Labor has conceded defeat in the Upper Hunter but has massively eaten into the National Party’s 23 per cent margin, after a fierce campaign in which both major parties threw money at the seat in a fashion unseen in years.
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ALP candidate and Muswellbrook mayor Martin Rush thanked supporters on Sunday afternoon after conceding to Michael Johnsen, also a mayor, of Upper Hunter.
Mr Johnsen flagged he will advocate for changes to the government’s land use policies, in an effort to defuse conflicts between mining, homes and agriculture.
Mr Rush attracted about 47 per cent of the two party preferred vote to Mr Johnsen’s 53 per cent, for a swing of around 20 per cent.
Labor had rare wins in towns including, Clarence Town, Vacy and Paterson.
“We can be proud that we have achieved the best result for Labor in the Upper Hunter at a general election in almost a century,” Mr Rush said.
The seat was thrown wide open due to the retirement of long-serving Nationals MP George Souris who held it for over two decades, and left a 23 per cent margin.
Mr Johnsen said he had expected a tough fight, which had intensified in the final week as the issue of the Coalition’s plans to lease 49 per cent of the poles and wires heated up and unions and Labor “threw everything at us”.
Mr Johnsen said he would “proudly fly the flag” for the Coalition as it only remaining Hunter MP.
He said he would be pushing for changes to the government’s land use policies to deliver greater certainty for residents and industry about areas where mining could occur.
