By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A FAVOURABLE flow of pre-poll and postal votes are strengthening La Trobe sitting MP Jason Wood’s chances of retaining the seat.
After counting nearly 5000 votes this morning, Mr Wood’s lead has stretched from 1300 to more than 2100 votes over rival ALP candidate Simon Curtis.
According to the Australian Electoral Commission website, there are 10,260 votes remaining to be counted.
Mr Curtis said he was “still waiting” for confirmation of results, five days after the 2 July election.
“Of course I’d prefer to be in front than in behind.”
After a 12-month sabbatical from work to contest the election, Mr Curtis said it was “disappointing” to probably come up short.
Mr Curtis’s achieved swing is about 2.5 per cent on two-party preferred votes.
“You go in with a view to winning, knowing it had to swing four per cent.
“We did everything we could have possibly been done in this campaign. No stone was left unturned.”
Mr Curtis said if Mr Wood was elected he should be held to his pledged Monash Freeway upgrade and tourism package for the electorate.
“I’ll be watching this space at a federal level and local level.
“There’s been lots of promises been made in this election. I’ll make sure we hold them to account.”
