Follow the Twitter conversation below:
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Photos from around Indi
Indi Tally Room
Seat count
Updates from around Indi
Monday 11.44am: Cathy McGowan says she’ll cross the bridge of a hung parliament if we get to it.
Ms McGowan said Malcolm Turnbull had been in contact with her since her victory but she had not heard from Bill Shorten since earlier in the week.
She said Mr Turnbull told her he was confident of forming a majority government and she wished him the best of luck.
11.15pm: The prospect of a hung parliament has come firmly into play late tonight with either the Coalition and Labor unable to claim victory.
The ABC is predicting the Coalition has won 74 seats, but fall short of the target of 76 required to retain office.
Labor has 66 certain seats, the Greens one and independents including Cathy McGowan successful in four seats.
A further five seats hang in the balance.
Ms McGowan has repeatedly refused to answer whether she would back the Coalition or Labor during the campaign in the event of a hung parliament.
But she might start fielding calls from leaders Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten in coming days as both seek to form a minority government as was the case in 2010.
Ms McGowan claimed victory in Indi tonight.
David Johnston, Wangaratta
10.44pm: Well we’re all wrapped up for our Indi live coverage for the night. In the end Cathy McGowan claimed victory while Liberal Sophie Mirabella has hopes it’s not over.
The AEC predicts a 53.53 per cent two-candidate preference victory for Ms McGowan against Ms Mirabella.
Stay with The Border Mail tomorrow for analysis from our reporters of how the night unfolded.
10.39pm: The Border Mail staff photographer Mark Jesser caught the moment Cathy McGowan claimed victory.
10.14pm: Across the river Sussan Ley is still holding out hope her former Liberal parliamentary colleague in Indi, Sophie Mirabella, can win. "I think Sophie can get there," Ms Ley said. "If the National Party voters follow the how-to-vote card and preference Sophie we will have a Liberal member for Indi."
10.09pm: Sophie Mirabella isn’t ready to concede Indi.
She told The Border Mail’s David Johnston it was always going to be a challenge against a sitting “so-called independent member.”
“It’s still quite early to tell, we don’t have a lot of the results in, the AEC websites isn’t providing those booth-by-booth results but we’re still waiting,” she said.
When asked about Ms McGowan claiming victory she said she wouldn’t comment on what the incumbent had said.
“We’ve had a strong showing and good swings in some booths and we’re still waiting to see how the preferences form the National party will flow,” Ms Mirabella said.
“They’re not as good as they should be, that’s a little disappointing … but I think we still need to wait for a lot of those significant votes to come through.”
10pm: Cathy McGowan started her speech by thanking “Team Orange”.
“It didn’t just happen over 2154 individual people, members of our community gave money … over 800 new t-shirts, over 2000 badges, over 6000 people signed pledges, over 65 polling booths all staffed by over 600 people and the pre-polling centres over 6000 shifts,” she said.
9.54pm: The Nationals Marty Corboy and the Australian Country Party’s Julian Fidge have arrived at Camp McGowan to offer their congratulations.
9.41pm: Cathy McGowan calls it.
9.40pm: Action in Cathy McGowan’s camp, looks like she might be about to claim a victory.
9.39pm: Nationals Party candidate Marty Corboy has conceded he can’t win Indi at his first attempt.
At the same venue where he was pre-selected late last year, Mr Corboy’s supporters gathered at Wangaratta Turf Club and heard he would not rule out another crack at the seat in 2019.
“I’m not going to say anything about the future, but 2019 I've got my eye on you,” he said.
At 9.30pm, Mr Corboy had polled 17 per cent of the 52 per cent of the vote counted, which is on track to better the 12 per cent, the Nationals polled the last time they contested in Indi in 2001.
He told the party faithful: “I’m sorry I didn’t try harder.
“I will say 18 per cent so far isn’t a bad effort.
“Can I take this opportunity to congratulate Cathy McGowan. I think she will be re-elected.”
He also paid tribute to Sophie Mirabella, who was fighting for her political survival, trailing 53.71 per cent to 46.29 per cent on the two candidate preferred race with Cathy McGowan.
“She is a fighter,” Mr Corboy said.
Among the crowd tonight were former Benalla state MP Bill Sykes and Senator Bridget McKenzie.
An upside for the Nationals was the likely success of Damian Drum in neighbouring Murray.
David Johnston, Wangaratta
9.10pm: Marty Corboy conceded the race and told the Nationals’ faithful he was “sorry he didn’t try harder”.
“I will say what is about 18 per cent so far isn’t a bad effort,” he said.
“We’ve come up a bit short, take this opportunity to congratulate Cathy McGowan I think she will be re-elected.
“The mandarin or the orange people, their positivity their willingness to engage with the electorate should be commended.”
9.05pm: The Marty Party has kicked off as Mr Corboy celebrates with friends, family, volunteers and senator Bridget McKenzie.
8.45pm: Three pre-polls and Eldorado, Mansfield PPVC, Moyhu, Myrtleford, Tatong, Tolmie, Wangaratta PPVC, West Wodonga Victory, Whorouly and Yea left to be counted with 61 of 74 booths returned.
The AEC predicts incumbent Independent Cathy McGowan to win with 54.13 per cent of the two candidates preferred vote ahead of Liberal Sophie Mirabella with 45.87 per cent.
Earlier Marty Corboy arrived at his headquarters for the night at Wangaratta Turf Club.
8.30pm: Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinis calls it for Cathy McGowan.
8.23pm: Cathy McGowan has won Wodonga central, one of the key booths, West Wodonga is still to come.
8.09pm: 50 booths returned now with Benalla, Bonegilla, Bright PPVC Corryong, Dederang, Eskdale, Flowerdale, Gapsted, Glenburn, Kinglake, Mansfield, Milawa, Mount Beauty, Porepunkah, Rutherglen, Taggerty, Walwa, Whitfield, Wodonga South and Yackandandah all in.
7.50pm: 43 of 74 polling booths counted in Indi with Cathy in front with 6348 first preference votes and a 3 per cent swing.
It appears the 18 per cent swing against Sophie Mirabella is mostly going to The National's Marty Corboy who has got a 17 per cent swing up with his 3232 first preference votes to Ms Mirabella's 5906.
Peter de Kruijff, The Border Mail Office
7.29pm: Barnawartha, Bonnie Doon, Bright, Chiltern, Cudgewa, Eildon, Jamieson, Kinglake West, St James, Stanley, Tallangatta, Tangambalanga, Tarrawingee and Yarck counted.
7.20pm:
The Border Mail reporter Shana Morgan takes us on a tour through Cathy McGowan’s camp at the Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre.
7pm: Wahgunyah, Wooragee, Toolangi, Tungamah, Wandiligong, Bethanga, Harrietville, Narbethong, Swanpool, Piries-Goughs Bay, Springhurst, Mudgegonga, Goorambat, Mitta Mitta have been counted with Cathy McGowan pulling the most first preferences so far with 1129 followed by Sophie Mirabella with 870 for the Liberals and Marty Corboy with 693 for the Nationals.
6pm: The 74 Indi booths have closed and voting will now get under way, results are expected to start rolling in thick and fast come 7pm.
Peter de Kruijff, The Border Mail Office
5.28pm: Not long now until the booths close, counting starts and the real action gets underway. As a side note, did anyone see Bill Shorten try to attack a snag from the side today?
2.55pm: All’s quiet on the Indi front, voting continues without too much drama although plenty of people are tweeting about the lack of sausage sangers at Wodonga booths.
While we wait for the count to start, here’s a video of Nationals candidate Marty Corboy playing a piano...
1.05pm: The sounds of children busking with violins and trumpets busking has surrounded Beechworth’s voting booths. Things are a bit more relaxed out in the small towns! Jenny O’Connor has plenty of Greens volunteer support in her home town, but fellow Indigo Shire councillor Bernard Gaffney is not one of them. He’s showing his Nationals colours in favour of Marty Corboy today.
Shana Morgan, Beechworth
12.40pm: Two of the leading chances in the battle for Indi, Cathy McGowan and Sophie Mirabella, have spent the morning wooing last-minute votes in the key Wodonga area.
A massive queue at the Wodonga Senior Secondary College booth forced a last-minute change to where Ms McGowan planned to vote.
The wait was more than an hour leaving many voters frustrated.
Instead, Ms McGowan ventured to Victory Primary School where she voted around 11am.
Mrs Mirabella was also in Wodonga early on election day and still had not cast her vote at noon.
Wodonga is the largest population centre of the electorate and will be crucial to the outcome with the Nationals candidate Marty Corboy expected to arrive mid-afternoon.
A major talking point among voters, many wearing beanies and coats to keep out the cold weather, was the lack of the traditional sausage sizzle.
Ms McGowan said she started the day with visits to Barnawartha and Chiltern before heading to Wodonga.
She will end the day in Wangaratta, but doesn’t expect a final result tonight.
“I’m hoping there will be a clear indication tonight,” she said.
“But the practical side of me says probably Monday we will get a sense of what happens after that.
“We'’ve got around 600 people staffing the 65 polling centres.”
Unlike, three years ago, Ms McGowan’s supporters in Wodonga won’t have an official gathering with the post-election “Orange Army” get-together to be held in Wangaratta.
Mrs Mirabella also attended the Wodonga Senior Secondary College booth where more than 1000 votes will be cast before the 6pm deadline.
She then headed to Victory Primary School.
David Johnston, Wodonga
11.05am: Independent Cathy McGowan speaks with the media after casting her vote in Wodonga.
9.59am: Big line ups in Wodonga for voting while Liberal Sophie Mirabella and Tim Quilty vie for punters in West Wodonga.
Peter de Kruijff, Wodonga
9.55am: Marty Corboy definitely has two votes at the Wangaratta GOTAFE booths – he and wife Annelisa have just voted. He also took a moment to chat to volunteers and voters, plus his state Ovens Valley Nationals mate Tim McCurdy.
Shana Morgan, Wangaratta
9.15am: Complaints over Liberal Party signage at Wangaratta GOTAFE has started election day at the polls. The large sign stated “a vote for Cathy is a vote for the Greens and Labor”. Supporters from the McGowan and Labor camps complained the signs were negative with no mention of them coming from the Liberals. Volunteers were initially told to take the signs down. But AEC Indi returning officer Jenny Essex visited the polling place to inspect the signs herself and ruled they were legal because they contained authorisation in the bottom right corner. The signs stay!
Shana Morgan, Wangaratta
9am: Welcome to The Border’s Mail’s rolling coverage of election day. We’ll have reporters on the ground keeping you up-to-date all day.