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Friday, Jun 06, 2025
Outside the box.
Nicolette Boele Claims Final Federal Seat in Bradfield, Ending Liberal Party's 76-Year Hold
The recent recount in the Bradfield seat concludes with Independent candidate Nicolette Boele defeating Liberal Gisele Kapterian by a narrow margin.
Independent candidate Nicolette Boele has secured the Bradfield seat in Sydney, marking the conclusion of the elections for the House of Representatives and ending the Liberal Party's long-standing hold on the constituency.
Boele's victory was confirmed by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) following a recount, which took place four weeks after the initial election results were announced.
Boele won the seat by just 26 votes over Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian, who previously led by eight votes before the recount began, as stipulated by AEC policy for races with margins of fewer than 100 votes.
The AEC's comprehensive recount included a fresh tally of all first preferences, a review of informal votes, as well as a complete recount of the two-candidate preferred count and the full distribution of preferences.
During the recount, the AEC identified two instances of voters casting ballots twice, but concluded these occurrences were unintentional.
Kapterian, in a statement, expressed gratitude to the AEC officials for their efforts and acknowledged the shift in the election outcome following the recount process.
Legally, a petition to contest the outcome can be filed with the Court of Disputed Returns within 40 days of the returning of the writ, requiring a candidate or party to demonstrate that the result was influenced by disputed practices.
Observers, including scrutineers present during the recount, may have documented any discrepancies, although there has been no evidence indicating any wrongdoing during the counting process.
Election analyst Ben Raue suggested that the Liberal Party is unlikely to pursue a challenge given the relatively larger margin after the recount.
He noted that while the narrow margins could have justified a court challenge, precedents indicate that such disputes are rare.
Raue referenced a previous court case in 2007 regarding the Victorian seat of McEwen, which involved a successful challenge after the Liberal Party led by just 12 votes.
In contrast, no challenge was brought forth in a previous close election involving Labor's Cathy O'Toole in Queensland.
Following the recount, Labor maintains a strong position in the House of Representatives, holding 94 seats compared to the Coalition's 43, indicating a significant result in the broader context of Australian federal politics.
Boele's victory was confirmed by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) following a recount, which took place four weeks after the initial election results were announced.
Boele won the seat by just 26 votes over Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian, who previously led by eight votes before the recount began, as stipulated by AEC policy for races with margins of fewer than 100 votes.
The AEC's comprehensive recount included a fresh tally of all first preferences, a review of informal votes, as well as a complete recount of the two-candidate preferred count and the full distribution of preferences.
During the recount, the AEC identified two instances of voters casting ballots twice, but concluded these occurrences were unintentional.
Kapterian, in a statement, expressed gratitude to the AEC officials for their efforts and acknowledged the shift in the election outcome following the recount process.
Legally, a petition to contest the outcome can be filed with the Court of Disputed Returns within 40 days of the returning of the writ, requiring a candidate or party to demonstrate that the result was influenced by disputed practices.
Observers, including scrutineers present during the recount, may have documented any discrepancies, although there has been no evidence indicating any wrongdoing during the counting process.
Election analyst Ben Raue suggested that the Liberal Party is unlikely to pursue a challenge given the relatively larger margin after the recount.
He noted that while the narrow margins could have justified a court challenge, precedents indicate that such disputes are rare.
Raue referenced a previous court case in 2007 regarding the Victorian seat of McEwen, which involved a successful challenge after the Liberal Party led by just 12 votes.
In contrast, no challenge was brought forth in a previous close election involving Labor's Cathy O'Toole in Queensland.
Following the recount, Labor maintains a strong position in the House of Representatives, holding 94 seats compared to the Coalition's 43, indicating a significant result in the broader context of Australian federal politics.
