THE seat of Flinders was declared by the Australian Electoral Commission on Wednesday (28 May), officially cementing Liberal Zoe McKenzie for her second term. The final declared result had McKenzie attracting 60,090 of the two-candidate preferred votes, 5257 votes ahead of independent Ben Smith on 54,833 votes.McKenzie rejoins a depleted Liberal/Nationals coalition that will hold as few as 41 seats in the House of Representatives, compared to 58 after the 2022 election. Gone also is the Liberal’s leader, Peter Dutton, opening the way for new Liberal leader Sussan Ley; the first woman to lead the federal Liberal Party. The electoral…
Browsing: Flinders
A BOATLOAD of shells has made a splash in Port Phillip Bay to not only clean the bay but help baby oysters and give shellfish a place to grow.Volunteers at fish habitat charity OzFish, with the Victorian Fisheries Authority, is aiming to repurpose shell that would have otherwise gone to landfill. The group has teamed up with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and with funding from Sustainability Victoria, OzFish is closing the loop on shellfish waste.Once a week, OzFishers drive around to Mornington Peninsula restaurants and seafood wholesalers, collecting discarded oyster, mussel and scallop shells. The shell is then processed and…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
HERITAGE Victoria has granted a heritage permit for long-awaited repair works of the 1860s-built Flinders Pier but the project’s future remains uncertain amid concerns of insufficient funding. While the full 327-metre length of the historic pier remains open to the public, the old part of jetty, a 180-metre timber approach section, has been closed since April 2020 following the deterioration of piles and decking. The permit, issued on 10 April, would allow works to be undertaken but as reported by The News in March, a document released by Heritage Victoria revealed that the repairs could be hampered by a lack…
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…
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…
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…
HUNDREDS of disgruntled locals joined Independent candidate for Flinders, Ben Smith, on Sunday to demand urgent action to save Rosebud Hospital. “The Rosebud Hospital is the only public hospital serving the entire peninsula, and it’s quite literally falling apart while both major parties have failed to secure the funding we desperately need,” Smith said.“Peninsula residents should not be forced to travel up to 80 kms away to Melbourne for urgent treatment. The neglect of the Rosebud hospital is just another example of our region being out of sight and out of mind for too long. We urgently need to change…
ABACUS Learning Centre in Hastings, which provides invaluable therapy and support for children with autism, is in desperate need of a shade sail for their students. That’s why an elected Coalition Government will provide $20,000 for the purchase and installation of a shade sail at Abacus Learning Centre.Our kids deserve safe outdoor play, without exposure to harmful UV rays. Australians suffer skin cancer at greater rates than any other country in the world, and the Mornington Peninsula has the highest rate of melanoma in Melbourne. At least two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime.…
A FULL house attended the campaign launch of Labor Candidate for Flinders Sarah Race at the Hastings Bowling Club on Sunday.Race was officially introduced by Assistant Minister for Women, Ageing, and Social Security, Kate Thwaites MP, as Labor mounts its biggest-ever campaign for the seat of Flinders. Thwaites fired up the crowd, describing how Labor has supported working families and highlighted how a re-elected Labor government would continue to Build Australia’s Future. Thwaites spoke of the investments Labor is making for local families, including in Child Care, Aged Care, and Medicare – reforms that are making it easier for families…
INDEPENDENT candidate for Flinders, Ben Smith, has called on the Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan to give Peninsula residents a say on the $25 million Arthurs Seat Eagle redevelopment. The project is being fast-tracked through the state government’s Development Facilitation Program, bypassing local council oversight. There has been minimal consultation with the community about the impacts of the project.“Decisions that will reshape our region should not be made from Spring Street without listening to the people who live here,” Smith said. “Arthurs Seat is not just another development site – it’s a treasured state park with deep environmental and community significance.…
LIBERAL Zoe McKenzie, Federal Member for Flinders, welcomed Sussan Ley, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and Shadow Minister for Small and Family Business, to the Flinders electorate on January 28, to participate in a roundtable with leading businesswomen from the Mornington Peninsula.The roundtable was facilitated by the Committee for Frankston and Mornington Peninsula, and held at Sages Cottage Farm in Baxter. A difficulty in attracting and retaining staff post-COVID, high energy prices, difficult-to-navigate industrial relations laws and the large state tax burden were issues raised by the group.According to the 2021-22 Mornington Peninsula Business Survey, there are approximately 15,800 businesses…
CFFMP AT this year’s federal election, the results in both Dunkley and Flinders will shape the national outcome in Canberra. The pathway to forming government will see major party leaders visit Dunkley over coming months, while Flinders is shaping up to be a three-cornered contest between the Liberals, Labor and a Community Independent.The Committee was pleased to facilitate a Federal Candidates Forum held on 14 February in Mornington with all major candidates for both electorates. More than 200 people attended the event at Mornington Racecourse for the forum hosted by the ABC’s Patricia Karvelas.As the peak advocacy body for the…
THE Labor Party has named ex-Mornington Peninsula Shire councillor Sarah Race as its candidate for the seat of Flinders at the 2025 federal election, selecting her unopposed.“I am a local volunteer and advocate – from my kids’ kinder committee to sports clubs and business groups, I have been putting my hand up for our community,” said Race. “We’ve had the same Liberal politicians for 40 years, but I’m here to change that. Protecting the peninsula lifestyle and making life easier and more affordable for locals are my key priorities.”Race lives in Tootgarook with her husband Andy and two kids Nellie…
BEN Smith has been named as the “Independent 4 Flinders” candidate for the upcoming federal election. Smith, of Cape Schanck, is a small business owner, and has been the CEO of the Mornington Community Support Centre since 2022. He was also awarded the 2024 Victorian Father of the Year award in August, being honoured for his “community advocacy and deep love for his family”. “The Peninsula community has been taken for granted by the major parties for far too long,” said Smith. “It is time to send an independent to Canberra to fight for the services and infrastructure we need.”…
A BUSH block in Flinders, which saw its owner being fined $15,000 for illegally clearing a substantial amount of land eight years ago prompting a community outcry, is now up for sale. The vacant Green Wedge block at 2 Barkers Rd backs onto the Main Ridge Nature Conservation Reserve. The land was subject to court action when the owner, Antoinette Noronho, plead guilty at Frankston Magistrates’ Court in March 2016 to clearing about a third of the native vegetation on the 16-hectare block without a planning permit.She was fined $15,000 and ordered to pay the shire’s $4000 costs.Noronho made an…
A FLINDERS surfer has voiced concern after a recent Navy training exercise above Flinders Beach saw a live-firing exercise reportedly take place as he and other surfers were in the water. Paul, who asked not to use his surname, said it was not uncommon to surf at Flinders Beach while Navy exercises were undertaken at the nearby West Head Gunnery Range on top of the cliffs – with surfers out of any live-firing zone and warnings sounded from the Navy to the alert the public as a precaution.There are two main surf breaks at Flinders called Meanos and Gunnery. Meanos…