Federal election 2022: Fiona Phillips, Dan Repacholi, Kristy McBain, Gilmore, Eden-Monaro

Labor is closing in on securing three key regional NSW seats to further solidify its election victory.

Liberals are closing in on a crucial NSW seat, as the count continues.

GILMORE

Gilmore remains on a knife edge after a 3.5 per cent swing towards the Liberals.

With 40 per cent of the votes counted, Liberal candidate Andrew Constance leads on a two party preferred count with 50.9 per cent.

ALP’s incumbent Fiona Phillips trails, with 49.1 per cent.

Mr Constance has recorded 2000 more first preference votes than Ms Phillips, with counting continuing and an outcome still some time away.

A significant number of postal pre-poll votes will be counted later in the tally.

With Labor desperate to secure as many seats as possible to try to form an unlikely majority government, a Gilmore flip would be a big blow.

EDEN-MONARO

Nearly 30 per cent of the votes have been counted in Eden-Monaro, where it remains likely the ALP will hold the seat.

Incumbent Kristy McBain has received a 7.7 per cent swing towards her so far.

On a two party preferred count, Ms McBain has extended her lead, pulling ahead 58.6 per cent to Liberal Jerry Nockles at 41.4 per cent.

HUNTER

The ALP remains likely to hold on to Hunter despite a Nationals challenge.

After 52 per cent of the vote has been counted, a 0.6 swing toward the ALP has been recorded, building on the ALP’s 3 per cent margin at the 2019 election.

MACQUARIE

The ALP are also likely to hold Macquarie after a 6.25 per cent swing towards the incumbent Susan Templeman.

The major swing comes after Ms Templeman secured the seat in 2019 with a margin of just 0.2 per cent.

41.7 per cent of the votes have been counted, with a final declaration of the seat expected soon.

Saturday 9.30pm

The ALP has almost secured three key regional NSW seats on election night.

Despite the retirement of Joel Fitzgibbon, the ALP is likely to hold the seat of Hunter and fend off a significant challenge from The Nationals.

Labor candidate Dan Repacholi has a margin of 3.9 per cent so far, with about 6900 more first preference votes than The Nationals’ James Thompson.

Mr Thompson has secured a 1.7 per cent increase in first preference vote, but it is unlikely to be enough, with 36 per cent of the votes counted so far.

The ALP have also secured a 5.4 per cent swing in Macquarie, to strengthen their hold on the seat.

Currently, it is likely the ALP will secure the seat.

In 2019 the ALP held a margin of just 0.2 per cent, but Susan Templeman has led the way tonight, receiving 17,535 first preference votes so far.

Liberal challenger Sarah Richards is trailing with 44 per cent, compared to Ms Templeman’s 56 per cent on a two party preferred with about 37 per cent of the vote counted.

Finally, the ALP have also received a wave of support and are likely to secure the bellwether Eden-Monaro seat.

ALP’s Kristy McBain has strengthened her standing from her 2020 by-election win, recording a 8.2 per cent swing so far.

After 22 per cent of the vote has been counted, Ms McBain leads by about 3000 first preference votes.

Ms McBain has recorded a 3.6 per cent increase, while her main challenger, Liberal Jerry Nockles, has recorded a negative 6.9 per cent swing.

Meanwhile, the seat of Gilmore remains in doubt even after 37.1 per cent of the vote has been counted.

The seat is too close to call with a two party preferred vote sitting at 50.8 per cent for the Liberal Party, while the ALP is at 49.2 per cent.

Liberal candidate Andrew Constance has received a 10.1 per cent swing in his vote, while ALP incumbent Fiona Phillips’ vote has remained steady.

Overall, a 3.4 per cent swing in the Gilmore seat has brought the race to a neck-and-neck battle.

Saturday 7.30pm

A handful of regional NSW seats could be determined by just a few hundred votes, with tight margins expected once again.

MACQUARIE

Eight candidates are contesting the ballot for the marginal seat of Macquarie.

ALP’s Susan Templeman has held the seat since 2016, winning with a margin of just 0.2 per cent.

LNP’s Sarah Richards, a local solicitor and Hawkesbury community member will be Ms Templeman’s biggest challenger.

The electorate covers the outer western and northwestern fringe of Sydney, Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury local government areas.

Climate change might be at the forefront of voters’ minds after experiencing severe fires and floods since 2019.

EDEN-MONARO

Eden-Monaro is traditionally a swing seat and a good indicator of federal election outcomes, with a close result expected again.

At a July 2020 by-election, ALP’s Kristy McBain secured the southeast NSW seat with a margin of just 0.9 per cent.

Liberal Jerry Nockles, a Pharmacy Guild of Australia executive, will be Ms McBain’s main challenger.

Ms McBain was first elected to Bega Valley Council in 2012 at the age of 29. Ms McBain was elected mayor after the 2016 election. She resigned as mayor after being selected as the Labor candidate and won the Eden-Monaro by-election in July 2020.

Eden-Monaro covers coastal towns of Merimbula, Narooma and Bermagui and includes agricultural and forestry regions around Bega and Eden.

Like many other regional electorates, cost-of-living pressures and housing issues will be on voters’ minds.

HUNTER

After representing the seat since 1996, Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon is retiring, opening the door to a change in the marginal Hunter seat.

Mr Fitzgibbon secured the seat by just 3 per cent in 2019.

The Labor Party candidate Dan Repacholi’s main challenger will come from The Nationals’ James Thomson.

The electorate includes Hunter Valley towns of Cessnock, Singleton and Muswellbrook with the future of coal mining a major factor in the region.

Despite sitting as a marginal seat, both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese did not visit the region’s major centres as they avoided addressing the future of coal mining in the region.

GILMORE

This NSW south coast electorate will be one to watch, with the ALP and LNP to run a close race.

Fiona Phillips secured the seat for the ALP with a margin of just 2.6 per cent.

Her main challenger will be Liberal candidate Andrew Constance, who served in NSW state politics between 2003 and 2015.

Mr Constance almost contested the Eden-Monaro by-election in mid-2020, but decided to resign as member for Bega early this year to be a Liberal candidate for Gilmore.

The electorate covers Nowra-Bomaderry, Kiama and Milton-Ulladulla with health and climate change at the top of the agenda for voters.