Independent Nicolette Boele ahead in critical seat of Bradfield by 40 votes as electoral watchdog flags recount
Independent teal candidate Nicolette Boele has edged ahead in the race for the seat of Bradfield by just 40 votes – triggering a bombshell update from the electoral watchdog as the Liberals' purported victory is put into play.
Ms Boele's opponent, Liberal Gisele Kapterian, was last week on track to win the longtime blue-ribbon seat for the party.
But the latest vote count on Monday evening has now flipped the climate-backed Teal back into the lead by a razor-thin margin of 40 votes.
Ms Boele has secured 56,233 votes, while Ms Kapterian sits at 56,191.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) will now carry out a full distribution of preferences and will automatically conduct a recount if the final margin is less than 100 votes.
'It now looks like the result in Bradfield will come down to just a few dozen votes out of around 120,000,' Ms Boele said on Monday afternoon.
'There may be a recount and I await the final declaration from the AEC.
'I'm grateful we live in a country with a trusted electoral commission that conducts itself with integrity. I didn't quite think I'd get such a close look at the institutions underpinning our democracy, but seeing the AEC operate over the past few weeks, I'm glad we live in Australia.
The Teal thanked her 'respectful and formidable' opponent for her civility throughout the count.
'This has been a nailbiting couple of weeks for our volunteers, and I'm sure for Gisele Kapterian and her team as well,' she added.
'No matter the final result, our community has sent a powerful message to the major parties: we are not the safe seat we used to be.
'Our votes mattered this time, and they will matter next time too. That's the power of independents and I thank our 1,450 volunteers for the years of hard work it took to get here.'
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The Advertiser
37 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Premier cans privatisations amid political turmoil
No state-owned businesses will be sold off, the Tasmanian premier has declared, following a week of political turmoil. Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff has ruled out privatisations in an attempt to diffuse opposition attacks, with the possibility of selling some government entities among Labor's reasons for moving a vote of no confidence against the premier. Prominent economist Saul Eslake had been preparing a report on viable opportunities to sell government-owned businesses to support the state's troubled finances. Mr Rockliff has now put a stop to that work. "Labor has forced this early election on the deceitful campaign that our government intends to divest government-owned businesses – before Mr Eslake's work is even completed," he said on Saturday. But Labor shadow treasurer Josh Willie said privatising government assets was "in their DNA" regardless of the latest statements from the premier. "They didn't take it to the last election and they tried to sell Tasmanian assets," he told reporters in Hobart on Saturday. "So they will try to do it again, and the only way to stop them is to not vote for them." The political ructions look to set send Tasmanians back to the polls for the fourth time in seven years unless the Liberal party opts to remove Mr Rockliff and negotiate a new deal with crossbenchers. An election could be called on Tuesday. Senior Liberal figures including Senator Jonno Duniam are calling the prospect of a snap election "nuts". "I would have thought every effort should be put into not going to an election ... the people that lose out most in all this - forget the parliamentarians - it's the people of Tassie," he told ABC Radio. Analysts tip an unpredictable campaign given the nature of the political drama, with candidates from the federal election in May adding another dimension. Ex-federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer is viewed as a likely candidate in Bass should Mr Rockliff hang on. Anti-salmon independent Peter George, who ran Julie Collins close in the safe federal seat of Franklin, told AAP he was considering his options. Opposition leader Dean Winter moved the no-confidence motion due to the state budget, which included ballooning deficits and debt forecasts and the proposals to privatise state assets. However, it's the stadium that looms as the biggest issue. Veteran political campaigner Brad Stansfield, who has worked on the Liberals' last four election wins, said it would be issue No.1. "At the last election ... we mostly kept it hidden from the campaign," he said on his FontCast podcast. "This campaign is going to be the referendum on the AFL stadium that we haven't yet had. It is coming like a steam train." The roofed Macquarie Point stadium is a condition of an AFL licence, with the state government responsible for delivery and cost overruns. But recent polls suggest Tasmanians are not sold on the need for a new stadium. Labor and the Liberals support the stadium, but Mr Stansfield said Mr Rockliff would be the one to pay the electoral price. "If you don't like the stadium, you will vote against the Liberals," he said. Roland Browne, spokesperson for the anti-stadium Our Place group, told AAP they would campaign if there was an election. Mr Browne said he could see a scenario where one or both of the major parties would join the Greens in opposing the project. No state-owned businesses will be sold off, the Tasmanian premier has declared, following a week of political turmoil. Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff has ruled out privatisations in an attempt to diffuse opposition attacks, with the possibility of selling some government entities among Labor's reasons for moving a vote of no confidence against the premier. Prominent economist Saul Eslake had been preparing a report on viable opportunities to sell government-owned businesses to support the state's troubled finances. Mr Rockliff has now put a stop to that work. "Labor has forced this early election on the deceitful campaign that our government intends to divest government-owned businesses – before Mr Eslake's work is even completed," he said on Saturday. But Labor shadow treasurer Josh Willie said privatising government assets was "in their DNA" regardless of the latest statements from the premier. "They didn't take it to the last election and they tried to sell Tasmanian assets," he told reporters in Hobart on Saturday. "So they will try to do it again, and the only way to stop them is to not vote for them." The political ructions look to set send Tasmanians back to the polls for the fourth time in seven years unless the Liberal party opts to remove Mr Rockliff and negotiate a new deal with crossbenchers. An election could be called on Tuesday. Senior Liberal figures including Senator Jonno Duniam are calling the prospect of a snap election "nuts". "I would have thought every effort should be put into not going to an election ... the people that lose out most in all this - forget the parliamentarians - it's the people of Tassie," he told ABC Radio. Analysts tip an unpredictable campaign given the nature of the political drama, with candidates from the federal election in May adding another dimension. Ex-federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer is viewed as a likely candidate in Bass should Mr Rockliff hang on. Anti-salmon independent Peter George, who ran Julie Collins close in the safe federal seat of Franklin, told AAP he was considering his options. Opposition leader Dean Winter moved the no-confidence motion due to the state budget, which included ballooning deficits and debt forecasts and the proposals to privatise state assets. However, it's the stadium that looms as the biggest issue. Veteran political campaigner Brad Stansfield, who has worked on the Liberals' last four election wins, said it would be issue No.1. "At the last election ... we mostly kept it hidden from the campaign," he said on his FontCast podcast. "This campaign is going to be the referendum on the AFL stadium that we haven't yet had. It is coming like a steam train." The roofed Macquarie Point stadium is a condition of an AFL licence, with the state government responsible for delivery and cost overruns. But recent polls suggest Tasmanians are not sold on the need for a new stadium. Labor and the Liberals support the stadium, but Mr Stansfield said Mr Rockliff would be the one to pay the electoral price. "If you don't like the stadium, you will vote against the Liberals," he said. Roland Browne, spokesperson for the anti-stadium Our Place group, told AAP they would campaign if there was an election. Mr Browne said he could see a scenario where one or both of the major parties would join the Greens in opposing the project. No state-owned businesses will be sold off, the Tasmanian premier has declared, following a week of political turmoil. Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff has ruled out privatisations in an attempt to diffuse opposition attacks, with the possibility of selling some government entities among Labor's reasons for moving a vote of no confidence against the premier. Prominent economist Saul Eslake had been preparing a report on viable opportunities to sell government-owned businesses to support the state's troubled finances. Mr Rockliff has now put a stop to that work. "Labor has forced this early election on the deceitful campaign that our government intends to divest government-owned businesses – before Mr Eslake's work is even completed," he said on Saturday. But Labor shadow treasurer Josh Willie said privatising government assets was "in their DNA" regardless of the latest statements from the premier. "They didn't take it to the last election and they tried to sell Tasmanian assets," he told reporters in Hobart on Saturday. "So they will try to do it again, and the only way to stop them is to not vote for them." The political ructions look to set send Tasmanians back to the polls for the fourth time in seven years unless the Liberal party opts to remove Mr Rockliff and negotiate a new deal with crossbenchers. An election could be called on Tuesday. Senior Liberal figures including Senator Jonno Duniam are calling the prospect of a snap election "nuts". "I would have thought every effort should be put into not going to an election ... the people that lose out most in all this - forget the parliamentarians - it's the people of Tassie," he told ABC Radio. Analysts tip an unpredictable campaign given the nature of the political drama, with candidates from the federal election in May adding another dimension. Ex-federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer is viewed as a likely candidate in Bass should Mr Rockliff hang on. Anti-salmon independent Peter George, who ran Julie Collins close in the safe federal seat of Franklin, told AAP he was considering his options. Opposition leader Dean Winter moved the no-confidence motion due to the state budget, which included ballooning deficits and debt forecasts and the proposals to privatise state assets. However, it's the stadium that looms as the biggest issue. Veteran political campaigner Brad Stansfield, who has worked on the Liberals' last four election wins, said it would be issue No.1. "At the last election ... we mostly kept it hidden from the campaign," he said on his FontCast podcast. "This campaign is going to be the referendum on the AFL stadium that we haven't yet had. It is coming like a steam train." The roofed Macquarie Point stadium is a condition of an AFL licence, with the state government responsible for delivery and cost overruns. But recent polls suggest Tasmanians are not sold on the need for a new stadium. Labor and the Liberals support the stadium, but Mr Stansfield said Mr Rockliff would be the one to pay the electoral price. "If you don't like the stadium, you will vote against the Liberals," he said. Roland Browne, spokesperson for the anti-stadium Our Place group, told AAP they would campaign if there was an election. Mr Browne said he could see a scenario where one or both of the major parties would join the Greens in opposing the project. No state-owned businesses will be sold off, the Tasmanian premier has declared, following a week of political turmoil. Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff has ruled out privatisations in an attempt to diffuse opposition attacks, with the possibility of selling some government entities among Labor's reasons for moving a vote of no confidence against the premier. Prominent economist Saul Eslake had been preparing a report on viable opportunities to sell government-owned businesses to support the state's troubled finances. Mr Rockliff has now put a stop to that work. "Labor has forced this early election on the deceitful campaign that our government intends to divest government-owned businesses – before Mr Eslake's work is even completed," he said on Saturday. But Labor shadow treasurer Josh Willie said privatising government assets was "in their DNA" regardless of the latest statements from the premier. "They didn't take it to the last election and they tried to sell Tasmanian assets," he told reporters in Hobart on Saturday. "So they will try to do it again, and the only way to stop them is to not vote for them." The political ructions look to set send Tasmanians back to the polls for the fourth time in seven years unless the Liberal party opts to remove Mr Rockliff and negotiate a new deal with crossbenchers. An election could be called on Tuesday. Senior Liberal figures including Senator Jonno Duniam are calling the prospect of a snap election "nuts". "I would have thought every effort should be put into not going to an election ... the people that lose out most in all this - forget the parliamentarians - it's the people of Tassie," he told ABC Radio. Analysts tip an unpredictable campaign given the nature of the political drama, with candidates from the federal election in May adding another dimension. Ex-federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer is viewed as a likely candidate in Bass should Mr Rockliff hang on. Anti-salmon independent Peter George, who ran Julie Collins close in the safe federal seat of Franklin, told AAP he was considering his options. Opposition leader Dean Winter moved the no-confidence motion due to the state budget, which included ballooning deficits and debt forecasts and the proposals to privatise state assets. However, it's the stadium that looms as the biggest issue. Veteran political campaigner Brad Stansfield, who has worked on the Liberals' last four election wins, said it would be issue No.1. "At the last election ... we mostly kept it hidden from the campaign," he said on his FontCast podcast. "This campaign is going to be the referendum on the AFL stadium that we haven't yet had. It is coming like a steam train." The roofed Macquarie Point stadium is a condition of an AFL licence, with the state government responsible for delivery and cost overruns. But recent polls suggest Tasmanians are not sold on the need for a new stadium. Labor and the Liberals support the stadium, but Mr Stansfield said Mr Rockliff would be the one to pay the electoral price. "If you don't like the stadium, you will vote against the Liberals," he said. Roland Browne, spokesperson for the anti-stadium Our Place group, told AAP they would campaign if there was an election. Mr Browne said he could see a scenario where one or both of the major parties would join the Greens in opposing the project.
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Calls grow for besieged Tasmanian Premier to resign after no-confidence loss, despite Jeremy Rockliff ruling out privatising state-owned assets
Tasmania's political quagmire has continued to escalate days after a no-confidence vote shockingly passed the house, with mining and business bodies joining Independent MPs in calling for Premier Jeremy Rockliff to be dumped as Liberal leader. A vote of no-confidence passed the house by the slimmest of margins on Thursday, with Labor speaker Michelle O'Byrne casting the deciding ballot after stating she could not vote in favour of a Liberal government. Tasmanians will now have to wait until next week to find out when they will return to the polls for the second time in as little as 14 months, with Mr Rockliff to visit the state Governor on Tuesday. Both houses of Parliament will also convene on Tuesday to pass emergency budget supply bills to ensure the state can sufficiently pay its debts between the end of financial year and the conclusion of the election, with the poll to then be called immediately after. However, Independent MP Craig Garland insisted for Mr Rockliff to step aside ahead of the contest and allow the Liberal Party to select a new leader. 'To do otherwise would be to drag the government down and show Tasmanians the arrogance and ignorance that led to the loss of confidence in the Premier in the first place,' he said on Friday. 'If the Liberals are unwilling to form government, I call on the Labor Party to put aside politics for the best interests of Tasmania, and work with myself, and other non-government members to make this parliament work again,' he said, despite Opposition Leader Dean Winter vehemently ruling out a Coalition with the Greens. 'If the major parties aren't willing to compromise, it shows that Tasmanians must look at Independents and minor parties who have demonstrated they can make minority government work'. Small Business Council of Tasmania CEO Robert Mallett also came out swinging against Mr Rockliff on Saturday and said that despite being a 'very good Premier', he was puzzled as to why he had not yet tendered his resignation. 'Personally, I'm very disappointed for Jeremy because I know he's put his heart and soul into trying to get it right, but at the end of the day, again, for the state, we would be better off with a new leader,' he said. 'He could have stepped down as Premier and the Parliamentary Liberal Party could have chosen another Premier'. Mr Mallet, whose body represents over 42,000 small businesses said the ongoing political instability was untenable and that there were 'some very experienced parliamentarians in the party' who could serve as Liberal leader. CEO of the Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council Ray Mostogl also reiterated that elections damaged confidence in the private sector and that the poll would further delay a crucial ruling on the Marinus Link, and several other pending business decisions. 'Jeremy is a remarkable person and I think that's a view that's held by many people of all colours in politics, so this is not personal he's a great guy,' he said. 'The point is they've been voted in, there's policies that they've had election promises that they made and we need to let that run its course." Mr Rockliff has remained defiant in his bid to lead the Liberals to the winter poll and on Saturday announced there would be no sale of state-owned companies if he won the election, of which was a key reason the no-confidence motion was advanced by Labor. "There will be no privatisation under the Tasmanian Liberal government," Mr Rockliff said in a statement, assuring the plan had been abandoned for good. 'There will be no asset sales under the Tasmanian Liberal Government,' he said. 'Labor has forced this early election on the deceitful campaign that our government intends to divest government-owned businesses – before Mr Eslake's work is even completed'. The government had commissioned independent economist Saul Eslake to determine which state owned assets could potentially be sold off, yet a number of critical enterprises including Port Arthur, Hydro Tasmania, the Spirit of Tasmania operator TT-Line and TasRacing were explicitly ruled out.
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Former Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto served bankruptcy notice
John Pesutto has accepted a bankruptcy notice served to him yesterday, as the consequences of Liberal colleague Moira Deeming's successful defamation action against him continue to play out. One source close to the proceedings confirmed that the official notice had been served. Deeming successfully took Pesutto to Federal Court, which last December ruled he defamed her five times after an anti-transgender rights rally she organised in March 2023. That rally was unexpectedly gatecrashed by Neo-Nazis, and the court agreed with Deeming that in the aftermath, Pesutto defamed her as a Nazi sympathiser. Last month, a court ordered Pesutto to pay Deeming $2.3 million in legal costs by Friday, May 30, a deadline which he missed. Loading Only about one third of the money has been raised, including $212,000 via crowdfunding - and about $4000 of that in the past week. Under Australian bankruptcy law, Pesutto now has 20 days to either pay the $2.3 million in full or come to an arrangement where he can pay in instalments. Deeming's lawyers have previously said they plan to pursue third parties for costs if Pesutto is left bankrupt — including former premiers Jeff Kennett, Denis Napthine and Ted Baillieu and serving MPs Georgie Crozier and David Southwick.
