Couzens sweeps back into Geelong

INCUMBENT Member for Geelong, Christine Couzens, has secured another term in parliament with an emphatic victory in Saturday’s State election.

Geelong was one of the first local seats the TV coverage declared for Labor with a crushing defeate of her nearest rival, Liberal candidate James Bennett-Hullin.

Despite a redraw of electoral boundaries that saw the seat of Geelong change from a district covering the urban are of the city to include Bannockburn, Ms Couzens bucked the statewide trend and recorded a more then five per cent swing in her favour.

She said it was “such a privilege” to be elected the Member for Geelong for a third term.

“I do want to thank obviously the Labor team on stage tonight for all their hard work, and what an amazing team we are,” she said at an election night function.

“But none of us are standing here tonight without the support of every single one of you, and the many who are not here tonight.

“Labor wins elections on the basis of its volunteer base, and for that, we are very grateful.

“The privilege of holding office in an Andrews Labor Government is extraordinary, and I have to pay tribute to the Premier, who has been a tower of strength for all of us, having put up with so much crap.”