Brooks saga unlikley to threaten Liberal majority

A recount will be held in Braddon following Mr Brook’s departure would almost certainly to return a Liberal candidate. DETAILS >>

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THE resignation of Adam Brooks is unlikely to threaten the Liberals’ hold on majority government.

Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner Andrew Hawkey said a recount would be held in Braddon following Mr Brook’s departure would almost certainly to return a Liberal candidate.

Mr Brooks was elected in fifth place in the electorate, closely followed by fellow Liberal Felix Ellis — who is likely to be the candidate who takes his place.

Mr Hawkey said the recount was unusual for being so soon after the election, but would follow a well-rehearsed procedure once he hears from Governor Kate Warner.

Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner Andrew Hawkey at the declaration of the polls for the 2021 Tasmanian state election at Bellerive on Friday, May 14, 2021.

“Her Excellency will write to me and inform me of that vacancy, I will then write to all unsuccessful candidates in the Braddon election and they will have 14 days to consent the recount,” he said.

“At the close of that consent period, we will then go back and look at all the votes and ballot papers that Mr Brooks received and cast them again to see who wins.

“It is unlikely it will not be a Liberal. Hare-Clark has always replaced like for like in a recount, so it’s likely to be a Liberal, we’re just not sure which one it will be at the moment.”

There were five MPs elected by recount following resignations in the last term of state parliament.

Duigan in as more winners elected

SIX state election candidates have been provisionally elected and a winner has been declared in the Upper House seat of Windermere.

The vote counting has entered its final phase, with the cut off for postal votes for the House of Assembly closing at 10am on Tuesday.

As of Tuesday evening, in the seat of Bass, the Liberals’ Peter Gutwein and Sarah Courtney have been provisionally elected as have Jeremy Rockliff in Braddon, Jacquie Petrusma in Franklin and Guy Barnett in Lyons.

Opposition leader Rebecca White has also been provisionally elected for Labor in Lyons.

Work has begun on distributing surplus votes from candidates who have achieved more than a quota and the elimination of the lowest-ranked candidates and the distribution of preferences has also started.

Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner Andrew Hawkey said the seat of Clark would probably not be completed until late Wednesday or early Thursday and the remaining seats to follow.

The distribution of preferences in the Legislative Council division of Windermere was completed on Tuesday, with Liberal candidate Nick Duigan beating Labor’s Geoff Lyons.

Liberal Party Tasmanian director Stuart Smith said the television presenter had been an outstanding candidate who would be a hardworking advocate for his community.