Greens elated by voter elevation

Greens candidate Narelle McCarthy and her support team toast to a successful campaign.

John Mccutcheona

WHILE the Labor and coalition parties fight it out over who will lead the country, the Greens have consolidated their position as the third force in Australian politics.

On the Sunshine Coast, the party pulled more than 18% of the vote in Fairfax and 16% in Fisher.

While LNP incumbent Alex Somlyay was returned with an increased majority, recording a swing 2.1% towards him, he admitted the biggest danger to his re-election had been the Greens out-polling Labor on the primary vote.

The result showed a two-party-preferred swing of 3.4% to Mr Somlyay, giving him 56.37% to Labor’s 43.63%.

An ecstatic Greens candidate, Narelle McCarthy, who recorded 18.06% of the vote with a swing of 9.37% in Fairfax, said the lifestyle impacts of growth, including loss of biodiversity, congestion and the cost of living, all resonated with voters during her campaigning.

She said the fact that both major parties were unprepared to take real action on climate change was also a factor.

“Voters were disillusioned with the negativity of the other parties,” Ms McCarthy said.

“The Greens ran a positive campaign with solution-based policies.”

Ms McCarthy said the Greens saw the swing to it as more than a protest vote against Labor.

“This result was very encouraging,” she said.

Labor candidate Dan McIntyre remained positive, saying he was pleased the swing against Labor on the Coast was not as great as in other parts of the state.

“I’ll be keeping an eye on the Sunshine Coast to see that election promises are kept,” Mr McIntyre said.

Mr Somlyay, 64, will enter his last term in office, having said before the vote he would not seek his party’s endorsement in 2013.

But he said he would work just as hard as he had during the past 20 years and expected to play a senior coalition role in government or opposition.

Mr Somlyay said the business of having marginal seats as a means of getting money was a myth.

The seats that did well, he said, were those that elected members of Cabinet. The most senior members of both the Labor Party and the coalition were in safe seats.

“If the Coast wants a long-term vision for its future, it needs to elect someone with the capacity to fill a long-term senior role,” he said.

“I want to be replaced by someone who will walk the national stage, and there are many young people on the Coast who can do that.”

Despite receiving criticism over a his huge expenses bill, Peter Slipper was returned in the seat of Fisher with a 1.58% swing, well in front Labor’s Chris Cummins.

Nationals leader and Wide Bay incumbent Warren Truss easily won the seat of Wide Bay with a swing of 10.29%

At the time of printing, negotiations are underway between the independents, the green candidate(s), the coalition and the Labor Party to decide who will lead a future government.

FAIRFAX RESULTS

Alex Somlyay (LNP): 48.83%

Dan McIntyre (ALP): 27.71%

Narelle McCarthy (GRN): 18.06%

Ron Hunt (FAM): 5.39%