ACT election results show the division between Canberra’s north and south is more than geographic, says Katy Gallagher.
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The Chief Minister said the vote count from Saturday’s territory elections showed a growing political gap between conservative voters to the south of Lake Burley Griffin and progressives who were inhabiting the north.
Ms Gallagher’s rival Zed Seselja said the 7.3 per cent swing to the Canberra Liberals had been driven by voters in the Tuggeranong Valley, where the Opposition Leader’s personal vote alone was sitting at nearly 30 per cent.
The gap between ACT Labor and the Canberra Liberals first preference votes has narrowed to just 22 votes, with only 4000 postal, declaration and interstate ballots left to be counted.
The slim margin separating the two major parties is largely thanks to Mr Seselja’s move to his home electorate of Brindabella, where the Canberra Liberals have swallowed up 46 per cent of the primary vote.
In Ms Gallagher’s electorate of Molonglo, ACT Labor leads on first preferences by 2673 votes and in the northern electorate of Ginninderra the party is ahead by 3915 votes.
‘‘I think probably for the first time we’re seeing a city that’s perhaps divided more than it has been before,’’ Ms Gallagher said.
‘‘Obviously there’s been a swing away from minor parties and back to major parties which is again unusual and something we haven’t seen in the last two elections.
‘‘But we’re also seeing a concentration of more conservative votes south of the lake and perhaps more of a progressive vote north of the lake.
‘‘I’m sure there’s smarter people than me that will sit down and analyse this election to death and that should happen in time.
‘‘But there are some interesting features coming out from this election.’’
Mr Seselja said the swing to the Liberals reflected a mood for change across the electorate.
But the Opposition Leader agreed it was most apparent among voters in the territory’s southern suburbs.
‘‘Certainly it’s come through very strongly in Tuggeranong,’’ he said.
‘‘In Tuggeranong it was pretty dominant in terms of the Liberal vote versus the Labor vote, but not as much on the other side of town where there’s different voting patterns happening.
‘‘It’s the strongest vote anyone’s ever got in Brindabella of any party so obviously people across Canberra have voted for change but people in Tuggeranong voted more so for change.’’