This was published 8 years ago
Australian federal election 2016: Tasmania breaks for Labor as Andrew Nikolic concedes defeat
By Tom McIlroy
- Election 2016: news, analysis and video
- Live election coverage, polls and results
- Seat results: Jamie Briggs dumped, Pauline Hanson comeback, bellwether falls to Labor
The government's loss of three seats in Tasmania emerged as one of the shocks of federal election, as key Tony Abbott loyalist and former army officer Andrew Nikolic conceded defeat in his seat of Bass early in the night.
Voters in Bass have rejected incumbent MPs for 15 years in the marginal seat, which takes in Launceston and small towns around Tasmania's north and north-east.
Elected in 2013, Mr Nikolic was quickly recognised as a conservative voice within the Coalition and briefly served as government whip in 2015, replaced when Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull rolled Tony Abbott.
He conceded defeat to Labor's Ross Hart about 8pm, amid an about 10.6 per cent swing away form the government in the state's biggest electorate.
Andrew Nikolic lost his seat of Bass in Tasmania's north east.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Mr Nikolic refused to give television cameras access to his election night function.
Dubbed the Liberal "three amigos", Mr Nikolic, Lyons MP Eric Hutchinson and Brett Whiteley in Braddon both lost on Saturday, after each supported Mr Abbott over Mr Turnbull in the September leadership spill.
The election campaign was interrupted by the worst flooding in nearly a century, which hit regional communities in Tasmania and left three people dead and about $100 million in damage nationally.
Mr Hart told supporters they had helped deliver Labor "a famous victory" in the Bass.
Defeated MP Andrew Nikolic, with former prime minister Tony Abbott.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
"There is no electorate that is too blue to be turned into a red electorate," he said at an election night function.
Lyons, which covers nearly half of the state, elected Labor's Brian Mitchell over Mr Hutchinson with a swing of about 3.6 per cent confirmed.
Mr Hutchinson cited anti-government robo-calls to voters in the electorate as a key factor but was not conceding defeat.
"We're not giving up at this stage, it was always going to be close," he told ABC TV.
"There's a lot of very vulnerable people who were frightened by a whole series of lies. It seems to have had an impact."
The seat has had four members since 1983.
In Braddon, Labor's Justine Keay toppled Mr Whiteley, recording an about 5.1 per cent swing in counting on Saturday night.
Independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie, set to re-election, said the state was delivering a strong message to both the Coalition and Labor.
He said the major parties were out of step with community attitudes.
Labor's Julie Collins is expected to hold her seat of Franklin comfortably, as independent Senator Jacqui Lambie easily won reelection and talked up the influence of her fledgling party in the new Parliament.