By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
ONE certainty from the decidedly undecided 2 July Federal Election wash-up was re-elected Holt MP Anthony Byrne.
The Labor incumbent rode a 5.34 per cent swing to boost his two-party-preferred margin to a safe 14.5 per cent, according to the latest Australian Electoral Commission figures.
Mr Byrne, who has held Holt since 1999, is set to extend his reign to two decades as a result.
His nearest rival was Liberal 21-year-old James Mathias, who suffered a 3 per cent swing against him.
The Greens, Family First and Rise Up Australia recorded small boosts to their primary votes while a host of other minor parties didn’t re-contest the seat.
Mr Byrne’s swing was roughly double the pro-ALP swing in neighbouring seats such as Bruce (2.9 per cent), La Trobe (3.1 per cent) and Isaacs (2 per cent).
In a statement on 5 July, Mr Byrne thanked Holt voters, his staff and volunteers, saying it was “an immense honour to represent this wonderful diverse and vibrant community”.
“We will continue to work closely with our community to work on issues such as community safety, infrastructure, job security and jobs growth.
“We will now have to wait and see who will form government over the next few weeks, but I am extremely proud of our local campaign in Holt.”
Mr Mathias shared Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s confidence in forming government in his own right but acknowledged the rise of the “Xenophon factor” in South Australia and Independents.
On Mr Turnbull’s tenure, Mr Mathias said there was “always speculation” after elections but thought his leader ran an “incredibly good campaign”.
“I think we were up against a lot of dishonesty from our opponents.”
Mr Mathias thought he had a “good story to tell” particularly on high youth unemployment and Thompsons Road and Monash Freeway upgrades.
“What I saw on Election Day was an incredibly high number of people ask me if I was out of high school yet, and whether I was old enough to do it.
“What me running in Holt was trying to do was to start a conversation, to shift a culture. To give someone younger a chance.”
He was particularly disappointed by the likely ousting of Longman MP Wyatt Roy – the youngest ever Federal MP.
On the local front, Mr Mathias was overwhelmed by Mr Byrne’s postal vote campaign that “put me behind by 8500 votes before 8am on election day”.
Up to three union representatives “surrounded” Mr Mathias, handing out pro-ALP slogans and pamphlets at the Cranbourne pre-poll voting centre.
These were resources that the Liberal Party couldn’t match, Mr Mathias said.
