Labor’s Lisa Singh on the cusp of victory

LABOR Senator Lisa Singh was apprehensive when heading off to the Labor caucus meeting in Canberra.

Senator Lisa Singh is hopeful of holding her seat and is now in Canberra for the Labor Caucus meeting. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

LABOR Senator Lisa Singh was apprehensive when heading off to today’s Labor caucus meeting in Canberra.

Faced with the enormity of being the first Senator elected from the number six on a Senate ticket since the 1950s, she said she wouldn’t believe it until the Australian Electoral Commission declared the result next month.

“I’m deeply inspired by my high personal vote but we aren’t quite there yet – I’m certainly not claiming victory,” she said yesterday.

“I have had a conversation with Bill Shorten, who congratulated me and recognises that I have brought an incredible vote to the party.”

Senator Singh received more than 20 per cent of the vote in the Mt Stuart booth counted on Wednesday, which contributed to taking her below the line tally to 15,745 votes – or 0.61 of a quota.

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Polling analyst Kevin Bonham said a victory was likely.

“It is a new system but it’s hard to see an argument that she loses,” he said.

While tagged by some in the Labor Party as “Hobart centric”, Senator Singh has confounded that view by being the highest Senate below-the-line vote-getter in Bass, Lyons, Denison and Franklin.

The Labor spokeswoman for Environment, Climate Change and Water before the election, Senator Singh said her vote comprised a vote for democracy and a vote for progressive Labor values.

“Many people have told me by Facebook, phone, email and in person that they have voted for a Labor Senator for the first time,” she said.

“That brought a new vote to the Labor Party and hopefully will help us win a fifth spot.”

Voters did not like her demotion by factions to the “unwinnable” spot on the ballot paper.

“They wanted to decide for themselves who to vote for and not be dictated to by the ticket order,” she said.

“People were disaffected with politics, they were sick of the Liberal broken promises and unhappy with me being pushed down the ticket.

“Tasmanians have a history of voting below the line and they wanted to decide their vote for themselves.”

Senator Singh has yet to meet Re-elect Lisa Group convener Tony Jacobs, who pushed for increased below the line voting.

“If I am re-elected I will continue to represent progressive Labor values like the environment, a humane refugee policy, climate change, public good science and the CSIRO, eco tourism that creates jobs, drug rehabilitation and adequate mental health funding and support for pensioners,” Senator Singh said.