Nicolle Flint brings Boothby home as Scott Morrison eyes up to 78 seats for majority government

After a close fight, Labor has conceded the seat of Boothby – and Liberal Nicolle Flint’s win will likely give the Coalition the numbers for a majority government.

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South Australia’s most marginal seat of Boothby has paved the way for Scott Morrison to form majority government.

After a knife-edge fight, Labor candidate Nadia Clancy on Monday conceded to Liberal Nicolle Flint, whose win is expected to lift the Coalition’s numbers above the 76 seats needed for a clear majority.

The majority means Mr Morrison will not need to rely on the votes of crossbenchers, including SA’s Centre Alliance MP Rebekha Sharkie who won in Mayo, to get legislation through the House of Representatives.

Mr Morrison looks likely to win at least 77 seats, possibly 78, which would allow him to appoint a Speaker and govern in majority.

He said one of his first acts of government would be to drive through an energy policy to cut power bills around the country by 25 per cent.

“We set out all our energy policies at the election, that’s what I’m going to do … it included a continuation of coal fired power as part of the baseload power in Australia, it also included hydro, it included gas, it includes all of these all around the country,” he said.

“So there’s no change to our policies there. What I took to the election, is what I’m going to do.”

Nicolle Flint’s win in Boothby is expected to life the Coalition’s numbers above the 76 needed for a majority government. Picture: Tom Huntley

Despite the concession from her political opponent, Ms Flint was reluctant to declare herself a victor, but said she looked forward to the Australian Electoral Commission’s declaration.

Boothby was subject to a major redistribution last year, when the electoral commission scrapped the seat of Port Adelaide.

“Boothby has long been a marginal seat, it became more marginal after the redistribution and GetUp!, the unions and Labor threw all their resources at the seat,” Ms Flint told The Advertiser.

“I am so proud of the campaign that we ran and am grateful for all the support I received from my amazing volunteers and local community.

“My primary focus has always been to listen to and deliver for my local community and, pending the declaration by the commission, that’s what I will continue to do.”

SA Labor, which was buoyed by Ms Clancy’s strong showing, took to Twitter to congratulate the first-time candidate.

“Nadia and her team ran an amazing campaign but will fall just short despite getting strong swing,” the tweet said.

It came as the Labor Party was still searching for answers as to what went wrong on Saturday.

State Labor backbencher and former Unions SA state secretary Joe Szakacs took to social media to call on progressive Labor voters not to “demolish” those Australians that didn’t vote for his party.

“The entirety of half the population that voted Liberal are not the racist, eneducated (sic), flat earthers you pontificate about,” he tweeted.

“The job of those with political beliefs is to change people’s votes to change the country for the better – not shout at them from the sidelines.”

Meanwhile, the independent member for Wentworth, Kerryn Phelps, conceded to Liberal candidate Dave Sharma, saying she was proud of what she achieved in just seven months.

Mr Sharma, a former ambassador to Israel, lost a by-election in July last year to Dr Phelps for the seat left vacant after the departure of Malcolm Turnbull.

Meanwhile, Attorney-General Christian Porter will replace the outgoing Christopher Pyne as Leader of the House when federal parliament reconvenes.

Mr Porter said Mr Morrison made the decision prior to the federal election, after Mr Pyne announced his retirement.

And despite the Coalition increasing its presence in the Senate, the Government looks set to need South Australia’s two Centre Alliance senators to pass legislation that Labor and the Greens reject.

Originally published as Nicolle Flint brings Boothby home as Scott Morrison eyes up to 78 seats for majority government