INDEPENDENT Troy Bell will represent the city for a second term in parliament after being reelected as the Member for Mount Gambier in the state election on Saturday.
With 13,668 (59pc) of votes counted yesterday, Mr Bell had won 59.3pc of the vote after securing 38pc of first preferences in the widest ever contest in the seat of Mount Gambier with eight candidates nominating.
Despite facing a string of serious charges stemming from an Independent Commissioner Against Corruption investigation, the former Liberal delivered an overwhelming result, topping the poll at each of the electorate’s 14 booths.
His closest opponent, Liberal candidate Craig Marsh, conceded defeat on Saturday night.
Mr Marsh received 24.5pc of first preferences, resulting in a 27.2pc swing against the party based on the primary vote, while SA-Best’s Kate Amoroso was third with 15.6pc as counting continued.
Labor’s Isabel Scriven placed fourth with 9.7pc in the party’s weakest performance ever in the electorate, with Richard Sage trailing on 6pc.
Greens candidate Gavin Clarke saw a decrease from the 2014 election with 3.3pc of primaries, followed by Australian Conservatives candidate Gregg Bisset (2.3pc) and Dignity Party’s Lance Jones (.6pc).
Liberal Nick McBride comfortably won the neighbouring seat of MacKillop with 54.1pc of the primary vote at current count, followed by SA-Best candidate Tracy Hill on 18.5pc.
Mr Bell praised his supporters, volunteers and constituents for reelecting him in the position.
“I feel good that four years of hard work has been recognised,” he said.
“I knew with preference flows I would have to be at 33 to 38pc of the primary and I’m pleased that we achieved the upper limit of that range.
“I think we were spoiled for choice in the seat of Mount Gambier, we had eight candidates people could choose from.
“I acknowledge the other candidates and their supporters as well as mine as these people have put in a combined thousands of hours volunteering and working for the candidates.
“Now the election is over, the hard work begins.
“The Liberals have not governed for a long time and I need to support them and work with them to make sure our policies down here are front and centre.”
With some doubts remaining over two seats as the Liberals look set to secure an absolute majority, Mr Bell said he had spoken to new Premier Steven Marshall to outline his pre-election non-negotiable policies, including the cross-border commissioner, $20m biomass fund and $5m to attract the Qantas pilot training facility in Mount Gambier,
“I’m looking forward to negotiating with the new premier on policies I have developed for opportunities in the South East,” he said.
“Steven has rung and spoken to me and I look forward to sitting down with him and starting those discussions.”
Liberal candidate Craig Marsh congratulated Mr Bell on his reelection, saying he was intent on bolstering the Liberal Party’s reputation in the region.
“Troy is an independent, but he should be able to work alongside the Liberal Party as that was his party and, at heart, he is still a Liberal,” he said.
“My position going forward will maintain and rebuild the Liberal branch in Mount Gambier.
“I have had a taste for public life and I want to continue to represent the community in any area.
“I have a lot to contribute around the health sector and I will rejoin the Generations in Jazz board.
“With that coming up in May, I will work as hard as I can to make it the best I can.”
