One Nation candidate Stuart Bonds a threat to Joel Fitzgibbon’s Hunter seat

Pro-coal candidate Stuart Bonds gained a 20 per cent swing in Hunter as the mining district punished Labor over Adani.

An image from One Nation Hunter candidate Stuart Bonds’ facebook page.

One Nation’s pro-coal candidate Stuart Bonds has gained a 20 per cent swing in the seat of Hunter as the mining district punished Labor over its equivocation on the Adani coal mine.

Long-standing Labor member Joel Fitzgibbon suffered a swing away from him of 14.15 per cent but holds a five point two party preferred lead over National Josh Angus.

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However with Mr Bonds less than 2000 votes behind the National he could challenge for the seat if preferences from the Christian Democrat or the United Australia Party push him ahead of Mr Angus.

Mr Bonds described himself as a strong coal supporter during his campaign.

Mr Fitzgibbon publicly and explicitly backed the coal industry during the campaign.

But he seems to have been caught up anger from coal miners which saw Labor also punished in Queensland.

Labor suffered a 13 per cent primary vote swing against them in the central Queensland seat of Capricornia and lost the seat of Herbert around Townsville after the Labor primary vote fell 4.65 per cent and its two party preferred vote fell 7.62 per cent.

Shadow Minister for Agriculture Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon. Picture: Andy Rogers