Elsie Lange
Sunbury and Macedon electorates have been retained by their sitting Labor MPs Josh Bull and Mary-Anne Thomas, despite a drop in both of the candidates’ primary votes of 14.7 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.
In Macedon, with 73.6 per cent of votes counted as of 8am on Monday, the health minister led Liberal candidate Dominic Bonanno 42 per cent to 30.3 per cent on two party preferred terms.
With 75.3 per cent of votes counted in Sunbury, Mr Bull led Liberal candidate Simmone Cottom 56.6 per cent to 43.4 per cent.
Both Mr Bull and Ms Thomas said they were feeling humbled and thankful to have been re-elected on Saturday, despite swings against their party and votes flowing to independent and minor parties.
“I love what I do, people in this electorate give me enormous energy. Their trust and confidence in me gives me enormous energy and I will work hard for them,” Ms Thomas said.
She said she would rally to ensure her election commitments – including a half a million dollar upgrade at Romsey’s Lions Park reserve and $1.5 million for Kyneton Netball Club – would be funded in the state budget.
Mr Bull also said his priority would be delivering his election commitments, including the development of a TAFE campus in Sunbury and $1.3 million for the local aquatic and leisure centre.
“I think we’ve been able to show what we can achieve when we focus on getting things done,” he said.
Addressing the sizable decline in his primary vote, and for both major parties, Mr Bull said there were more independents and minor party candidates at this election than at the last.
“In 2018 there were only three candidates, the Liberals and the Greens… the drop in primary is mathematically expected,” he said.
Ms Thomas said there had been a “relentless campaign” against Labor by elements of the media, right wing groups and extremists, as well as some residual frustration over the pandemic.
“And indeed the decisions that were taken by the government to protect the lives of people were acutely felt by many others in our community,” she said.
Ms Thomas said she would continue to balance her responsibilities as health minister with her role as the member for Macedon.
“You can’t be a minister in a government unless you’re a good local member first, so being a good local member is always my top priority,” she said.
