The LNP won a majority vote to retain their power seat in the Faden electorate, months after the opposition suffered a huge blow after losing the Aston by-election.
LNP candidate and Gold Coast city councillor, Cameron Caldwell, could claim a majority vote and become the next Fadden MP.
Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisfulli said the LNP’s win showed how much the Sunshine State wanted change.
LNP candidate and Gold Coast city councillor, Cameron Caldwell, is likely to claim the majority of votes and could become the next Fadden MP (pictured with his wife Lauren)
The Liberal National Party secured a majority vote to retain their seat of power in the Fadden electorate (pictured is LNP candidate Cameron Caldwell and his wife Laura).
“Earlier this week a Labor senator said it would be an indication of how the LNP was doing in Queensland,” Mr Crisfulli said.
‘Cameron Caldwell has devoted half of his adult life to this community.
‘And at a time when Queenslanders are grappling with the cost of living and housing prices, the youth crime crisis, the health and hospital crisis, Queenslanders have never felt more frustrated by Brand Labor and I have spoken louder.
‘But there is a fourth element that Australians have never needed calm and considered and stable leadership more than now, and in these times and times of uncertainty they will look to someone whose equity matches the challenges they face.
‘And today is the first step in Peter Dutton’s journey to ensure he becomes Prime Minister.’
Labor candidate Letitia del Fabro gave the nod to Mr Caldwell just before 8pm on Saturday, calling to congratulate him on becoming the new member for Fadden.
‘We knew it would be an uphill battle, it sent an important message to the LNP not to take the Gold Coast for granted,’ Ms Del Fabro said.
‘I think we can build on this experience to build Labor on the Gold Coast.’
Labor candidate Letitia Del Fabro (pictured) agreed with Mr Caldwell shortly before 8pm on Saturday, calling to congratulate him on becoming the new member for Fadden.
Labor’s Letitia Del Fabro casts her ballot at Arundel State School on polling day for the federal Queensland seat of Fadden on Saturday.
Sky News political analyst Tom Connell called the LNP the winner at around 7.30pm on Saturday, as the party saw a 3.44 per cent swing towards Mr Caldwell in a two-candidate preference project.
LNP MP Karen Andrews told Sky News she was surprised to see the swing to her party.
‘I didn’t think there would be a swing to the LNP,’ Ms Andrews said.
‘I thought we would lose the primaries by a margin, because we have a popular prime minister who is getting more votes than he is in the election.
‘I think this has been a difficult result for the LNP.’
“We knew it would be an uphill battle, it sent an important message to the LNP not to take the Gold Coast for granted,” Ms Del Fabro said after conceding defeat to Mr Caldwell.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers (pictured) supported Ms Del Fabro on Saturday’s polling day
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt said the ALP vote looked stable.
‘It’s a fairly small swing to the LNP… and a very small swing against the government,’ Mr Watt told Sky News.
‘I’m pretty much okay with that result. It’s a very solid LNP seat, we’re not going to be arrogant about it.
‘I think we know we still have to work for the cost of living and we intend to do that.’
The ABC also confirmed that the LNP was tipped to win at around 7.50pm.
Mr Caldwell was up against Labor Party’s Letitia Del Fabro, Greens candidate Scott Turner and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party’s Sandy Roach.
Mr Caldwell (pictured with his pregnant wife Laura) was up against Labour’s Letitia Del Fabro, Greens candidate Scott Turner and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party’s Sandy Roach.
The win will come as some relief to LNP supporters after the party sensationally lost the safe seat of Aston following Labour’s historic victory in March.
At the last election in 2022 the LNP maintained a 10.63 per cent margin in the two party preference count.
But when former Coalition minister Stuart Robert resigned from federal parliament in May, a by-election for the seat of Fadden on Queensland’s northern Gold Coast began.
Mr Robert said his 16 years in politics had ‘not been a smooth ride’.
The win will come as some relief to LNP supporters after the party sensationally lost the safe seat of Aston following Labour’s historic victory in March.
Labor’s victory with Mary Doyle marked the first time in a century that a sitting government had claimed a seat from the opposition in a by-election.
The AEC recorded that 131,340 eligible voters were registered at the end of the voter list for the Faden by-election on June 19.
Mr Caldwell is now expected to resign from the Gold Coast City Council, where he has been a councilor for more than a decade.
The city’s planning boss is likely to be replaced by the council as the next local government election is less than 12 months away, meaning no by-election is required in his department.
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