication throughout a challenging campaign.
“They believed in the cause,” he said. “They believed in what Labor was prepared to offer for the growth of Mulgrave and the southern suburbs.
“When people get behind you, then you know that you’re in the right space.”
More Coverage
Originally published as Former Cairns mayor, Terry James, in the box seat to win Mulgrave
Re-elected KAP stalwart on party’s future
Strong results across regional Queensland has given Katter’s Australian Party reason to believe it could almost double its seats at the next state election, Member for Hill Shane Knuth says.
Member for Cairns vows to hold new premier to account
A returning Far North MP will play a key role in critiquing the new Crisafulli government, as Labor contemplates life in opposition for the first time in almost a decade.