FLANKED by supporters and arms hoisted in triumph, freshly re-minted Wagga MP Daryl Maguire took a deep, satisfied breath as he declared victory on Saturday night.
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It was rarefied air he was breathing.
By winning a remarkable fifth term, Mr Maguire will be the member for Wagga for at least two decades, eclipsing the tenure of his political hero Wal Fife. The thumping victory – Mr Maguire recaptured 60 per cent of the two-party preferred after a scare in 2011 – will be interpreted many different ways.
It may be true that Wagga is a rusted-on conservative seat, but Mr Maguire ran an astute campaign, hanging his hat on big-ticket infrastructure projects such as the new Wagga Base and prosecuting a strong narrative around the poles and wires sale. He also remained a small target on local issues, a fact that was not well exploited by his rivals.
Nevertheless, Labor’s Dan Hayes emerged from the campaign as a strong future prospect for the “true believers”, while independent Paul Funnell showed admirable passion and energy to snatch about 10 per cent of primaries.
What is undeniable is the sense of apathy that pervades this seat. In that environment, small target politics plays into an incumbent’s hands.
Mr Maguire’s job is to hit the ground running and get on with serving a community that put so much faith in him on Saturday.
He has a powerful mandate to represent our interests for another four years – it’s now up to him to ensure the government delivers.
