LABOR\u2019S Libby Coker is officially the new federal member for Corangamite.<\/p>\n
The former Surf Coast Shire councillor was declared the winner of the seat over incumbent Liberal MP Sarah Henderson at the Australian Electoral Commission\u2019s count centre in Colac on May 7.<\/p>\n
Ms Coker \u2013 who also stood for the seat at the 2016 election \u2013 will move into Ms Henderson\u2019s electorate office in Waurn Ponds, and said she welcomed the declaration.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means I can get on with the job of representing the many great communities in this electorate: from Leopold to Queenscliff, from Torquay to Apollo Bay and beyond.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll be advocating for all of those issues that you said were important to you during the election; better jobs, infrastructure, schools and training, healthcare and NDIS as well as clearer and more urgent action on the environment and climate change.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll continue to listen to your concerns and work with you to achieve real results – community by community, issue by issue.\u201d<\/p>\n
With 94.78 per cent of eligible votes counted and all polling places returned, Ms Coker had received 51.07 per cent of the two-party preferred vote \u2013 a margin of 2,165 votes and a swing of 1.04 per cent from the 2016 election.<\/p>\n
Ms Coker received less first preference votes than Ms Henderson \u2013 35.47 per cent to 42.33 per cent \u2013 but preference flows pushed the Labor contender in front.<\/p>\n
Early indications on election night (May 18) were that Ms Coker had won the seat, but Ms Henderson did not concede until May 22 when it became clear the trend of postal votes was not in the Liberal MP\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n
There was an informal vote of nearly 4 per cent in Corangamite\u2019s 111,638 eligible electors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LABOR\u2019S Libby Coker is officially the new federal member for Corangamite. The former Surf Coast Shire councillor was declared the winner of the seat over incumbent Liberal MP Sarah Henderson at the Australian Electoral Commission\u2019s count centre in Colac on May 7. Ms Coker \u2013 who also stood for the seat at the 2016 election […]<\/p>\n