THE Liberals’ Mary Aldred has been provisionally declared the winner of the election in the local Federal Electorate of Monash and her closest rivals in the seat, Tully Fletcher (ALP) and Deb Leonard (Ind) have both conceded.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) finally decided late on Monday, May 12 that they were in a position to go to a two-candidate preferred count, after eliminating Ms Leonard in a tight three-candidate preferred count by little more than 1000 votes.

In the end, Ms Aldred has finished with a margin of 8433 votes over Mr Fletcher after the counting of 104,475 votes with 54.28 per cent of the two-candidate vote and Mr Fletcher with 45.72 per cent but the election was a lot closer than that.

Had Ms Leonard received enough first preference votes herself (16,900 votes or 17.17%), and collected enough of the minor party preferences to get past the Labor candidate into second place, she may have been able to win the seat.

In the end, the preferences of disendorsed Liberal, independent Russell Broadbent, which were directed to Ms Aldred ahead of either Ms Leonard or Mr Fletcher, likely made the difference.

From Deb Leonard

Speaking about the outcome, Ms Leonard explained how it happened:

“The AEC advised me that they were discontinuing the three-candidate preferred count and resuming the two-candidate preferred count between Liberal and Labor. This would have been because with only a few thousand votes left to count, I was too far behind to make it into the top two candidates.

“On that basis, after distribution of my preferences, this gives Liberal's Mary Aldred a clear win.

“Importantly, our campaign was only about 1000 votes behind Labor in the three-candidate preferred count, which is why it has taken this long to get a result. If we had come in above Labor, there is a fair chance that with Labor's preferences we could have won.

“Please always remember, that your vote, every vote, is powerful.

“While the election result is not what we had hoped and worked so tirelessly for. I want you to know that I am immensely proud of the positive, community-driven campaign we built together.

“From the day we launched this grassroots’ movement, we knew we were taking on the political establishment. It was always going to be a challenge, and in the face of it all, we remained true to our values and our community, putting forward a bold vision for a better Monash.

“Over many months, we connected with thousands of locals who shared our hunger for change. We elevated the issues that matter most to Monash families – cost of living pressures, healthcare access and regional infrastructure. We brought out election promises from the parties of a scale not seen from federal politicians in this region for decades. We even incited a vigorous fear and smear campaign!

“I am particularly proud of the election commitments to the Fish Creek Football Netball Club, the Drouin South Bypass and to expanding mental health facilities in regional areas, that were issues brought to light by our campaign.

“The week before election day, I was having a conversation with my 9-year-old daughter. She told me she wanted me to win, and she would be sad if I lost. I told her that even if I am not elected, we have already won.

“Because we showed Federal politicians that they can’t take our community for granted, we pushed them to listen to us, we got them to promise funding that they’ve never promised before, we brought our community together and we showed that any person can stand up to the major parties.

“I told her I stood up to do a seemingly impossible thing because it was important, and she can do the same. We showed that politics can be done differently – with integrity, accountability, and putting people first.”

Tully Fletcher concedes

The ALP’s Tully Fletcher has also concede.

“After a week of complex counting, the AEC has completed the two-candidate preferred count for Monash between me and Liberal Mary Aldred.

“A short time ago I called Mary to concede the seat and congratulate her on retaining Monash for the Liberal Party. I wish her well for the next three years.

“I acknowledge the long service of departing former Liberal MP, Russell Broadbent, and wish Russell and his wife Bronwyn all the best for their next chapter.

“It's been an honour to stand as Labor's candidate in Monash, and stand up for the people and communities who made me.

“I was the only Monash candidate who grew up here, went to school here, and lives here.

“Our Monash campaign united Labor members, unions, volunteers, and voters behind our Albanese Labor Government’s plan to build Australia’s future.

Australians overwhelmingly backed Labor's plan and rejected Peter Dutton and Mary Aldred's promise to cut jobs, wages, TAFE, and Medicare.

“Thank you to everyone who talked with me and our Labor team on your doors, phones, and streets about the future of our region and our great country.

“Thank you to everyone who voted Labor and put your trust in me to represent you and our communities in Federal Parliament.

“Like so many Labor campaigns around Australia, our Monash Labor campaign was powered by hundreds of local Labor members, union members, and volunteers.

“Thank you to everyone who gave up their time to organise, knock, call, and letterbox to get our Labor message to voters.

“I'm sorry I wasn't able to deliver the result we wanted this time.

I fought this election because Monash has been taken for granted by Liberals for 20 years and that's long enough.

“I fought to win because only Labor Governments get things done, and Monash deserves a federal Labor MP with a decisive vote in our Australian Labor Government.

“Only Labor is working to manage the growth in Warragul and Drouin by building the new West Gippsland Hospital, funding a permanent Medicare Urgent Care Clinic, and planning a major new road network.

“Only Labor is doing the work our region needs on jobs, energy, housing, and industry, with Gippsland Offshore Wind, the National Housing Accord, and the National Reconstruction Fund for Australian manufacturing.

Peter Dutton and Mary Aldred's only plans for Monash were division, grievance, billions in cuts, and a half-baked thought-bubble for a nuclear reactor at Loy Yang.

“Peter Dutton and Mary Aldred spent the campaign doing everything to avoid talking about their fake nuclear plan because they knew we didn't want it or believe it.

“My team and I fought hard and we're proud of the result, even though we fell short.

“In only eight weeks, our low-budget Labor campaign outperformed the huge ad spend by our opponents, easily outpolled Million Dollar Deb, and doubled the primary vote of our long-serving sitting MP.

“Working Gippslanders know Liberals don’t deliver, and independents can’t deliver.

“Among the communities voting Labor this election was Wonthaggi, my hometown and the largest community in Bass Coast. Labor won Wonthaggi in the primary and two-candidate preferred votes.

“Miners made Wonthaggi and Wonthaggi made me. I’m proud to be from Wonni and I’m grateful to the many friends, neighbours, teachers, schoolmates, and workmates who supported my campaign.

“I thank Mary Aldred, her campaign chair Gary Blackwood, and their team for a fair and respectful contest. I've known Mary and Gary for many years, and they are good people as well as formidable opponents.

“That said, while Mary is a good person, her election is not good for Monash.

“For the next three years our communities will sit on the sidelines in Canberra, represented by an out-of-touch, unpopular, hard-right Liberal Party which just suffered their worst election defeat since World War II.

Monash missed out with Russell for 20 years and we'll keep missing out with Mary.

“Sadly, we'll also keep missing out if Deb Leonard, a cashed-up former Liberal, then Green, now Teal, keeps running cynical anti-Labor campaigns in our seat.

“Deb's disappointing decision to run an open ticket and not preference Labor re-elected Russell Broadbent in 2022, and just helped elect another Liberal in Mary Aldred.

“Deb wants her supporters to believe she's progressive. But actions speak louder than words and Deb's actions elect Liberals in a marginal, working class seat that can't afford more Liberal neglect.

“None of this deters me or our Labor team. Labor has contested Monash and McMillan at every federal election since 1949. We've won before, and we'll win again. Thank you again for all your support. We'll be back.”

Mary Aldred has been asked for comment.