Polls decided

By Ed Merrison
FERNTREE Gully became the most marginal seat in Victoria as the Liberals’ raid on the outer east bagged them a total of four Labor scalps.
Liberal Nick Wakeling managed to prise incumbent Anne Eckstein out of the seat she had occupied since 2002 by just 27 votes after an agonising 10-day vote recount wait.
In Kilsyth, former Shire of Yarra Ranges mayor David Hodgett ousted Labor’s Dympna Beard by less than 250 votes, while both Bayswater’s Peter Lockwood and Evelyn’s Heather McTaggart were deposed by their Liberal counterparts on election day.
As her party colleagues faltered, Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato staved off the challenge of Liberal Simon Wildes and was able to join Monbulk MP and new Sport and Recreation Minister James Merlino for another term in Spring Street.
Ferntree Gully was the final seat decided in an election the Bracks Government won decisively but not without major war wounds in the outer east.
Mr Wakeling, who learned he had pulled through at 2.30am on Wednesday, 6 December, was relieved at the end of “10 days of sheer frustration” for him and Ms Eckstein.
“I’m elated and humbled by the opportunity to represent the Ferntree Gully electorate for the next four years,” he said.
“I’ve been given the greatest opportunity in my life to represent this group of people.”
Mr Wakeling said Ms Eckstein had been a strong incumbent who put up a fair and tough fight in the campaign.
Having overcome his rival, Mr Wakeling said he would not rest on his laurels and would work hard to push the Government on issues such as public transport, roads, health, education and law and order.
“We made our position clear in holding the Government to account for its broken promises and came up with a range of policies to take things forward and now I can continue the fight,” he said.
Ms Eckstein did not rule out running for office in the future but said she, her staff and branch members had been left “pretty devastated” by the defeat.
However, she was grateful for the support she had received and proud of her achievements in office.
“It has been a great honour and privilege and something I would not have missed for the world,” she said.
Ms Lobato was also proud of what she had achieved in her four-year term and was grateful to Gembrook voters for placing their faith in her once again.
The Gembrook MP, who survived a scare after trailing Mr Wildes on first preference votes, pulled away to a 500-vote victory when the votes were finally tallied last week.
The win secured a chance to see pet projects such as the Gembrook Primary School upgrade and GEMCO community theatre through to completion.
Ms Lobato said improved bus services were another priority while the environment was now the top item on the Bracks Government’s agenda.
“We need to focus on the environment and water crisis because there is no point in us working on other projects if we aren’t able to achieve sustainable water supply and climate control,” she said.