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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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 MP Zoe McKenzie has pledged $500,000 in funding to help boost jobs and opportunities for adults with different abilities at Sages Cottage in Baxter, if re-elected. The heritage-listed cottage sits within a 38-acre farm and café run by people with a disability. It is operated by not-for-profit disability support group Wallara Australia, which welcomes more than 50,000 visitors each year.McKenzie last week announced a promise to fund an inclusive jobs hub initiative at Sages Cottage allowing it to expand its workforce and increase visitors, if re-elected at the federal election this year. Currently 80 special needs young adults operate…
A NEW community group has been formed to back an independent candidate for the federal seat of Flinders, now held for the Liberal Party by Zoe McKenzie. The Independent 4 Flinders (I4F) group says it is aiming “to not only find a stellar community independent candidate but also grow a strong and unified grassroots movement to support this candidate being elected”.Twenty-two people at the group’s inaugural meeting on 26 May at Mount Martha House heard an “outline” of its chances of “flipping Flinders”. The meeting was convened by Sarah Russell (who stood as an independent candidate for Flinders at the…