Turnbull wins by a long shot
On Saturday August 21 Australians stayed up late into the night, watching as the federal election ended in a state of limbo. In the seat of Wentworth the result was more decisive.
Sitting Liberal member Malcolm Turnbull was returned with a massive 11.30 per cent two party preferred swing in his favour, the largest to a sitting MP. The result was a whitewash with the Liberal party scoring 65.15 per cent (52,835) to Labor’s 34.85 per cent (28,260).
Mr Turnbull received 48,676 first preference votes, almost three times that Labor’s Steven Lewis who gained just 16,995 votes, a swing of 9.52 per cent against his party. The Greens’ Matthew Robertson gained a swing of 2.16 per cent with 13,886 votes.
Mr Turnbull thanked the people of Wentworth for their continued support.
“I would like to thank my constituents for supporting me and giving me their endorsement to serve them for another three years.”
Asked for his thoughts on the swing Mr Turnbull put it down to approval of his policies and lack of trust of Labor.
“The Labor party has demonstrated in the last couple of years that they are lacking both in competence and conviction,” he said. “And that is a fatal combination, to be incompetent and not have the courage of your convictions.”
He indicated he will deliver on his promise to fund completion of the suicide prevention measures at the Gap. Federally, he has his eyes set on a front bench position promised by opposition leader Tony Abbott.
And if the coalition forms government, Mr Turnbull will be pushing for a price on carbon.
“I think we will need to put a price on carbon,” he said. “That is certainly not the Coalition’s position at the moment but I think inevitably if we are going to make an efficient long term reduction to our carbon emissions we are going to have to put a price on carbon either by a carbon tax or by a cap and trade scheme like the CPRS.”
Of the 101,464 enrolled in Wentworth 84,883, or 83.66 per cent, turned out to vote – the informal vote was 3,787 or 4.46 per cent. All figures are correct as of September 5.
– By Liam Kinkead
