Independent candidate Ben Smith has conceded in the federal seat of Flinders, leaving Liberal Zoe McKenzie the winner in the protracted count. The outcome has stretched nearly two weeks beyond election day with a “complex count scenario” triggered due to the inability to separate second and third polling Smith and Labor’s Sarah Race. The three-candidate-preferred count was only finalised on Monday, with the AEC reverting to a two-candidate-preferred count with Smith and McKenzie. With nearly all votes now counted, Smith still trailed by 5515 votes this morning making the outcome an obvious McKenzie win with the seat to be retained…
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THE Australian Electoral Commission has declared the results of its three-candidate-preferred (3CP) count in Flinders, with Liberal Zoe McKenzie and independent Ben Smith the final two candidates. Eliminated during the 3CP count was Labor’s Sarah Race. The AEC will now revert to a traditional two-candidate-preferred (TCP) count to determine the final winner out of McKenzie and Smith. The News understands a final result is expected by the end of the week. The most recent data on the 3CP count, published this afternoon, stated that 56 poling places and declaration vote counts had completed a 3CP count with the following results.…
THE Australian Electoral Commission has confirmed that the electorate of Flinders is being worked through as a “complex count scenario” involving a three-candidate-preferred (3CP) count as opposed to a traditional two-candidate-preferred (2CP) count. The critical 3CP count is well over half way through, with Liberal incumbent Zoe McKenzie appearing to have the advantage over Labor’s Sarah Race and independent Ben Smith. Over 110,000 votes were counted in the electorate of Flinders first preference vote count. The Australian Electoral Commission’s traditional 2CP count had to be abandoned in favour of a 3CP count due to the close proximity between Labor’s Sarah…
The critical three-candidate-preferred (3CP) count is over half way through, as we edge closer to determining who will represent the electorate of Flinders in the next term of government. Over 110,000 votes were counted in the electorate of Flinders first preference vote count. The Australian Electoral Commission’s traditional two-candidate-preferred (2CP) count had to be abandoned in favour of a 3CP count due to the close proximity between Labor’s Sarah Race and independent Ben Smith. While Liberal Zoe McKenzie polled the highest, essentially there wasn’t a clear second ranking candidate resulting in AEC adopting a “complex count scenario” 3CP count. As…
In the latest data from the Australian Electoral Commission, Liberal Zoe McKenzie has the edge over the other two contenders, Labor’s Sarah Race and independent Ben Smith, topping 50% of the votes. The updated data comes as the AEC works through a “complex count scenario” involving a three-candidate-preferred (3CP) count as opposed to a traditional two-candidate-preferred (2CP) count. Current results in the 3CP count are: Zoe McKenzie (Liberal): 17,115 votes (50.3% of 3CP) Sarah Race (Labor): 8670 (25.48% of 3CP) Ben Smith (Independent): 8244 votes (24.23% of 3CP) The latest results see Race stretch her lead over Smith to 426…
PLEASE NOTE: There is an updated version of this article with new information here: The Australian Electoral Commission has confirmed that the electorate of Flinders is being worked through as a “complex count scenario” involving a three-candidate-preferred (3CP) count as opposed to a traditional two-candidate-preferred (2CP) count. The process is slow, and it could take more than a week to determine the eventual winner in Flinders. Current results in the 3CP count are: Zoe McKenzie (Liberal): 9695 votes (47.7% of 3CP) Sarah Race (Labor): 5318 (26.16% of 3CP) Ben Smith (Independent): 5313 votes (26.14% of 3CP) These early result have…
It is believed there has been no new counting at the Australian Electoral Commission for the seat of Flinders today. Instead, The News understands that they are conducting a numbers of “samples” down to two-candidate-preferred, and will then likely conduct preference allocations on a three-candidate-preferred basis to see if they can distinguish between Labor’s Sarah Race and independent Ben Smith. The race is very close, despite the Liberal Party’s Zoe McKenzie polling a much higher primary vote than the next two candidates. The real delay is being caused by the AEC’s inability to determine the second run candidate after McKenzie,…
“A re-elected Albanese Labor government” and “an elected Dutton Coalition government” appear to be throwaway lines in candidate announcements, but they are vitally important to the fate of candidate commitments. The failure of the Coalition to win government on Saturday will see the nearly $1b in commitments to the region made by Zoe McKenzie reduce to zero. McKenzie’s commitments were all conditional on the election of a Dutton Coalition government, and even if she continues as the Member for Flinders, they will not be fulfilled. On the morning of the election, McKenzie told her social media followers “I have a…
The federal seat of Flinders is a safe Liberal seat no more. The seat has been held continuously over the last half-century by the Liberal Party, except for a single period between 1983 and 1984. It is now going to be held by the Liberals by the slimmest of margins or potentially even lost. What we know is the result is still unclear with the Australian Electoral Commission currently “estimating” that 102 votes separate Liberal Zoe McKenzie and independent Ben Smith. This is with 89,482 votes currently counted and preference distribution incomplete. For reference, there were a total of 104,589…
TUESDAY 13 May 5.30PM The contest for the seat of Flinders is down to just two candidates, with Labor’s Sarah Race eliminated after the AEC’s three-candidate-preferred count. Read more: FRIDAY 9 May 7.30PM As of Friday night, the critical three-candidate-preferred count is over half way through, as we edge closer to determining who will be the representative for Flinders in the federal parliament. Read more: WEDNESDAY 7 May 8.20PM In the latest data from the Australian Electoral Commission, Liberal Zoe McKenzie has the edge over the other two contenders, Labor’s Sarah Race and independent Ben Smith, topping 50% of the…
Flinders candidates have their say before voters head to the polls this Saturday. Candidates are listed in ballot paper order. Jason SmartTrumpet of Patriots My message for the voters of Flinders is simple. Don’t vote for me.I ask that you vote for Mike Brown, One Nation.I originally agreed to run for Trumpet of Patriots but have stepped away because of the ToP’s original preference of Teal candidate Ben Smith, Labor and Greens in this election – against what Palmer led me to believe. I had amassed support from constituents based on Ben Smith, Labor and the Greens being put last…
OCCAM’S razor is a philosophical principal that suggests that the simplest explanation of a phenomenon is usually the most likely one. In the case of the decision of right-wing Trumpet of Patriots to place Climate 200-backed candidates second on a number of their how-to-vote cards, including for Flinders Trumpet of Patriots candidate Jason Smart, the most likely explanations would be that it was a strategic move (at best) or an error in judgment (at worst). But Clive Palmer had another explanation, quite at odds with the principle of occam’s razor. Instead, Trumpet of Patriots headquarters had somehow been “hacked” and…
LABOR’S Sarah Race has entered the last week of the election campaign focussing on health. The healthcare and social assistance sector is the biggest employer on the peninsula with almost 10,000 workers; over 15% of the local workforce. The sector is worth almost $1b to the local economy and supports tens of thousands of people who need medical care, aged care, mental health care, or NDIS support. “Health, aged care and disability support touch every family on the peninsula. Labor backs our 10,000 health workers and the local families that rely on their support.” Race said.Race told The News that…
THE Liberals have reaffirmed their commitment to spend $900m on the extension of the Frankston railway line. The electrification and duplication of the Frankston line towards Baxter has been plagued by false starts in the past. In 2023, the federal government axed a budgeted $225m set aside for the project by the Coalition government in 2018. A review into ongoing infrastructure projects commissioned by the federal government shortly after its election recommended scrapping the project. Liberal candidate for Dunkley Nathan Conroy announced the $900m promise prior to the March 2024 by-election. Last week he reaffirmed that promise ahead of the…
THE Australian Electoral Commission believes this federal election will have the most complete electoral roll for any Australian federal election since federation, with around 18 million people enrolled; approximately 98% of the eligible population. The federal election process is a huge undertaking with more than 500 early voting centres currently operating across the country and over 7000 polling places operating on election day. On Saturday 3 May, over 100,000 temporary staff will work at the election. There will be 20,000 lanyards, and 240,000 vests and staff will use 25,000 copies of the electoral roll to check off the names of…
THE Commonwealth Electoral Act was comprehensively rewritten in 1918 to introduce preferential voting, replacing the previous “first past the post” system that had existed in the years after Federation. The change was in response to the rise of the Country Party in the aftermath of the First World War – a third major party – and the prospect of the loss of seats to Labor through a split in the non-Labor vote. The three-party system which preferential voting helped to support has remained fundamentally unchanged to this day. The system has also encouraged the participation in elections of minor candidates…
FOR the second federal election in a row, Mornington Peninsula Shire is publishing a “pledge tracker” on its website to inform resident of the “commitments made by candidates”. The tracker attracted criticism last federal election for being “blatantly unfair” with financial pledges only possible by candidates from the two major parties (Shire accused of being off track with pledges, The News 17/5/22). A “pledge” is a commitment by the candidate’s party to fund the pledged project in a future budget and only deliverable if that party wins government. The tracker currently lists Liberal candidate Zoe McKenzie, Labor candidate Sarah Race…
INDEPENDENT candidate for Flinders, Ben Smith, has put small business front and centre in the election campaign, launching his policy platform over the weekend as a new poll shows the seat is now on a knife-edge. Speaking while visiting several local businesses and markets across the peninsula, Smith said it’s time to stop treating the region like an inner-city suburb and start supporting the local employers who actually drive our economy. “As a small business owner in Flinders for over a decade, I understand the unique challenges peninsula businesses face,” Smith said. “My wife and I started our retail store…
THE Trumpet of Patriots candidate for the electorate of Flinders, Jason Smart, has announced he is “withdrawing his candidacy” for the upcoming federal election after being “blind sided by Clive Palmer’s decision” to preference Climate 200 backed candidate Ben Smith. The announcement came on Monday (21 April) after he was unable to resolve the preferencing issue with Trumpet of Patriots head office. The preferences “crisis” came after One Nation’s Mike Brown and Smart had originally announced on 16 April they would stand as a “unified alliance”. Accordingly, Smart stated his intention to place Brown second on the Trumpet of Patriots…
NOTHING says election time as much as conflicts between the opposing teams over signage. Last federal election the issue rose to prominence with the defacing of Zoe McKenzie’s campaign signage (and vehicle) with vile, misogynistic graffiti. The vandalism garnered national coverage for its “nasty and personal” nature, and a level of confusion due to McKenzie being a relative unknown at the time. McKenzie’s only substantial work on the peninsula had been with the Committee for Mornington Peninsula, and work as a member of “Save Our Spidercrabs”, campaigning for an exclusion zone around piers to prevent fishing for spider crabs between…
NOMINATIONS have now closed for the 2025 federal election with seven candidates competing in the Flinders electorate. The nominated candidates are, in ballot order: Jason Smart (Trumpet of Patriots), Ben Smith (Independent), Zoe McKenzie (Liberal), Mike Brown (One Nation), Joseph Toscano (Independent), Sarah Race (Labor) and Adam Frogley (Greens). The field of seven is substantially smaller than in 2022 when ten candidates contested the seat including two independents, and candidates from United Australia, Liberal Democrats, Animal Justice Party and Federation Party. Zoe McKenzie’s big announcement for last week was a $2m investment by an elected Dutton Liberal government to improve…
LAST week marked the first full week of campaigning since the federal election was called for 3 May.Candidates wasted no time hitting the hustings with a flurry of appearances and some sizeable commitments. Nominations for candidacy in the federal election close this Thursday (10 April), so we should have a full list of candidates by next week’s edition of The News. Labor candidate Sarah Race was joined on the campaign trail by the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, to announce a number of infrastructure projects a re-elected Albanese government would undertake. The promises included:…
WITH the election date set for 3 May, the “phoney war” is over, and the real battle begins. The News is currently aware of five candidates that have elected to run in Flinders in 2025: Zoe McKenzie (Liberal), Sarah Race (Labor), Ben Smith (Independent), Adam Frogley (Greens) and Mike Brown (One Nation). In 2022, ten candidates contested the seat including two independents, and candidates from United Australia, Liberal Democrats, Animal Justice Party and Federation Party. Independent Ben Smith had a busy week including meeting with the CEO of Homelessness Australia, Kate Colvin, to discuss the current housing crisis and explore…
HOUSING, healthcare, and the cost of living were at the forefront at a federal election forum attended by Flinders candidates last Thursday, 20 March. A large crowd watched the forum at Rosebud Country Club to hear the five nominated candidates outline their vision for the Mornington Peninsula. Taking the stage were Flinders MP Zoe McKenzie (Liberal), Adam Frogley (Greens), Ben Smith (Independent), Mike Brown (One Nation), and Sarah Race (Labor). Topics ranged from housing affordability, healthcare, and infrastructure funding to climate change, crime and the cost of living. Moderated by mayor Cr Anthony Marsh, the shire stated the aim of…
WITH still no election date announced last week, candidates were on the hustings with numerous appearances at schools, stalls and shopping strips by McKenzie (Liberal), Race (Labor) and Smith (Independent). The only other two candidates to have nominated for the upcoming election, Mike Brown (One Nation) and Adam Frogley (Greens) had their first foray into the public realm at the shire-organised candidate forum, making Flinders a five-way race at present. Liberal candiate Zoe McKenzie held a law and order forum on Monday (17 March) coinciding with a visit from Shadow Minister for Community Safety, the Hon Jason Wood MP. “Jason…
MORNINGTON Peninsula Greens have preselected Indigenous man Adam Frogley as their candidate for Flinders in the upcoming federal election. “I’m a Taungurung (torn-a-rong) man, born and raised on Woiwurrung (Wurundjeri) country in the Yarra Valley. I’ve worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs for over two decades, holding many different roles in the Aboriginal community, vocational, higher education and government sectors,” said Frogley.“You know what is at stake in this election. The cost of living, climate and housing crises are being experienced by our community now and the old parties are failing to address them.“Over the course of my…
WHILE electricity prices continue to skyrocket across the Peninsula, independent candidate for Flinders Ben Smith has unveiled a practical plan to reduce household power bills and end dependence on corporate energy giants.“Peninsula families are paying far too much for power while energy companies rake in record profits,” Smith said. “The major parties have had years to fix this problem but have failed to act because they’re too busy playing political games or answering to their donors. We know that smart climate action means lower power bills, more jobs, and a secure future for our peninsula.”Ben’s plan includes:- Supporting local households…
TOOTGAROOK Primary School provides a comprehensive and innovative education program for local families, has a strong and supportive community, and has access to a brand new kindergarten beside the school. Sarah Race, Labor candidate for Flinders toured the facility with Principal Leigh McQuillen and Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh to hear about the school.Tootgarook PS has a vision to enhance learning for the children through empowerment, small class sizes, a buddy program, community involvement, and a strong focus on achieving personal excellence. Tootgarook and schools across the Peninsula are celebrating the announcement that they will receive more funding through…
THE Mornington Peninsula rightly holds the spot as the premier cycling and walking destination in the state. Filling in the final missing links on the Peninsula Link Trail will cement our region’s place, attracting more tourists to enjoy our beautiful environment and local businesses.That’s why an elected Coalition government will commit $5m towards the construction of a 5km path along the Mornington Tourist Railway, to connect Mornington to the Peninsula Link Trail at Moorooduc.According to the Mornington Peninsula Shire, the construction of the path would directly create 12 full-time equivalent jobs, and contribute $5.95 million in direct economic output.A Mornington…
INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT for Flinders, Ben Smith, announced plans to unlock millions of funding for roads, services and hospitals if he is elected, as data shows residents in Geelong receive ten times the funding of residents on the peninsula.Due to a bizarre bureaucratic quirk, the peninsula is currently classified as metropolitan Melbourne, despite being 70% Green Wedge and having more in common with regional areas than city suburbs.“It just doesn’t make sense. We have 40 distinct townships spread across 800 square kilometres, limited public transport, and significant agricultural areas. Yet because we’re classified as ‘metropolitan,’ we miss out on funding programs…