Updated
Helen Haines is set to make history by becoming the first independent to succeed another in federal parliament, replacing Cathy McGowan in the northern Victorian seat of Indi.
Key points:
- Dr Haines was chosen to replace Ms McGowan as the face of the local Voices for Indi group
- She said action on climate change would be central to her agenda
- Go to the ABC's live results page
But the former nurse and health researcher would not say whether she would support a Coalition minority government, and indicated action on climate change would be key to winning her support.
Dr Haines fended off a challenge from Liberal Steve Martin to secure 51.9 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote, with 78 per cent of the result counted at midnight.
She was chosen to represent Ms McGowan's Voices for Indi group in January, after a selection process during which the group's members put several candidates through hours of questioning.
"We've made history in Indi and we are pretty excited over here," she told ABC TV's election night broadcast.
"It's all too new and too early to say what my support will be for a Coalition government. Let's see what happens overnight."
'I want real action on climate'
Dr Haines was one of seven high-profile independent candidates to sign a joint agreement to cooperate on climate policy in the new parliament.
Others to sign the statement included Wentworth's Kerryn Phelps, Clark's Andrew Wilkie and Zali Steggall, who defeated Tony Abbott in the Sydney seat of Warringah.
Get the latest results and stories behind the campaign:
Dr Haines said she was not happy with the Coalition's current climate policies, and the voters of Indi had backed that stance.
"I've made it very clear that, in line with the National Farmers' Federation and many other people, I'd want to see 50 per cent renewables by 2030 as a target, I want to see community energy being funded across Australia, I want to see real action on climate."
She said her opposition to the Adani coal mine — a key election issue in Queensland — would not be swayed by the strong support for the Coalition in that state.
"It was very clear to me, when I was campaigning around Indi, that the young people in particular in Indi were saying no to Adani," she said.
"But what I would say is that we have to support the people affected by the transition to clean energy … and I believe that Australia is able to do that."
Dr Haines also campaigned on the need for a national rural health strategy, more investment in regional infrastructure, and an increase to the Newstart allowance.
Indi had been held by conservative parties since the 1930s until Liberal Sophie Mirabella lost it to Ms McGowan, a former Liberal staffer, by 439 votes in 2013.
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Topics: government-and-politics, event, federal-election, elections, federal-elections, wangaratta-3677, wodonga-3690, vic, australia
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