Fremantle the seat to watch in WA post-election

ABC NEWS (Australia)

In Western Australia, Labor is facing the prospect of losing a former safe seat possibly its only loss in the country. With Climate-200 backed independent Kate Hulett giving Labor’s Josh Wilson a run for his spot.

Transcript

00:00This is traditionally very safe Labor territory.

00:05The party has held the seat for almost all of the time since it was created,

00:10but that is now under threat because of independent Kate Hewlett.

00:14She ran in the state election in the same seat of Fremantle,

00:18had a very good run there, came incredibly close to one seating the state MP who held the seat.

00:24She's pivoted that run into a federal campaign

00:27and despite the federal seat taking in a much wider area

00:31and many doubting that she would be able to secure such a close result in the federal campaign,

00:36she has done just that

00:38and it is within striking distance of unseating Labor's Josh Wilson,

00:41depending on how preferences go.

00:44She says regardless of what the final result is,

00:47she's very pleased with the campaign she's run.

00:50If you run a candidate on, you know, really important issues,

00:55the community get behind and it feels thrilling and exciting

01:02and we've raised expectations as they should be, you know,

01:07throughout our community for better results from our government.

01:11Just north of here another independent has had some success,

01:14Kate Chaney, holding the traditional Liberal stronghold of Curtin

01:18despite a big push by the party.

01:21A lot of money, a lot of effort was put into trying to win back that seat

01:25which has had a long history of very high-profile Liberals holding it.

01:29Most recently Julie Bishop as the Foreign Minister before she resigned.

01:34It had been expected to be a close contest.

01:37The Liberals had hoped that they would win back the seat.

01:40They haven't managed to do that.

01:42Kate Chaney increasing her margin there creating a big headache for the party.

01:48She says it's a result of locals wanting an independent voice in Parliament.

01:54I think in Curtin there are a lot of people who feel that Peter Dutton

01:58does not represent their values.

02:00We've seen politics of fear and division, culture wars,

02:05and very little strong direction in terms of a positive outlook for the country.

02:13And I'm sure that that had a big impact on the outcome.

02:16So while Kate Chaney's result is certain her Liberal opponent has conceded,

02:21counting is continuing here in Fremantle and it will for quite some time

02:26until there is eventually a winner in a very surprising and very close contest.

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