DITCHING the traditional election night party, Country Labor hopeful Dan Hayes instead hosted a party for volunteers on Sunday.
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According to the latest figures available on Sunday afternoon, 8,436 first preference votes were cast for Mr Hayes – 28.07 per cent.
Mr Hayes wanted to thank the people who had campaigned by his side and was pleased the Wagga branch had taken the election to the people through door knocking, phone calls and talking to people in the street.
“We can hold our heads up high,” he said.
“They say people don’t follow (politics) but when you knock on their door, they’ve got an opinion,” Mr Hayes said.
He said Wagga’s Country Labor branch would continue the hard work between elections.
“Our voice can’t be spared just until an election … as a branch and community we need to be involved in-between.”
The need to fight for the community was echoed by independent candidate Paul Funnell.
With just a little under 10 per cent of the vote, Mr Funnell said the result sent a clear message and offered his congratulations to both Daryl Magurie and Dan Hayes.
“It was a very strong showing for someone who announced (candidacy) three and half weeks before the election,” he said.
Thanking the community for their support, Mr Funnell said it was “just the beginning”.
As of Sunday afternoon Greens candidate Kevin Poynter was just shy of five per cent of first preference votes counted.
“We could have done better, but it’s close to a two per cent swing,” Mr Poynter said.
Counting preferences the Greens polled slightly over 5.3 per cent which Mr Poynter described as a solid base to work from.
“Politics is being played as a short game by the older parties … it’s about the future of our community for a long time to come,” he said.
Mr Poynter said with the Greens winning two Nationals Party seats in the state’s north it showed voters it showed
“The Greens aren’t the aloof city centric party that the Nationals would have you believe.”
Meanwhile Keith Pech, the Christian Democratic Party’s candidate polled 2.55 per cent of first preference votes.
“I’m waiting for the final count and will see what happens next,” Mr Pech said.