WITH 91.6% of the Federal Election votes counted, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has resolved that Monash will finish as a two-party preferred contest with Liberals Mary Aldred leading by 8,377 votes against Labors Tully Fletcher, who on Monday, May 12, conceded defeat and wished Mary well in her seat of Monash.
The result means Monash remains a Liberal seat, extending the party’s run over the electorate to 24 consecutive years. Originally known as McMillan before a redistribution in 2019, the seat was claimed by Liberal Russell Broadbent in 2001. Broadbent went on to serve the electorate for over two decades.
After a closely fought contest, Liberal candidate Mary Aldred is on the cusp of officially claiming victory in her electorate. However, the AEC is still finalising the vote count before issuing the formal declaration.
“We've got a clear result and a clear outcome — obviously, the Labor candidate conceded,” Mary said. “But there's a bit of a holding pattern in between, a formal declaration by the AEC still needs to be made.”
Despite the wait, Mary is already turning her focus toward the work ahead.
When asked what resonated most with voters, Mary attributed her achievement to a deeply local, hands-on campaign. “I put myself forward as a genuine local who has had a track record of 20 years of working with local community groups,” she said. “Whether that was as chair of the basketball league or community aged care, I think people see me as someone who rolls their sleeves up.”
Being on the ground wasn’t new for Mary. “I was in the field as a candidate for the longest period,” she said, reflecting on her extended pre-campaign community engagement.
She acknowledged the tough competition from independent candidate Deb Leonard and Labors’ Tully Fletcher but remains humbled by the result. “It was certainly a very tough contest,” she said. “I'm incredibly privileged to be in this position today.”
Once the AEC formally declares her victory, Mary said she plans to get straight to work. “As soon as I am formally declared, I’m not going to waste a second,” she said.
Her top priorities include making sure the commitments Labor made are delivered. Working very closely with veteran groups, community organisations, and sporting clubs, and focusing on small and family-run businesses, making sure they have the support and representation they deserve.
Mary said she is especially keen to maintain grassroots communication. “One thing that worked really well over the last 18 months is listening posts in all communities, a convenient way for people to stop me and offer feedback.”
She also plans to continue roundtables with small business owners, veterans’ groups, and — notably — young people. “I’ve had some valuable feedback on issues important to them, particularly around mental health and social media.”
With a sprawling electorate, Mary said she’ll have an open-door policy but understands that it is a long way for many to travel. “I'm very mindful that we live in a large electorate, and for a variety of reasons, it's not always practical for people to travel to another town,” she said. “I want to make myself as accessible and available as possible in every town.”
She also wants to continue her work with disability and carer groups, not only on individual cases but broader policy as well.
“This is an electorate where you have to know your ground,” she said. “And that’s the type of work I’ve been doing for 20 years. I want to build on that and be a very engaged, very proactive local member.”
