Liberal MP returned as Labor wins election

LIBERAL incumbent Richard Riordan weathered a challenge in Polwarth on Saturday, holding his seat and expressing his leadership ambitions as Labor retained power at the state election.

On Tuesday night this week, more than 75 per cent of votes had been counted in Polwarth, and Mr Riordan had a 2,000-vote lead ahead of Labor candidate Hutch Hussein and 52.63 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.

Mr Riordan declared victory and a bigger margin earlier on Tuesday this week in an electorate that expanded to the north at this election and took in the more progressive-friendly towns of Torquay, Jan Juc and Bellbrae.

“I would like to thank the electorate of Polwarth for your support and an increase in the margin following a challenging redistribution,” he said.

“A primary vote of nearly 44 per cent relative to Labor’s 29 per cent as well as an increase in the two-party preferred vote shows support for a candidate that understands and fights for locals on important issues.

“But I acknowledge there is a lot of work to do: I will continue to push for better outcomes for Polwarth and I am genuinely open to listening to everyone within our region.

“The big issues we have from multiple Labor governments remain: broken roads, a struggling health system, a chronic housing shortage and cost of living alongside all the issues along the Great Ocean Road.”

He said he would be fighting for Labor to deliver all of the pledges it made over the course of the election.

“Given their track record of not delivering on roads, railways and health, to name but a few, this will be a real challenge but one that the people of Polwarth expect of me.

“There are also many lessons to be learnt and I am receptive to these. There is an urban/regional chasm that is too big, we must bring Victoria back together and in Polwarth I am in a unique position to cover both these demographics.”

Matthew Guy resigned as Opposition Leader on Sunday following the election loss, and Mr Riordan – who presently holds the three shadow portfolios of Local Government, Housing and Resources – put his name forward to be the new leader of the Victorian Liberal Party.

He withdrew his nomination yesterday (Thursday, December 1) but will stand as a candidate to be deputy leader.

Ms Hussein was briefly predicted to be ahead of Mr Riordan on two-party preferred votes on election night but conceded the race on Monday this week, saying she had achieved about a 2.75 per cent improvement on the ALP’s vote at the 2018 election.

“Despite Antony Green’s premature call on Saturday night, I today recognise I won’t be Polwarth’s first Labor MP,” she said.

“On a positive note, with the re-election of the Andrews Labor Government, I am proud that the $19 million worth of election pledges I secured will be delivered to school, sporting clubs as well as community and environmental organisations at the heart of our Apollo Bay, Anglesea, Colac, Cobden, Gellibrand, Lismore and Torquay communities.”