Pakula wins Lyndhurst despite swing against Labor

Pakula wins Lyndhurst despite swing against Labor

Updated Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:03am AEST

Martin Pakula addresses media in Lyndhurst Photo: Victorian opposition leader Daniel Andrews and Labor candidate Martin Pakula (right) speak to the media (AAP: Joe Castro)

External Link: ABC elections: Lyndhurst by-election

Related Story: Labor hopeful of retaining Lyndhurst

Map: Lyndhurst 3975
Labor has claimed victory at a by-election in the Victorian state seat of Lyndhurst, despite taking a significant hit to its primary vote.

The by-election was triggered by the February retirement of former minister Tim Holding.

With more than half the eligible votes counted, Labor’s Martin Pakula had about 40 per cent of the primary vote.

That represents an anti-Labor swing of more than 15 per cent, but is still enough to hand victory to Labor.

There were seven other candidates including Family First and the Greens, but the Liberal Party did not contest the seat.

State Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews thanked voters via Twitter.

Very pleased and honoured that #Lyndhurst voters have stuck with Labor. We won’t let them down. Congrats to @martinppakula #springst

— Daniel Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) April 27, 2013

The Labor victory means the Opposition and the Coalition Government each has 43 seats in the Lower House of Parliament, plus the Liberal speaker.

Former Liberal turned independent MP Geoff Shaw will hold the balance of power.

Mr Shaw is under investigation by police, and parliament’s privileges committee, for the alleged misuse of his taxpayer funded car and fuel card for his personal hardware business.

Read the latest results on the ABC’s election website.

Topics: states-and-territories, government-and-politics, state-parliament, lyndhurst-3975, vic, australia

First posted Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:01pm AEST