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Australian Liberal Party Reaps Electoral Benefits of Climate Realism
The Liberal Party has shrugged off a tumultuous week to retain the prize seat of Higgins in a comfortable by-election win.
Kelly O’Dwyer, 32, clinched the Melbourne seat vacated by former treasurer Peter Costello in a decisive victory.
She dashed the Greens’ hopes of a voter backlash on Liberal climate change policy, in the first leadership test for Tony Abbott.
smh.com.au: ‘Libs shrug off tumult to retain Higgins’
The Liberal Party has retained the federal seat of Bradfield, with candidate Paul Fletcher claiming victory in the blue-ribbon Sydney electorate.
Mr Fletcher, a former Optus executive, had 55.38 per cent of the primary votes at the close of counting on Saturday night.
That was just 4.74 percentage points less than the Liberal vote in 2007.
On a two-party preferred basis, Mr Fletcher had about 63 per cent of votes, while the Australian Greens’ candidate Susie Gemmell held about 36 per cent.
smh.co.au: ‘Liberals win Bradfield by-election’
Mr Abbott believes the results prove the public is uneasy about Labor’s ETS.
“These results reflect what we have been hearing – people are deeply concerned about the cost of an emissions trading scheme on their family budget and (Kevin) Rudd needs to explain to them how this great big new tax would impact on them,” he said in a statement on Saturday night.
theage.com.au: ‘Abbott defies doubters with poll wins’