Easy win for O’Brien in Gippsland South

WHILE Saturday’s election outcome was bitterly disappointing for the Coalition overall, the Nationals enjoyed spectacular success, with the party’s biggest increase in seats since 1943.

“We were always optimistic, but to actually see the result and get four new MPs elected is just a brilliant outcome for the Nats,” re-elected member for Gippsland South Danny O’Brien declared.

He outlined what drove that success.

“I think it highlights that we’re in touch with our communities, able to select good local grassroots candidates and run the sort of campaigns that appeal to regional Victorians,” Mr O’Brien said.

The result demonstrates rural people want a country-focused party to continue to represent them.

“They’ve seen that independents can’t deliver and want to support our strong voice,” Mr O’Brien said.

While he didn’t rule out potential talks on the future of the Coalition, he told the Sentinel-Times, “It is too early to have that discussion.”

“We’re in Coalition at the moment and everything should be on the table,” he was quoted saying in Monday’s Herald Sun.

Mr O’Brien said his comments had probably been blown out of proportion.

“As we do each election, we’ll review the outcome, what worked and what didn’t and what would be best for regional people going forward and that will happen in the next few weeks and months,” Mr O’Brien said.

The Nationals leader Peter Walsh suggested to the Herald Sun that splitting from the Liberals isn’t a viable option in his view.

“If we’re going to present as an alternative government, we have to partner with the Liberals,” Mr Walsh was quoted as saying, adding that the Liberals also need to be part of the coalition to have a chance to govern in the future.

Mr O’Brien spoke of the contrast between the success enjoyed by the Nationals and the overall heavy election defeat for the coalition. 

“It is hard to fathom when there was so much dislike for the Labor Government in my electorate, but clearly people elsewhere had different views,” Mr O’Brien said.

“That’s democracy and it’ll be up to both opposition parties now to regroup, rebuild, and seek to present a credible alternative government at the next election, while holding this government to account for the next four years.”

Just prior to midday on Monday, the Victorian Electoral Commission showed Mr O’Brien as having 55.10 percent of the primary first preference votes for Gippsland South, with nearest rival, Labor’s Denise Ryan on 22.73 percent of the vote at that stage.

Mr O’Brien had secured 19,691 votes to Ms Ryan’s 8,124.

Jay Tiziani Simpson of the Greens was next, with the young candidate on 7.78 percent, having 2,779 first preference votes.

On a two-candidate preferred basis, Mr O’Brien had secured 66.72 percent of preferred votes.

The Nationals added an extra three lower house representatives, including Martin Cameron winning Morwell, with the party comfortably holding onto its six existing seats.

It’s upper house incumbent Melina Bath appears set to be joined by another Nationals representative, from Northern Victoria.

“It’s an absolute honour and privilege to be re-elected as the Member for Gippsland South and with a swing to me of nearly three percent,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Labor made few commitments in Gippsland South but I will be fighting hard to deliver those projects and funding that I made commitments to on behalf of the community.”

Danny O’Brien didn’t lose a booth

YOU know you are going well, as a local Member of Parliament, when you don’t lose the vote in any of your booths on election day.

That was the case for The Nationals Danny O’Brien when he won all 46 booths in Gippsland South, stretching from Sale in the east to Nyora in the west.

He also swept the ‘early votes’ taking 9423 of the 16,646 votes cast early, and more than half of the postal votes, 752 of the 1472 by Monday this week.

Speaking to the Sentinel-Times this week, he said the support justified the hard work.

“I make a concerted effort to make myself available in all my local communities and it’s very pleasing that a majority in each of those communities has recognised the work that we do and backed me at the ballot box.”

Among his closest booths were Yinnar 273 votes to Denise Ryan (ALP) 226, Tarwin Lower 195 (153), Rosedale 331 (169), Nyora 239 (162), Mirboo North 434 (258), Loch Sport 211 (130) and Loch 83 (54)… so there’s still some work to do!

Overall, he personally collected 55.10% of the first preference vote (19,691) as compared to the nearest rival, Denise Ryan (ALP) 22.73% (8124) and the Greens Jay Tiziani-Simpson 7.78% or 2779 votes.

After preferences, Mr O’Brien was the “preferred” candidate of 66.72% of the voters in Gippsland South.