INCUMBENT Gippsland South MLA Danny O’Brien has been returned for The Nationals with an increased percentage of the vote following the 2022 Victorian state election on Saturday November 26.
Mr O’Brien said he felt “humbled” by his election win, which saw him gain a swing of nearly three per cent in his favour and win all 46 booths in the Gippsland South electorate.
“It is an absolute honour and privilege to be re-elected as the Member for Gippsland South,” he said.
“My thanks and congratulations to the other candidates for a spirited showing and a campaign conducted in good humour.”
Mr O’Brien also offered his congratulations to the Andrews Labor Government on its re-election.
The Victorian Electoral Commission website shows that on a two-candidate preferred basis, Mr O’Brien received 23,841 votes or 66.72 per cent, representing a 2.7 per cent swing to The Nationals in Gippsland South.
The Australian Labor Party – Victorian Branch’s Denise Ryan finished with 11,894 votes or 33.28 per cent.
“I love being the Member for Gippsland South each and every day,” he said.
“I work hard to make sure your voice is heard, and while I don’t always win the fight, I’ll always have a go.
“Labor made few commitments in Gippsland South, but I will be fighting hard to deliver those projects and funding that I made commitments to on behalf of the community,” Mr O’Brien said.
“While the overall result is extremely disappointing, in that the Coalition didn’t get to form government, I am so proud of the stunning result for my team, The Nationals.
“We have won three additional Lower House seats, including Martin Cameron in Morwell, and we look like adding another Upper House MP in Northern Victoria,” he said.
“The Nationals will always put country people first and having more of us will be a good thing in the face of a re-elected majority Labor Government.”
Mr O’Brien said the outcome of the 2022 election had been “bittersweet” for him from a state-wide point of view.
“It’s been a fantastic result for The Nationals and for me, with big swings to us, however we now have another four years in Opposition,” he said.
“I’m proud to have been re-elected, and I’d like to thank the voters of the Corner Inlet area as well as the people of Gippsland South for your amazing support!”
Mr O’Brien was first elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 2015.
He had previously served as a member of the Legislative Council from 2014 to 2015.
He delivered his inaugural speech as the new Nationals member for the Eastern Victoria Region in the Legislative Council chamber on March 27, 2014, after the retirement of long-serving MLC Peter Hall.
Mr O’Brien won the Gippsland South by-election held on March 14, 2015, following the resignation of former Gippsland South MLA Peter Ryan.
He was re-elected at the 2018 Victorian election held on November 24 of that year.
Up to the 2022 Victorian election, Mr O’Brien has been serving as the Shadow Minister in three portfolios; Public Transport and Roads, Water, and Gaming and Liquor Regulation.
Gippsland South Results
The following are the Gippsland South District results according to the Victorian Electoral Commission’s website as at Monday November 28, 2022.
Total enrolment as at the close of rolls: 49,715.
Formal votes: 35,738.
Informal votes: 1,895 (5.04 per cent of the total vote).
Total votes: 37,633 (75.7 per cent of the total enrolment at the close of rolls).
Primary First Preference Vote Results
Esler, Clay (Independent) 2,088 votes, 5.84 per cent.
Tiziani-Simpson, Jay (The Australian Greens) 2,779 votes, 7.78 per cent.
Furlong, Paul (Family First) 937 votes, 2.62 per cent.
Ryan, Denise, (Australian Labor Party, Victorian Branch) 8,124 votes, 22.73 per cent.
O’Brien, Danny (The Nationals) 19,691 votes, 55.1 per cent.
Jeges, Helen (Australian Justice Party) 1,075 votes, 3.01 per cent.
Newnham, Angela (Freedom Party of Victoria) 1,044 votes, 2.92 per cent.
Two-Candidate Preferred Result
O’Brien, Danny (The Nationals) 23,841, 66.72 per cent
Ryan, Denise (Australian Labor Party – Victorian Branch) 11,894, 33.28 per cent.
Eastern Victoria Regional Poll to be declared
The result of the poll in the Eastern Victoria Region of the State’s Upper House or Legislative Council is still to be formally declared by the Victorian Electoral Commission, with the announcement not expected for at least a week.
Under the heading Primary Votes, the VEC website states that the Eastern Victoria Region’s total enrolment at the close of rolls was 546,122.
In the 2022 election the Region recorded 163,556 formal votes, along with 6348 informal votes or 3.74 per cent of the total votes, with a total of 169,904 votes cast or 31.11 per cent of the total enrolment at the close of rolls.
A total of 22 political parties and one ungrouped candidate stood for election to the Legislative Council in the Eastern Victoria Region, with members elected after preferences are distributed and counting concluded.
The ABC News website indicates that the following five candidates have been provisionally elected after 25 rounds of counting.
1. Renee Health (Liberal Party)
2. Tom McIntosh (Australian Labor Party)
3. Melina Bath (The Nationals)
4. Harriet Shing (Australian Labor Party)
5. Jeff Bourman (Shooters, Fishers and Farmers)
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