LEGISLATIVE Council president Craig Farrell looks set to be returned as the member for Derwent in the upper house of Tasmania’s parliament following yesterday’s double-duty election. What started out as a scheduled vote for two Legislative Council divisions, including Derwent, turned into a State Election five weeks ago when premier Gutwein decided to send all Tasmanian voters to the polls to secure his majority government.
- Latest Legislative Council election results – Derwent – click here
- Latest House of Assembly election results – Lyons – click here
At the close of counting last night, Mr Farrell had received 48.74% of the votes cast in Derwent, ahead of challenger Ben Shaw on 41.23% and Ivan Davis on 10.02%. Mr Shaw held an initial lead early in the count when he convincingly won the vote at Dromedary and was two votes behind Mr Farrell at Glenora. The tide soon turned as the larger polling booths began to publish their results, with Mr Farrell comfortably ahead at most locations. Counting continues today.
As of last night, Mr Farrell had topped the poll at Bridgewater, Chigwell, Claremont, Gagebrook, Glenora, Lachlan, Magra, Molesworth, New Norfolk, New Norfolk North (Fairview), Roseneath, Westerway and Windermere. Mr Shaw won Austins Ferry, Bothwell, Dromedary, Granton, Miena and Ouse.
Counting in the lower house seat of Lyons continued until 12.43am and will resume today. As of that time, Labor’s Rebecca White was the most popular candidate and one of only two people confirmed to have been re-elected, with her 13,501 primary votes. Next was the Liberal Party’s Guy Barnett on 11,922 votes. On the statewide level, Mr Gutwein’s gamble appears to have resulted in much the same outcome for his government as the last election.
