Labor’s Ged Kearney to win Batman by-election as Greens concede
LABOR has shocked the Greens to come from behind and snatch victory in the Melbourne seat of Batman, despite going into the crucial by-election as underdogs.
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LABOR has come from behind to snatch victory in the Melbourne seat of Batman despite going into the crucial by-election as underdogs.
Labor’s newest MP Ged Kearney appeared on stage at the Thornbury Theatre shortly after 10pm to celebrate the victory alongside Labor leader Bill Shorten, who declared: “Labor is back in Batman.”
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“From the bookmakers to the commentators they wrote Labor off in Batman and you have proved them wrong,” he told the cheering crowd.
Ms Kearney told supporters it was a win for “true Labor values”.
Last night Labor strategists were already using the win to claim its tax dividend imputation proposal hadn’t shifted a vote in the final week of campaigning after Labor leader Bill Shorten announced the controversial plan.
With more than 60 per cent of the votes counted, Greens candidate Alex Bhathal conceded defeat just after 9pm, meaning Labor’s Ged Kearney will replace former MP David Feeney in Canberra.
“This is not the result any of us would have wanted,” Ms Bhathal said. “I wish Ged all the very best in Canberra.”
Greens leader Richard Di Natale also spoke as the party conceded defeat.
He called for Ms Kearney to “get serious” about supporting the electorate and stopping the Adani mine in Queensland.
“It has a tough contest, it has been a very tight contest,” Dr Di Natale said.
Labor strategists used the win to claim its tax dividend imputation proposal hadn’t shifted a vote.
Going into election night, the Greens were hopeful they would secure a second seat in federal parliament with polls predicting social worker Ms Bhathal would claim victory.
But polling day was marred by “dirty tricks” with Labor accusing political rivals of allegedly scaring elderly residents, who are less likely to vote for the Greens, away from polling booths.
Late on Saturday, the Labor Party was forced to launch a last-minute phone and text blitz encouraging 12,000 older residents to vote.
Labor says it was forced into the expensive tactic after reports surfaced that residents over 70 had been targeted by an anonymous robocall telling them they didn’t to attend polling booths.
Labor reported the incident to the Victorian Electoral Commission and said it was “as low as it gets”.
Going into election day, Labor was concerned the party could lose the seat, which it has held for almost a century.
Campaign strategists highlighted the huge demographic shift in the electorate, including a tripling of the number of professionals since 2001. In the past five years house prices in the southern suburbs have also shot up by more than 60 per cent.
The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal the Government will use any swing against Labor as a sign Australians despise the opposition’s $59 billion tax raid.
On the campaign trail today, Labor leader Bill Shorten dismissed reports his dividend imputation proposal had hampered Labor’s chances.
Meanwhile, the Liberal party could smell victory tonight in South Australia where opposition leader Steven Marshall was in the box seat to be the state’s next Premier.
YOUNG VOTERS CHOOSE GREENS IN BATMAN
A GENERATIONAL divide has emerged among voters in the Batman vote.
Older voters have been sticking with Labor but younger voters have all turned Green.
There were 13 Labor volunteers handing out how to vote cards, seven Stop Adani activists and six Greens at the Northcote Town Hall.
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But despite the smaller number of how to vote volunteers, the Greens were polling strongly among voters the Herald Sun interviewed.
Lucy, 30, of Northcote, said she had “always voted Green”.
And Alicia, 30, also of Northcote did the same. “The Greens usually have the best interests at heart,” she said.
Sophie, 28, of Northcote, also went Green, despite supporting Labor’s Ged Kearney.
“I prefer the Greens party although I think Labor has the better candidate,” she said. “Adani did have an impact on my vote in a strange way.”
But pensioner Malcolm, 68, said the last thing he wanted was a “loony” Green in federal Parliament.
“I don’t like the idea of a Greens win. I think the Greens are all lunatics,” the Labor voter said. “We don’t need any more lunatics.”
But he said that Labor’s staffers needed to be sacked for announcing a tax hike just days out from the by-election.
The Greens have gone against the tax, which could be a factor in this vote.
“You don’t give someone and axe and then ask them to hit you in the forehead with it,” he said.
He said that the banks would stop the contentious Adani coal mine in Queensland and questioned why it was relevant.
Malcolm said Northcote had changed since he moved in 20 years ago after selling a house in North Fitzroy.
“It’s hipsterville. When I moved in there were nine pawn shops on the main drag,” he said.
“Now there’s 26 restaurants and a loaf of bread at that bakery over there is $9.”
LABOR PHONE CAMPAIGNING TURNS VOTERS OFF
SARA Hill, 34, of Northcote, said she felt harassed by Labor in the lead up to the vote.
“Ged Kearney and the Labor Party have been calling us, they’ve called my phone, my dad’s phone and after I emailed them to complain I started getting SMS messages,” she said.
“If anything it’s has made me not want to vote Labor.”
Ms Hill, who was yet to cast her vote when she spoke to the Herald Sun, said she was leaning towards the Greens.
“I’ve voted Labor in the past but I’ll probably go Greens,” she said.
And Queensland’s Adani coal mine was a factor in her decision.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Although it’s going to bring more jobs it’s also going to bring more pollution and that’s not good for our future,” she said.
But some voters were sticking with Labor, with Ms Kearney’s long history in the union movement playing a part in securing their vote.
Kate, 60, of Northcote, said she had been a lifelong Labor voter.
“Ged Kearney is experienced and has been a union supporter and representative for a long time,” she said.
But despite her support for Labor, Kate said that leader Bill Shorten picked the wrong week to announce tax changes.
“It was probably foolish to announce that this week,” she said.
Ged Kearney told the Herald Sun she expected a long night ahead as she greeted voters outside the Northcote Town Hall.
“It’s very close and it’s going to go down to the wire,” she said.
Ms Kearney was being promoted as a “nurse going into parliament” by supporters handing out leaflets.
She said she would have further comments tonight.
The traditional safe Labor seat has been under siege by the Greens, as hipsters have moved in to the former working class area.
Kearney, a highly respected union leader, has been out in the electorate this morning trying to secure crucial last minute votes.
“Can you believe it — today is election day! I’ll be out there all day throughout Batman, asking you for your vote. I hope to see you there,” she tweeted.
Greens candidate Alex Bhathal was expected to cast her vote at the Preston West Primary School this morning.
The campaign has been fought on national rather than local issues.
The Australian Conservation Foundation has been trying to make it a referendum on the planned Adani coal mine in Queensland.
And Labor’s tax plans to cut franking credits for shareholders have also played into the debate, with the Greens going against the tax $60bn tax grab.
The Liberal Party has not fielded a candidate in the by-election, increasing the chances of a Greens victory that would give Malcolm Turnbull some breathing room in Canberra.
The Greens are poised to win a second inner-suburban Melbourne seat today when voters in the seat of Batman head to the polls.
A win for bookies’ favourite Alex Bhathal would double the party’s Lower House representation in Canberra and is likely to have ramifications for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten’s authority over Labor.
A senior ALP campaign figure said the result was too close to call but believed Mr Shorten’s proposed tax changes had damaged the party with Liberals whose votes it needs to win Saturday.
There’s no hard data on it. Obviously, if we get negative comments on the phones, that’s what it’s all about,” the source said.
In recent days, a number of Labor MPs have expressed concern about the policy to the Herald Sun.
While the plan is designed to hit the wealthy and reap a large revenue yield of $11.4 billion over forward estimates, thousands of retirees in the seat would be hit by the policy.
Labor candidate and former ACTU president Ged Kearney used the last day of campaigning to remind voters the Greens joined the Coalition to cut pensions three years ago.
“A vote for the Greens is a vote for the party who cut your pension,” she said.
But the result could also spell trouble for Greens leader Richard Di Natale, with the senator being blamed for a bitter internal dispute that destabilised the campaign.
A veteran Greens activist said there would be a lot of introspection if the party lost.
“The suspicion is that people around Richard are responsible for this — there are a number of names that keep coming up,” the source said.
“The leakers and the saboteurs are not going to have a pleasant time of it whatever happens.”
Another senior Greens source said there was a widespread belief Senator Di Natale’s office played a role in destabilising the campaign.
Sources said tensions could become a threat to Senator Di Natale’s leadership, with fellow Victorian Adam Bandt — who had coveted the leadership for some time — a possible candidate.
“It is fair to say he would be widely supported by the membership,” the source said.
Labor has held the seat for all but one term since the mid 1930s, but the resignation of David Feeney this year over his citizenship status has delivered the Greens its biggest chance to win the seat.
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