Mixed fortunes

By Tania Martin
INCUMBENT Liberal MP Jason Wood’s political future is hanging in the balance as votes for the seat of La Trobe are too close to call following Saturday’s Federal Election.
However, in the neighbouring seat of Casey, Liberal MP Tony Smith was returned with a resounding victory.
This week La Trobe remains on a knife edge despite the Labor Government’s resounding victory with the results of the postal voting expected to cast the deciding vote.
Mr Wood is currently leading the way in first preference votes with 45.81 per cent compared to ALP candidate Rodney Cocks who has 41.17 per cent.
But in the two candidate preferred votes Mr Wood is trailing his opponent by less than one per cent with 49.73 per cent to Mr Cocks’ 50.27 per cent.
However, Mr Wood said that he never expected to win because the Liberal Party had not been polling well before the election.
Mr Wood said that the Work Choices legislation and the recent rate rise were just some of the deciding factors in Labor’s resounding victory.
Meanwhile Mr Cocks said he always knew that the seat of La Trobe would be a close call.
“It was always going to be a tight contest and I knew it would come down to the wire,” he said.
Mr Cocks said the counting of the votes was a time consuming process and that he didn’t expect a result before the end of the week.
Mr Wood said if he regains his seat, it would be his job to make sure that the Labor Government lives up to all its promises for La Trobe.
During the campaign the Labor Government promised to spend $2.5 million on the development of a performing art centre at Emerald College and to spend 15.3 million on a Weeds plan.
Mr Wood said if he returns to Parliament he would fight to make sure both these significant promises are realised.
“I will work to make sure these promises are in Labor’s budget so we can get the projects off the ground,” he said.
Mr Wood said regardless of the result, he congratulates Mr Cocks on a hard-fought campaign.
“He ran a good campaign and was a tough and formidable opponent,” he said.
However, he says the final results for La Trobe would not be known until Thursday.
In Casey Liberal MP Tony Smith led the way in first preference votes by almost seven per cent against his Labor rival Dympna Beard.
While in the two candidate preferred votes he was a clear winner with a 10 per cent lead with 55.17 per cent of the votes to Ms Beard’s 44.83 per cent.
Mr Smith said he was very honoured and proud to be returned to the seat of Casey.
He promises to continue to be a good advocate in Canberra for the towns in the Casey electorate.
Mr Smith said he would continue campaigning for road funding to improve black spots.
He said it was also important to keep building on facilities for schools in the electorate.
“I want to work in partnership with local communities on environmental projects like I have been doing in the past.
“I will be working as hard as I can for the people of Casey.”
The Mail contacted the Labor candidate for Casey Dympna Beard but was unable to get a comment before going to print.