Kristy McBain secures Eden-Monaro

Labor’s Kristy McBain is set to retain the seat of Eden-Monaro encompassing the Yass Valley in south-east New South Wales, with a swing in her favour.

With more than three-quarters of the vote counted, Kristy leads Liberal’s Jerry Nockles by more than 13,000 votes – a swing of over 8 per cent.

While final votes were still being counted, Anthony Albanese was sworn in as the 31^st prime minister on Monday, May 23. Alongside deputy prime minister Richard Marles and frontbenchers Penny Wong as Foreign Minister, Jim Chalmers as Treasurer and Katy Gallagher as Finance Minister.

The five new ministerial office bearers will take on all the portfolios until the full cabinet is named.

The former Bega Valley Shire mayor first won the seat in a by-election in 2020, prompted by the resignation of Labor MP Mike Kelly, edging out Liberal candidate Fiona Kotvojs by 0.9 per cent.

Kristy accepted victory as she thanked her family and supporters in Merimbula on Saturday night.

“The night of the by-election I stood up and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” she said in her victory speech.

“I wanted to ensure this time around that there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind about who had won the seat of Eden-Monaro.”

“The hard work started from when I won the by-election to today (May 21), it didn’t start six weeks ago, it started 21 months ago,” she said. “We have taken what was an ultra-marginal seat and hopefully we’ve landed in safe seat territory.”

The first woman to represent the Eden-Monaro, Kristy said she had driven more than 100,000km since the by-election across the varied lands in the electorate.

“I want to thank my family first and foremost,” she said. “At times they have to go days without seeing mum, but everything I do is to make sure your future is bigger and brighter.”

“So to my three kids, Ruby, Max and Jack, and my amazingly supportive husband, Brad, thank you for everything.”

“The [national] result shows us that Australia is keen for change and it’s sick and tired of a government that doesn’t stand up every day in best interest.”

“[Australia is] not doing the best we can do, there is a better future and it’s a better future with an Albanese-Labor government.”

With the swing toward Labor, Liberal candidate Jerry Nockles conceded defeat on Sunday morning congratulating Kristy in a statement.

“The result in Eden-Monaro is clear and I have offered my congratulations and warmest best wishes to Kristy for the term ahead,” he said.

“I offer her my support, and as has been my habit over a long period, I will assist her and the people of Eden-Monaro to the best of my ability.”

Eden-Monaro has also seen a swing towards Greens candidate Vivian Harris with 8.9 per cent of the vote so far and surprisingly One Nation’s Boyd Shannon with 4.2 per cent of the vote.

The One Nation candidate reportedly didn’t appear in the Yass Valley once throughout the campaign, with no reports of his appearance anywhere else in the Eden-Monaro electorate either.

By Brianna O’Rourke