Make-up artist in mix for orange wave and Labor legacy picks win seats
A craft distiller, a make-up artist and two councillors are battling it out in the polls to secure seats for One Nation as well-connected names fill Labor seats. Check out their credentials as the count continues, and who has claimed victory.
One Nation’s David Paton – the Adelaide Plains Deputy Mayor – is now set to win the seat of Ngadjuri, the first candidate from the Pauline Hanson-led party to pick up a seat after Saturday night saw the party’s primary vote soar to 22.1 per cent.
While some are calling the seat – which stretches from the Gawler River and Gulf St Vincent to Clare – for One Nation, the SA Electoral Commission is still counting.
Paton received 34.5 per cent of the first preference vote, which is about 5800 votes, as of Monday morning, according to the Commission figures.
One Nation was also expected to fare well in three other seats, where a craft distiller, a make-up artist and a Mount Gambier councillor are battling it out.
A spokesperson for One Nation said the party was “not counting chickens before they hatch” and would comment after the count was finalised.
Meanwhile, the Labor party has refreshed its ranks with well-connected newbies including Aria Bolkus –daughter of former federal Labor heavyweight Nick Bolkus – in Colton, Cheyne Rich – Susan Close’s former Labor campaign manager – in Port Adelaide and Lawrence Ben – Malinauskas’ former economic adviser and son-in-law of federal Labor Trade Minister Don Farrell – in Enfield.
The Liberal party were still battling it out on regional fronts, but Jack Batty had salvaged his metropolitan seat of Bragg, the only metro seat the party now holds.
Liberal Leader Ashton Hurn was comfortably returned to her Barossa seat of Schubert with 49.2 per cent of first preference votes, according to the Electoral Commission.
The SA Greens also picked up their biggest share of the vote ever in South Australia, adding Melanie Selwood to the upper house.
“Ours was the only vote that didn’t just hold, it increased,” Greens leader Robert Simms said as results showed a swing away from both the Labor and Liberal parties.
Simms said he was optimistic that the Greens could add Katie McCusker to the upper house, and that Genevieve Dawson-Scott could take the Hills seat of Heysen.
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He said, “I’ve barely got any fingernails left” after Saturday’s nail-biting race for some seats and that they would be watching the count closely as Dawson-Scott’s 23 per cent share of the primary vote could be pushed up by preferences flowing from the Animal Justice Party and the Independent candidate Andrew Granger.
For One Nation, photographer and makeup artist Chantelle Thomas is battling Liberal Tania Stock for the seat of Narungga, which was previously held by Fraser Ellis – an independent dis-endorsed by the Liberal party after being charged with misusing parliamentary funds.
The electorate of Narungga was renamed after the traditional owners of Yorke Peninsula in 2018, replacing the old name Goyder and stretches to the towns of Snowtown and parts of Port Pirie.
Thomas, who is 30 years old, says on her website, “I’ve worked in a lot of different fields with all sorts of different people”, with experience ranging from hospitality to being a counsellor with Lifeline.
Her website focused on healthcare, saying that hospitals in the Yorke Peninsula had been “neglected”.
“One Nation will crack down on Medicare fraud and implement reforms to better remunerate GPs so they can bulk-bill,” Thomas said.
“One Nation also wants to ensure taxpayer-supported medical students are required, upon graduating, to fulfil their regional work obligations much sooner so we get more doctors in country areas.”
In Hammond – which includes Murray Bridge, and Strathalbyn – Mannum local and craft distiller Robert Roylance is battling Labor’s Simone Bailey – the former Mid Murray Council Mayor – to oust Liberal Adrian Pederick.
Roylance has distilled vodka and whisky with his brother Benjamin since 2020 and opened their first shop in 2023.
His website says Roylance is most passionate about fixing rising energy costs for business and One Nation’s plan for the education sector.
“Our policy is to strip the curriculum of ideological material and emphasise core learning like English, mathematics and the sciences,” he said.
One Nation candidate and Mount Gambier councillor Jason Virgo picked up 35.5 per cent of the first preference vote in MacKillop – the seat of Nick McBride, a former Liberal MP currently wearing an ankle bracelet after being charged for the alleged assault of his wife, one he denies.
Virgo is up against Liberal Rebekah Rosser, a former adviser in both the Olsen and Howard Liberal governments, who won 22.9 per cent of the first preference vote, and the count is ongoing.
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Aria Bolkus
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29-year-old Aria Bolkus picked up the coastal seat of Colton on Saturday night, which had been held by retiring Liberal MP Matt Cowdrey since 2018 – beating Liberal candidate Bec Sutton.
When asked on election night about how she felt her father, former federal senator Nick Bolkus, who died on Christmas Day, would have felt about the win, she said: “I would have loved him to be here”.
Bolkus is a qualified lawyer who shifted gears when her dad became unwell, working as an advisor for Federal Health Minister Mark Butler on policy ranging from a diabetes inquiry to aged care reform.
David Wilkins
Wilkins succeeded former treasurer Stephen Mulligan for the seat of Lee, and said in a post to social media that his dad was one of the supporters standing by him when his win was called.
“When I was young, Dad made the incredibly difficult decision to place my sister and me into foster care – a decision that changed the course of our lives,” he wrote.
“It meant we were given the stability, care, and opportunity every child deserves. It shaped who I am, the values I hold, and the path I’ve taken since.
“Because of that, I became the first in my family to attend university, and have dedicated my career to improving the lives of others.”
Lawrence Ben
Lawrence Ben succeeded Andrea Michaels in the safe Labor seat of Enfield, who is Malinauskas’ former economic advisor, and the son-in-law of federal Senator and Trade Minister Don Farrell.
Ben is a qualified lawyer and was Premier Peter Malinauskas’ economic adviser during the Government’s intervention at the Whyalla steelworks, and played a role in crafting policies to address cost-of-living pressures and the housing crisis.
Cheyne Rich
Rich was former Deputy Premier Susan Close’s campaign manager when she ran in a Port Adelaide by-election in 2012.
“People really appreciated Susan as a member, which is a good thing because it sort of gives you something to aim for,” Rich told InDaily at Labor HQ celebrations on Saturday night.
He said issues like sand replenishment and development were front-of-mind among the community during the campaign.
“People want to see the right type of development… I think there’s different challenges in different areas,” he said.
“Obviously, people want to see the character and the heritage preservation within the Port itself and development that doesn’t disrupt it or destroy it,” he said.
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