Labor’s Cathy O’Toole admits Adani stance didn’t help prospects as she concedes Herbert

Labor candidate admits the party needs to ‘carefully unpack’ issues around Adani following Herbert loss.

Labor’s Cathy O'Toole concedes defeat in Herbert. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Incumbent Labor MP Cathy O’Toole has conceded defeat in Herbert after a 7 per cent swing against her handed victory to the Liberal National Party’s Phil Thompson, who garnered 57 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote.

Ms O’Toole’s primary voted dropped to 27 per cent behind Mr Thompson’s 35 per cent.

Speaking after the loss, the outgoing MP said she was unsure whether the issue of Adani’s controversial coal mine had hurt her chances with voters and was still unable to unequivocally say whether she supported the mine.

Minor parties performed typically strongly in the electorate, with Katter’s Australian Party, One Nation, the Greens and United Australia Party sharing more than a third of the vote.

Herbert was the country’s most marginal seat, won by Ms O’Toole by 37 votes in 2016, when she anxiously had to wait for several weeks before being declared the winner.

“It’s been an extraordinary campaign,” Ms O’Toole said.

“I think when you have an experience like this as an organisation, which the Labor Party is, you sit back and reflect.

“You have to rise from it and come to some sort of understanding about what happened and how did it happen.

“It’s a most extraordinary outcome.”

The proposed Adani Carmichael coal mine has been a hot-button issue during the campaign, with Ms O’Toole failing to clearly articulate whether she supported the mine.

“I certainly wouldn’t say it (the Adani issue) was a godsend and a help,” Ms O’Toole said.

“I think when we have had time to sit and reflect, dig through what has happened, I’m sure we will come to a space of a better understanding.”

Ms O’Toole, who joked that she was free to say what she wanted now, was still noncommittal on whether she supported the Adani mine, which has met with delays from the state government.

“What I will say is, I respect process,” she said.

“I want to live in a world that is safe, clean and respects the environment, that’s why process is important.”

Asked whether she believed voters thought there were mixed messages between the Palaszczuk government and Federal Labor on the Adani issue, Ms O’Toole said: “I think that is something we will need to unpack really carefully.”

“The reality is we are in a difficult and transitional time across a range of areas and energy and industry is one.

“We have to have harmony in that space and we have to understand we need to transition and I would have thought Townsville, of all communities, would have understood putting all your eggs in one basket is not a wise move.”

Phil Thompson celebrates his victory in Herbert. Picture: Alix Sweeney

At his jovial victory party, Mr Thompson said the mine was among his priorities.

“The last three weeks on pre poll, we put in the hours,” he said.

“My priority is to back Townsville projects that create jobs including the Adani mine.

“What I’m focused on is fighting for Townsville.

“We start tomorrow, day one.”

Labor Leader Bill Shorten has been a frequent visitor to Townsville during his time as opposition leader but only visited the city once in the campaign, while Scott Morrison visited twice.

Ms O’Toole said she did not believe more visits from Mr Shorten during the campaign would have helped her hold the seat.

“I can’t complain, I’ve had nothing but support from Bill’s office,” she said.

In a quiet Labor Party event at the working class Victoria Park Hotel, a large cheer went up as Ms O’Toole arrived shortly after 9.30pm.

Ms O’Toole thanked her supporters and told them she had phoned Mr Thompson to congratulate him on his victory.

Opinion polling in the lead up to the election showed Mr Thompson was expected to win the seat this year on a two-party-preferred vote of 52 per cent but the unpredictable flow of preferences from the minor parties muddied the waters.

Katter’s Australian Party candidate Nanette Radeck won 9 per cent of the vote.

The United Australia Party’s candidate, former rugby league star Greg Dowling, ran a low-key election campaign, winning 5 per cent of the vote.

One Nation won 11 per cent of the vote, despite its candidate, jillaroo Amy Lohse, living more than 1000km away in Biggenden, and making only one appearance in Townsville since the election was called.

Townsville’s three Labor state MPs this week denied reports they had been asked not to and out how-to-vote cards for Ms O’Toole at polling booths.

Only Mungingburra MP Coralee O’Rourke made an appearance at the Labor post-election party.