Voters react in Gold Coast safe Liberal seat to thumping election loss

The mood in the blue ribbon Liberal seat of Moncrieff is mixed after the party’s thumping election loss at the weekend. Read the verdict from the punters.

Voters in one of the Gold Coast’s blue ribbon Liberal seats are divided, with some “shocked” and others “disappointed” by the party’s disastrous election defeat at the weekend.

Despite a 1.5 per cent swing towards Labor, Angie Bell is on track to secure a third term for the coalition in the safe seat of Moncrieff, ahead by 16,225 votes with roughly a third of votes still to be counted on Monday afternoon.

The electorate, which spans 100 square kilometres from Main Beach in the north to Miami in the south and west to Highland Park, has been held by the Liberals since its inception in 1984.

Moncrieff voters at Main Beach express their opinion on the Federal election result. Peter Kuskie and dog Dudley. Picture Glenn Hampson.

Asked how they were feeling about three more years of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Moncrieff constituent Peter Kuskie and his pooch Dudley were both celebrating the Labor victory despite the local polling results.

“Pretty happy – I think it’s brought more stability for Australia,” Mr Kuskie said.

“It’ll be a bit more of the same for the next three years so a bit of certainty, it’s a good thing in this current environment.”

Long-term resident Dennis O’Brien has been one of the loyal voters helping the Liberal Party keep its hold on the electorate, but his support is wavering.

“I’m a Liberals voter but I don’t think the Liberals were putting up much of a case,” Mr O’Brien said.

“I thought Labor was going to win easily but not as easily as they did.”

The grandfather said he had hoped to see the coalition, led by Peter Dutton, take a stronger mandate to voters at the election.

“Some policy on housing that would actually create more housing,” he said.

“That’s the major issue that I have particularly with my grandkids who are looking to buy property.”

Moncrieff voter Dennis O'Brien said he wanted to see more policy from the coalition. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Tracey Innes said she was still shocked by Labor’s victory. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Others in the electorate, like Tracey Innes, stood by the coalition and were still coming to terms with Labor’s landslide victor and another three years led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

“Clearly I don’t think a lot of people understand what Labor is about to be honest. I was shocked,” Mrs Innes said.

“It is what is it – there’s not much you can do about it now. It’s not that I don’t like him (Anthony Albanese), I think he’s a lovely man, I think he’s done really well to get where he’s got.

“I just don’t think that it’s good for our economy.”

Originally published as Voters react in Gold Coast safe Liberal seat to thumping election loss