Ultimate 2022 election guide to voting in Herbert, Dawson, Kennedy electorate QLD
Phillip Thompson vowed to keep fighting for the people of Herbert, no matter the issue, because ‘that is how we do it’.
Townsville
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UPDATE: HERBERT MP Phillip Thompson declared victory on election night surrounded by family, friends and supporters, saying what was happening in Townsville was very different to the rest of the country.
Mr Thompson vowed to keep fighting for the people of Herbert, no matter the issue, because “that is how we do it”.
Results in the polls on election night show Mr Thompson is likely to serve this term in opposition.
The LNP member said he spoke with Labor’s John Ring and Katter’s Australian Party’s Clynton Hawks before speaking with his supporters.
Mr Thompson said many of his friends and colleagues had, or were likely to, lose their seats on election night.
“They have fought hard, they have represented their electorates, and unfortunately we have seen through the polls that have come back tonight, some of them won’t be returned,” he said.
“Townsville is a city like no other, we buck the trend, we pick up the fight always, we stand together when the chips are down, we work as one. That is why tonight we can announce that we can declare victory here in Herbert, whilst acknowledging the hard sacrifice that has been made throughout this country.”
The Afghanistan war veteran took a moment to thank his military buddies, who had helped out during the campaign.
He also took a moment to acknowledge his wife Jenna, saying she was often a single mother when he was away at parliament or working long hours.
The pair have two daughters, Astin and Emery.
He said the family would spend a few days together after a long campaign.
A the Labor camp, Mr Ring has vowed he’s “not going anywhere” as his party sits on the cusp of forming government.
Ring thanked supporters, family and friends and let them know that he had conceded to opponent.
“This will not be the end, I will keep going,” Mr Ring said to cheers from the assembled Labor faithful, but wasn’t committed to specifics.
“That’s my general feeling. I’m doing this for a reason, I want to change things in this city, not just the country.
“Having different levels of government continually arguing with each other holds our city back.”
Mr Ring said seeing the favourable results for his party nationwide was ‘somewhat bittersweet’.
“With a federal Labor government, we’ll have a government that gives us cheaper childcare, fixes aged care, looks after our veterans. Australia looks to have chosen that government, but unfortunately, locally that message hasn’t got through.”
BEFORE: AFGHANISTAN war veteran Phillip Thompson had secured more than 60 per cent of the vote in the first few hours of the count, securing a return to his position as the Herbert MP.
The LNP member was tipped to win the seat from the beginning, having secured a 4.7 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in 2019 over Cathy O’Toole.
By 8pm, the tally showed a strong lead for Mr Thompson, with his main opponent, Labor’s John Ring, trailing by about 6000 votes.
In an unusual swing for North Queensland, Greens candidate Scott Humphreys was shaping up to come third in first preference votes, while Katter’s Australian Party candidate Clynton Hawks was in the fourth spot.
Mr Thompson has made a name for himself in speaking out against his own government, while also taking on both the state and local government over key issues in the North.
The mood was bright at his election night party with cheers heard as Mr Thompson won booths in Bluewater, Rasmussen and Nelly Bay.
However, Rasmussen was the closest between Mr Thompson and his Labor opponent.
At the time of publication 27 polling booths had been returned.
Labor election staff and volunteers have maintained a spirited atmosphere at their headquarters.
Early in the evening, before Mr Ring had appeared to meet with supporters, Labor members were watching the election results tally up eagerly as the first seats were decided.
Mr Thompson was yet to speak to the hordes of supporters by the time of publication.
“Were here celebrating with our great volunteers who have contributed to a great campaign for an excellent candidate,” LNP regional vice-president Natalie Marr said.
“Tonight is about thanking them and their support, and we’re here to support Phil.”
Promising results for the ALP are being met with scattered applause as the Labour base in Herbert watch the election unfold. Even as the mood increasingly turns as the prospect of a hung parliament or Liberal minority government becomes more likely based on the early results.
Despite the electoral challenges becoming apparent for the party’s hopes to unseat the Morrison-Joyce government, the mood is much improved over the party’s ill-fated 2019 campaign, according to at least one campaigner who was present for both.
Also optimistic is Senate candidate Edwina Andrews, who remains ‘cautiously optimistic’ following the defeat of Herbert candidate John Ring.
”Very early to tell, the early numbers are difficult to project form, especially with such a high postal vote, it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out. The higher green vote speaks for a lot to how the electorate are feeling.”
”That’s very interesting, it says a lot about the priorities of Australians. I think we had cautious optimism, 2019 taught us not to take anything for granted, and it’s always difficult to project the actual result based on polls. They’re notoriously inaccurate, particularly with the young vote, which we’re seeing in how the polls failed to capture the green vote.”
Mr Thompson has made $85,154,000 worth of promises in the lead up to the election.
The election night count begins
THE count has started with Australian Electoral Commission staff across the country working into the night to find out who our next leader will be.
In two of the last four federal elections, the vote has been too close to determine who will form government - however, every vote cast today will be counted tonight.
Some preferences may begin to flow in certain seats, but in Herbert, the first preference votes are expected to give an indication of who will be the region’s next member of parliament.
AEC staff will also count the majority of pre-poll votes tonight, and given that more than 32 per cent of Herbert voted in the two weeks to Friday, the votes will make a difference to the final count.
Legally, the AEC cannot call a seat on election night, but can declare an electorate won when the margin in context is larger than the total votes left to be counted.
A mandatory formal second count must be completed before a seat can be declared.
Postal votes, of which there were 2.7m applied for this election, will not be counted tonight.
Postal vote count will begin on Sunday.
But, breathe easy, because the election ads are not officially over.
32% of Herbert vote before election day polls open
MORE than 32 per cent of Herbert voters had their say before the polling booths opened this morning.
That is four per cent more than votes in the 2019 election in the three-week pre-polling period.
This year, there was only two weeks of pre-poll, with more than 36,751 people turning up to vote.
In Dawson, which encompasses part of Townsville, more than 40 per cent of the electorate voted early. That was on-par with 2019.
It's a big day on the booths in Townsville! Here we have Senate candidate @EdwinaAndrew2, @P_Thompson88's wife Jenna and an old state candidate in Alannah Tomlinson handing out for The Katters! #AusVotes2022@tsv_bulletinpic.twitter.com/WouO1kTvwL
— Caitlan Charles (@ccharles93) May 21, 2022
Pre-poll numbers were high in Kennedy as well, with 41.4 per cent voting before election day.
In 2019, 38 per cent of Kennedy voted in pre-poll.
The trend has been reflected across the country, but it was the hotly-contested seat of Hinkler that took out the top spot for pre-poll votes.
The Bundaberg-based seat had 46.9 per cent of enrolled voters have their say early. This is lower than 2019, where 49.7 per cent voted early.
The booths will close at 6pm tonight, with Australian Electoral Commission staff working through the night to count primary votes.
LNP MP thanks Townsville for past three years
HERBERT MP Phillip Thompson said he has been working hard for the past three years to put the community before politics, and that will not change after today.
21 May Election Day - VOTE VOTE VOTE like your life depends on it! #auspol#ausvotes#ClimateActionNow#healthy#democracysausagepic.twitter.com/ssLjZSIK8i
— Angela Egan - Independent Candidate for Herbert (@DrAngelaEgan) May 20, 2022
The MP was seen shaking hands with voters - as well as a few dogs paws - at the Bohlevale State School election booth.
“It’s good to see people out voting,“ Mr Thompson said.
“It’s now up to the people of Herbert, I’ve been the member for three years and it’s been an absolute honour.”
Labor candidates hit the booths
John Ring has taken a moment to thank everyone who helped on his campaign as voters head to the booths.
Mr Ring and senate candidate Edwina Andrew were handing out how to vote cards at St Anthony’s Catholic College.
“Labor always has a good grassroots campaign,” Mr Ring said.
He said that if he is elected to the seat, Townsville has a bright future with manufacturing and high-tech jobs on the horizon.
“There will be thousands of jobs for the future,” he said
Ms Andrew, Labor’s Townsville-based senate candidate, said she had been out on the road for much of the campaign and the vibe was different this year.
First #democracysausage of the day at Townsville State School. They have a great spread of cakes and are fundraising for some new appliances at the tuck shop. #herbert#townsville@tsv_bulletinpic.twitter.com/SmIwmkg6jD
— Caitlan Charles (@ccharles93) May 20, 2022
“There have been so many comments made to me by people who are lifelong conservative voters and they’ve not voted conservative this year,” she said
Ultimate guide to voting in NQ this election
THE next three years are looking starkly different in Herbert, with a member in opposition one of the most likely outcomes for the region.
Despite his waning popularity after an election campaign of gaffes made it difficult to trust Anthony Albanese could lead the nation, there is still a good chance he could be Australia’s next Prime Minister.
It seems Scott Morrison has managed to shed his mistakes of the past, with his reputation for saying the wrong thing and awkward encounters with constituents marring his term as Prime Minister.
But, on a local level, it is even more likely that current sitting MP Phillip Thompson will retain his seat.
If this scenario plays out, it could be a very different term for Mr Thompson.
The MP has put forward $85,154,000 worth of promises, including $5m for broadcast quality lights at Riverway Stadium and cash for a number of crime-prevention programs.
But there is only one promise the LNP has made that has been matched by the Opposition – $70m for a Hydrogen Hub in Townsville.
For the most part, Mr Thompson has run a ‘small targets’ campaign, hitting close to home for voters with cash for community organisations and crime prevention.
On the other hand, Labor candidate John Ring has targeted the big ticket items designed to grow North Queensland
He has splashed cash all over the place with $22m for Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct the first major announcement he made.
Mr Ring followed it up with $32m for NQ Spark, and $70m for the Hydrogen Hub.
All of these projects have been listed by region advocates Townsville Enterprise and Townsville City Council on election and budget wishlists.
But that doesn’t mean he has ignored the ‘smaller’ issues on the ground, promising $12.4m to help combat the Crazy Yellow Ant issue plaguing parts of the region.
If the cards fall where it is predicted, Mr Thompson could also be delivering on projects he has actively spoken out against.
This includes the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, which when Labor made the announcement, Mr Thompson said there was not enough information available for an LNP government to invest further.
The LNP government committed to providing $12m from the left over Haughton Pipeline Stage 2 funding towards the Townsville City Council’s project, which matches the state government’s commitment.
Labor has also not committed to following through on some of Mr Thompson’s promises, either, despite a number of them primed to benefit the community.
There are, of course, another two alternatives – Mr Ring wins the seat of Herbert, or the Coalition secure government.
Both of these are also possibilities – however Herbert has not been identified by experts as a close seat.
In the 2019 election, Mr Thompson won the seat from Labor’s Cathy O’Toole with a 8.3 per cent gain.
While it is not impossible, it is a large margin for Mr Ring to try and win back.
Whatever the voters of Herbert decide this weekend, it’s certainly going to be an interesting three years.
Today, North Queenslanders will head to the voting booths to decide who will be Herbert, Dawson and Kennedy’s next leaders.
The vote, which will help determine who Australia’s next Prime Minister is, happens once every three years and gives Australian’s a chance to have their say on the direction the country should be going.
North Queensland is split between three electorates, with parts of Townsville falling into Herbert and Dawson, while much of the area west of the city making up Kennedy.
Currently, the LNP hold Herbert (Phillip Thompson), while former LNP turned One Nation member George Christensen holds Dawson. Mr Christensen will not recontest the seat.
In Kennedy, long-term MP Bob Katter holds the seat.
In Herbert, there are 11 candidates for voters to pick from:
>>Angela Egan, INDP
>>Clynton Hawks, KAP
>>Greg Dowling, UAP
>>John Ring, ALP
>>Phillip Thompson, LNP
>>Toni McMahon, IMOP
>>Scott Humphreys, GRN
>>Steven Clare, INDP
>>Larna Ballard, GAP
>>Toni McCormack, AJP
>>Diane Pepe, PHON
>>>MEET THE HERBERT CANDIDATES
In Dawson, there are seven candidates for voters to pick from:
>>Andrew Willcox, LNP
>>Christian Young, UAP
>>Ciaron Paterson, KAP
>>James Jackson, GAP
>>Julie Hall, PHON
>>Paula Creen, GRN
>>Shane Hamilton, Labor
In Kennedy, there are six candidates for voters to pick from:
>>Bob Katter, KAP
>>Bryce McDonald, LNP
>>Jason Brandon, ALP
>>Jennifer Cox, GRN
>>Jen Sackley, INDP
>>Peter Campion, UAP
>>>MEET THE NQ SENATE CANDIDATES
VOTING WITH COVID
People who have tested positive to COVID-19 after 6pm on Friday, May 13 are now eligible to vote over the phone. To register, head to the AEC website.
Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said every single Australian who has tested positive to COVID-19 either has been, or will be, able to access their vote.
“With many jurisdictions internationally not offering voting services for COVID+ voters during the pandemic, we’re proud to be delivering the combination of safe and secure voting services for all voters,” Mr Rogers said.
“We heard from community members who did not apply for a postal vote before the deadline, we acted to extend the phone voting service and all Covid positive voters can vote in the election.”
WHERE TO VOTE ON SATURDAY
Voting booths across the region will open at 8am on Saturday and close at 6pm.
It is unclear at this stage how many booths will host a democracy sausage sizzle, with the fundraisers becoming few and far between in recent elections.
However, the Democracy Sausage website says St Clare’s Catholic School, the Weir State School, Currajong State School, Oonoonba State School, Magnetic Island State School, Railway Estate State School and Townsville South State School will have a sausage sizzle, cake stall or bacon and egg burgers.
If you are voting from interstate, you will need to head to either Precinct 21, Townsville city, or Greenwood Park Sporting Complex, Kirwan, or another voting centre set up for pre-polling.
Townsville
Aitkenvale State School
Annandale State School
Belgian Gardens State School
Bluewater State School
Bohlevale State School
Brothers Townsville Football Club
Cranbrook State School
Currajong State School
Garbutt State School
Greenwood Park Sporting Complex
Heatley State School
Hermit Park State School
HLT (St George Kneipp Auditorium), James Cook University
Kelso State School
Kirwan State High School
Kirwan State School
Magnetic Island Bowls Club
Magnetic Island State School
Mundingburra State School
Northern Beaches High School
Oonoonba State School
Phoenix Netball Club Hall, Corcoran Park
Pimlico State High School
Progress Association Hall, Alice River
Railway Estate State School
Rasmussen State School
Ryan Catholic College
St Anthony’s Catholic College (Secondary Campus)
St Clare’s Catholic School
St Peter’s Church Hall
Thuringowa State High School
Townsville Central State School
Townsville Grammar Junior School (Annandale Campus)
Townsville South State School
Vincent State School
Weir State School
Wulguru State School
Greater Townsville
Giru Branch QCWA Hall
Nome District Rural Fire Brigade Hall
Woodstock State School
Rollingstone State School
Police Citizens Youth Club, Palm Island
Burdekin
Ayr East State School
Burdekin Sports Club Hall
St Coleman’s Catholic School, Home Hill
Hinchinbrook
Cardwell State School
Forrest Beach State School
Halifax State School
Ingham State School
Long Pocket CWA Hall
Lucinda Coast Guard
Macknade State School
Toobanna State School
Trebonne State School
Tyto Conference and Events Centre
Victoria Plantation State School
Charters Towers
Charters Towers Council Chambers
Central State School
Charters Towers Choristers Hall
Richmond Hill State School
North West
Pentland State School
Hughenden RSL
Cloncurry State School
Julia Creek State School
Richmond Shire Hall
Mount Isa
Barkley Highway State School
Sunset State School
Spinifex State College
Central State School Library
Healey State School
Happy Valley State School
Bowen
Bowen Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC)
Queens Beach State School, Bowen
Originally published as Ultimate 2022 election guide to voting in Herbert, Dawson, Kennedy electorate QLD
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