Federal election 2022: Libby Coker, and Stephanie Asher battle for Corangamite

Corangamite Liberal candidate Stephanie Asher has conceded the formerly marginal electorate to Labor.

Corangamite MP Libby Coker has claimed victory for Labor as Western Australia increases the prospects of a majority Albanese government.

“I’ve taken a couple of times to win Corangamite. On the way, what we’ve done is spoken to people, listened to our communities,” Ms Coker said.

“Corangamite has always been a tough battle. It’s so marginal.”

“What I really want to see is more care and compassion in government.”

Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles said Australia was on the cusp of significant political change.

“If the night plays out the way we hope, there’s a huge responsibility on us,” the Corio MP said.

“The next three years are a significant moment in reshaping the country since the Second World War.

“This election was by far the most important election I’ve contested.

“It’s so important that there’s a government that restores prosperity to our nation.”

Saturday 9.30pm

Corangamite Liberal candidate Stephanie Asher has conceded the formerly marginal electorate to Labor.

With a big swing recorded to Labor, pushing it towards safe territory for the ALP, the Coalition called the seat at 8.40pm.

Ms Asher paid tribute to her mother, who passed away during the campaign, in her concession speech.

“Mum said to keep on going, and that’s what we did,” the Geelong mayor said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison visited Corangamite several times during the campaign.

As recently as this week, Mr Morrison visited a new housing estate in Armstrong Creek.

“A big thank you to the PMO and the Prime Minister himself, I’ve learned a lot during this campaign,” Ms Asher said.

Saturday 8.10pm

It is too early to call Corangamite, according to former state Liberal MP Andrew Katos, who said early results were erratic.

The former South Barwon MP, a state electorate that overlaps Corangamite, said voters today were receptive to both major parties.

“I was handing out how to vote cards at Grovedale (a Geelong suburb) and there wasn’t a mood against the government,” Mr Katos said,

“People were taking Liberal tickets, they were taking Labor tickets. There wasn’t a mood of baseball bats out there.

“But the big question is the people who don’t take anything. What way are they likely to go? We’ll find out as the night goes on.”

Mr Katos is running as the South Barwon Liberal candidate at the 2022 state election.

Saturday, 7.50PM

Labor is ahead on the two party preferred count in Corangamite by 53 per cent to the Coalition on 47 per cent.

With only a few thousand primary votes counted, Liberal candidate Stephanie Asher is ahead on primary votes but a Green primary surge is giving Labor MP Libby Coker a two party preferred boost.

The surprise of the night has been Greens candidate Alex Marshall with a primary vote of 17 per cent.

The Greens appear to have hoovered up the independent vote from 2019, with a real independent surge occurring in urban Victoria and NSW tonight.

Saturday 7PM

For the past six election cycles Corangamite has been a must-win constituency for the major parties.

And drive around the electorate today shows in 2022, the contest is as tight as ever.

The road between Geelong’s southern suburbs is festooned with Labor and Liberal posters as surfers, holidaymakers and locals alike commute between the two population centres.

Labor MP Libby Coker’s slogan is “stronger together” while Liberal challenger Stephanie Asher’s sales line is “positive, trusted, delivers”.

One of the largest polling stations in the seat, covering the Bellarine Peninsula, several of Geelong’s southern suburbs as well as part of the Surf Coast, is located at a Torquay stadium.

When The Weekly Times visited only half an hour before polls closed, there were still dozens queuing for a last minute democracy dash.

Labor strategists say Ms Coker is likely to retain the seat for the ALP.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese didn’t visit the seat during the six-week campaign, indicating a quiet confidence, the strategists say.

Liberal strategists say Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s frequent campaign stops have given Ms Asher’s chances a boost, with a visit to a suburban home in Armstrong Creek earlier this week.

Seat polling has the electorate on a knife edge- 50:50 two party preferred.

The boundaries of the electorate have shifted eastward since the 2019 election, pushing some of its rural hinterland into neighbouring Wannon.

Covering the Corangamite campaign tonight. Only a few hundred votes in so far, roughly in line with 2019 results, indicating a close contest pic.twitter.com/lm7IGTRwIr

— Alex Sinnott (@AlexSinnott1) May 21, 2022

Labor’s Libby Coker and Liberal’s Stephanie Asher are battling for the ultra-marginal Corangamite seat, a must-win for both parties.