"Four more years’’ was the chant that heralded incumbent Noreen Hay’s fourth term as Wollongong MP on Saturday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As Labor supporters erupted in victory song at the Harp Hotel, some of the electorate’s 58,190 enrolled voters were left wondering what might have been.
The seat was tipped to become a down-to-the-wire battle between Ms Hay and independent Arthur Rorris, however, whispers from NSW Labor head office suggested the party had the numbers required as early as 8pm.
Despite telling the Mercury she would wait for the final count before declaring, the victory announcement came about 8.45pm.
At that stage, she had received 40 per cent of the 29,360 primary votes counted. After preferences late on Sunday, Ms Hay had 56.9per cent of the count and Mr Rorris 43.1per cent – a 2.4per cent swing to the Independent.
In her victory speech, Ms Hay thanked supporters for helping her through ‘‘a very traumatic few weeks’’, which included a public election battle and an internal preselection test.
The preselection process was dogged with allegations of branch stacking, doctored meeting minutes and dodgy attendance books.
‘‘It was a tough, hard campaign and I’m happy the community has seen fit to elect me yet again,’’ Ms Hay told the Mercury on Sunday.
‘‘If you look at the lead-up to the election, there was much being said about democracy...now that democratic process has taken place and I’ve had a resounding win.
‘‘I just hope those naysayers will now just accept the fact that whilst there are those who would prefer someone else, or themselves, to be the MP they should accept the decision of the people.’’
Despite her challengers claiming it was time for change at the helm, Ms Hay said voters thought otherwise.
‘‘There are those that don’t accept the relationship I have with my community; it’s a two-way street with the Wollongong electorate and myself,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s time for people now to just accept democracy has been at work, the electorate has chosen and that’s the way it is.’’
When asked how about her continued success despite animosity among some voters, Ms Hay said: ‘‘you have to work for your community all year, every year’’.
‘‘It’s all very well some people were saying ‘You know Noreen Hay’s been missing’, [but] I defy anyone to say that no one knows who the Member for Wollongong is,’’ she said.
Late Sunday, Ms Hay had garnered 41.76per cent of 34,589 first preference votes counted, ahead of Mr Rorris (20.98per cent) and Liberal Cameron Walters (19.01per cent).