Lobato edging towards victory

By Paul Dunlop
LABOR MP Tammy Lobato is poised to hold on to the seat of Gembrook but officially the result remains too close to call.
With a recount continuing yesterday, Ms Lobato was about 400 votes in front of Liberal challenger Simon Wildes when the Gazette went to press.
The final result is expected to be known later this week.
Gembrook is one of several electorates around the state that remain on a knife edge.
Ms Lobato had a slightly stronger result than Mr Wildes on polling day, picking up 10,632 firstpreference votes to 10,388 in booths around the electorate.
Mr Wildes fared better when early and postal votes were counted to surge about 300 votes ahead of his rival.
But Labor again edged clear of the Liberals on a twoparty preferred basis.
It was 17,589 to17,154 late yesterday and political observers were expecting Ms Lobato to score a narrow victory.
Ms Lobato, who swept to power in an unexpected result in 2002, is no stranger to nailbiters after winning the seat by just a handful of votes four years ago.
But this time was different, she said, having been the challenger first time around.
“Last time I had nothing to lose, I had very little expectation of winning,” Ms Lobato said last week.
“Now, having worked so hard over the past four years and knowing the results I and the Bracks Government have achieved for this area, there’s a bit more at stake.”
Mr Wildes remained hopeful of winning the seat and was philosophical about what has been a dramatic waiting game.
“I can’t change anything now, the votes are in,” he said.