RIVERINA voters have endorsed Nationals MP Michael McCormack for a third successive term in parliament.
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At midday Monday, Mr McCormack had 66.13 per cent of the two candidate preferred vote.
Mr McCormack – who went into the election at $1.001 odds to win – made his victory speech at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club.
On Sunday he came to Forbes’ Apex Park to host a barbecue for this district’s party faithful.
“We don’t get these sort of results without dedicated volunteers,” Mr McCormack said.
“The National Party, and in particular the Young Nationals, turn up in droves.
“They don’t do it for me, they do it to get better results for regional Australia.”
Saturday marked the first poll since new division boundaries picked up Parkes and Forbes.
“I owe it all to the people as far north as Parkes and Forbes because it is a very different electorate,” Mr McCormack said.
“That's going to require a lot more driving, a lot more effort, a lot more representation for those people who have not had National party representation for some years.
“Rest assured, each and every day and night I will be there… to make sure they are represented the way they deserve to be.”
McCormack claimed 61.46 per cent of the votes placed at Forbes Town Hall.
Labor’s Tim Kurylowicz clawed back the votes he lost in 2013, but the negligible swing wasn’t enough to worry the Nationals camp who held a 19 per cent buffer going in.
Mr Kurylowicz has not decided whether he will mount another tilt in March 2019, claiming it was a matter for his family as well as rank and file Labor party members.
“If I’m not the candidate, I will be first in line to back whoever runs,” Mr Kurylowicz said.
Having lost a second contest on the trot, Mr Kurylowicz focused on the 3 per cent of voters that swung his way.
“There’s a clear message to Mr McCormack, that is people are looking for someone who will represent them between elections,” he said.
“Volunteers from every booth said they were proud to be waving the flag for Medicare, schools and NBN.
“It’s up to the Nats to get on board and start fighting for the same things.”
In the seat of Calare, where Eugowra votes, Andrew Gee has claimed the seat for the Nationals.
However the election remains too close to call and it will be days before it is known whether either party will hold the required 76 seats to form government.
At midday on Monday, it looked like the Australian Labor Party was holding 69 seats and the Liberal / National Coalition 64.
