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UpdatedLive blog: Hamilton 'humbled' by election win in Toowoomba despite primary drop
Toowoomba's major party candidates have spoken after the seat's fate was decided, with Garth Hamilton returned for his first full term. OUR ROLLING BLOG HERE:
Welcome to The Chronicle's rolling federal election blog for Groom, with all the latest news, tallies and information.
Tens of thousands of residents across the Toowoomba region have cast their ballots in the seat of Groom for the 2022 federal election on Saturday.
Voting closed at 6pm at nearly 50 polling booths across the seat, including in Toowoomba, Pittsworth, Westbrook, Cambooya and Highfields.
A significant number of residents have already voted early, while more than 22,000 people have applied for a postal vote.
The Chronicle will be covering various election parties over the night.
Follow our rolling blog below:
HAMILTON'S VOTE CONTINUES SLIDE, POSTALS TO BE COUNTED
He might have won the seat comfortably, but incumbent MP Garth Hamilton has seen a huge drop in his primary vote.
With 62,000 votes counted, Mr Hamilton has collected just 40.65 per cent of first preferences, down 12.69 per cent from 2019.
The LNP has also suffered an eight per cent swing against it, but is still on track to win 62-38 over Labor.
Pre-polls and postal votes, which are expected to flow to the LNP, will be counted from today.
Labor has grown its primary vote from a low base to 19.03 per cent, while One Nation's Grant Abraham finished third despite a drop of 3.18 per cent.
All of the candidates, bar one, achieved more than five per cent of the primary vote.
'HUMBLING': HAMILTON PRAISES VOLUNTEERS AFTER VICTORY
Incumbent Groom MP Garth Hamilton has thanked his supporters for delivering his first federal election victory in Toowoomba.
Having secured the seat in a by-election in 2020, Mr Hamilton appears to have suffered a drop in primary vote but is on track to win.
"It's a very different feeling to the by-election, because there's a lot of work that goes into this," he said at his election party at the City Golf Club.
"Quite frankly, it's great to share it with so many people here tonight.
"It's incredibly humbling - itt's a room full of people who stood in the rain and supported me because they believe in this party."
'IT'S A WIN': LABOR CANDIDATE THRILLED WITH RESULT
Groom's Labor candidate Gen Allpass says the result on Saturday night proves the LNP cannot take Toowoomba for granted.
Ms Allpass, who was celebrating with colleagues at Tailgate Sports Bar, is on track for a five per cent swing towards her on a two-party preferred.
Her opponent Garth Hamilton has held onto the seat.
"I think it's a massive achievement to be at this time of the night and not even told we're gone. In years gone past, you walk in at 5.30pm and you know you've lost," she said.
"The whole campaign is a massive achievement - we've had a working class woman running in Groom.
"It shows people are ready for change and it means the Liberals cannot be complacent for any longer - that in itself is a win."
LNP PROJECTED TO WIN SEAT DESPITE SWING
Garth Hamilton has comfortably held the seat of Groom, despite the LNP's primary vote dropping by more than 10 per cent.
The AEC and media outlets like the ABC are reporting a more than 5 per cent swing towards Labor candidate Gen Allpass, with the final two-party preferred result expected to sit 65-35 to Mr Hamilton.
The safe conservative seat saw a large drop in primary votes for the LNP, where the other votes have split across the independents, minor parties and Labor party.
One Nation's Grant Abraham is sitting on a primary count of 10.9 per cent, while high-profile independent Suzie Holt's campaign has attracted just 8.68 per cent of vote so far.
FIRST NUMBERS REVEALED
The first numbers for Groom have been revealed, with a heavy focus on rural booths across the Toowoomba region.
Garth Hamilton is polling well, but is under the 50 per cent first preference vote that would secure him the win on the first count.
The booths counted include Wellcamp, Southbook, Mount Tyson and Jondaryan.
HOW CANDIDATES RATE CHANCES AS POLLING SET TO CLOSE
Several Groom candidates say they are hoping to give incumbent Garth Hamilton a scare, as polling booths close within an hour.
Labor's Gen Allpass, who cast her vote in her home community of Highfields, said she was expecting a Labor victory on Saturday night.
"I know the Labor Party will get in with a majority, I think that's fantastic for the country, and I think we're going to give this a red-hot go (here)," she said.
"For the first time in this community, we'll have a strong women here and that will be me.
"It will be someone who with direct links to the people who are the decision-makers in this country."
United Australia Party candidate Melissa Bannister, who had more than 100 volunteers manning polling booths across the day, said voters had expressed dissatisfaction with the status quo.
"I've had so many people coming straight up to me, grabbing mine and saying they're voting the majors out and they want change," she said from Centenary Heights State High School.
"We're definitely giving Garth a run for his money - I think it's going to be very interesting, I'll be really surprised if he does get through on the primary vote."
Greens candidate Mickey Berry, who was also stationed at Centenary Heights State High, said climate change would prove to be a key issue nationally.
"Climate action is such a big issue this time around, and people are letting us know it's such a big issue," they said.
"The housing crisis is also a big issue, and the cost of living overall, so we've got lots of policies to help people with lowering it."
High-profile independent Suzie Holt, who cast her vote at Fairholme College on Saturday, said she wanted Groom's status as a safe seat to end this weekend.
"It's just a great day, we've run a really smart grassroots campaign and people have really come together and responded so well today," she said.
"We've achieved more than we ever thought we'd achieve - people are really excited, they're talking about Groom and we've encouraged people to participate in democracy.
"People have sent a message - they want the seat to be more marginal, they're tired of it being a safe seat."
Fellow independent Kirstie Smolenski said she couldn't have been prouder of her team of volunteers during the campaign.
"I'm very proud of my efforts and my team's efforts," she said.
"I didn't go out and ask my friends for help - my team have come to me and the vast majority of them I otherwise would not have met.
"I'm hoping for a win - I'm hoping to at least get my money back. If I got 10 per cent I'd be very happy with that."
'BIG CHALLENGE FOR US': MP'S FRANK ADMISSION ON COALITION
Groom MP Garth Hamilton says the Coalition faces a "challenge" to return to government, as he hopes to retain the safe conservative seat at his first federal election.
Mr Hamilton was one of several candidates to cast their votes on election day in Toowoomba, which has delivered some cold and wet conditions for both voters and volunteers.
The former mining engineer said the feedback he had received locally was "very positive", but stopped short of predicting a Liberal-National victory.
"We've had very positive feedback, we've been out and about and we're seeing a lot of positive responses," Mr Hamilton said.
"Clearly, there's a big challenge out there for us (nationally).
"There are going to be some very interesting contests out there, a lot of eyes on the big names down in Melbourne and Sydney."
Mr Hamilton was joined by his wife Louise at the Centenary Heights State High School booth, who said she had been proud of his campaign efforts.
"It's been challenging, but Garth does what he does and I'm always going to be a supporter of my husband," she said.
"People don't see the hours that go into it, so I'm very proud of him."
Mr Hamilton faces a challenge from seven candidates, including high-profile independent Suzie Holt, but is tipped to comfortably retain his seat.
VOTERS WEIGH IN AS RESIDENTS HEAD TO POLLS
Voters in the key booth of Highfields have braved the cold and wet weather to cast their vote in Groom at the federal election, with exit polling hardly showing a clear result.
Highfields State Secondary College had a line out the door at one stage, with thousands expected to make their voices heard in the important suburb across Saturday.
Resident Ian Choice, who works in the trucking industry, said he voted for Labor's Gen Allpass to see a change of government to deal with the rising cost of living.
"I gave Labor my first preference - I just want to see something different, I'm looking for a change - the Liberals have been in office long enough and I want to see what Labor will do differently," he said.
Kristy Weier, who voted with her family including little Stella, said she was backing incumbent LNP candidate Garth Hamilton, arguing the party supported small businesses and had handled the Covid-19 pandemic well.
"We've always been Liberal supporters - we've got family who are in business and the way the LNP supports businesses is really important to us," she said.
"(The key issues are) support for the business community and how the government handled the pandemic - it was handled well."
Alternatively, paramedic and swing voter Kelly Johnstone said she backed independent Suzie Holt with her first preference.
"I've voted differently depending on what's happening in the world at the time," she said.
"Cost of living (is an issue), our financial situation at the moment is difficult, given our rate of pay and living costs rising."
Ms Johnstone said she would prefer a Labor Government nationally.
LABOR CANDIDATE: 'I'VE RECEIVED DEATH THREATS'
Labor candidate for Groom Gen Allpass has confirmed she received more death threats in the days leading up to the federal election.
Ms Allpass, who is hoping to upset LNP incumbent Garth Hamilton in the very safe conservative seat in Toowoomba, said she wasn't letting the threats disrupt her campaign.
"I have had a couple of awful threats, one a very credible death threat, which is really disappointing," she told 7News Toowoomba.
Ms Allpass had detailed incidents of threats made against her to The Chronicle earlier in the campaign.
NEARLY TIME TO VOTE
The polls across Toowoomba and the whole of Queensland are set to open at 8am this morning.
If you still need to know where to vote, click here to see the full list of polling locations.
CANDIDATES MAKE THEIR FINAL PITCHES
Groom MP Garth Hamilton is in the box to reclaim his seat this weekend, but election analysts say the Australian voters are becoming far less reliable with their ballot habits.
Mr Hamilton, a former mining engineer, is expected to hold the safe conservative seat from a large array of candidates, including Labor, One Nation as well as other minor parties and independents.
But the University of Southern Queensland’s Professor Geoff Cockfield said it was not impossible that the LNP candidate might need preferences to get over the line, something that has not occurred in Groom since the party was formed in 2008. More here:
$10 A DAY: WHAT CARERS GET TO SUPPORT LOVED ONES
George Helon can barely afford to keep his car on the road — an essential and increasing cost so he can take his elderly and disabled mother Elizabeth to appointments.
“If I didn’t have to do it, there’s no way I’d have a car, because I couldn’t afford it,” he said.
The Toowoomba resident, who is the full-time, unpaid carer for his mother, wants the next federal government to raise the carer’s allowance to a reasonable level, saying the current situation was consigning people to poverty. More here:
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Originally published as Live blog: Hamilton 'humbled' by election win in Toowoomba despite primary drop
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