It’s Ellen again

Melbourne MLA Ellen Sandell has defied a statewide swing to Labor to retain her seat by the same margin as last time – 2.4 per cent.

Statewide, the Greens lost MPs at the November 24 poll, with Ms Sandell’s victory one of few real highlights for the party.

Ms Sandell polled 3.48 per cent more than her Labor rival Jennifer Kanis on primary votes and had a nervous wait while preferences from Liberal and minor party voters where distributed.

She polled 15,988 primary votes, while Ms Kanis polled 14,472 and last-minute Liberal candidate Darin Schade attracted 6776. Reason Party candidate Leo Close scored 1511 primaries.

Around the electorate, Ms Sandell won in Carlton, Carlton Central, East Melbourne, North Melbourne, North Melbourne East, Parkville and Queen Victoria.

Ms Kanis won in Carlton North, Docklands, Hotham Hill, Kensington, Melbourne and South Kensington.

Some 84 per cent of enrolled voters (42,540) cast a ballot and 4.7 per cent of them (2003) voted informally.

In the Upper House, results for Northern Metropolitan Region won’t be known until December 11, but pundits are predicting two seats for Labor, one for the Liberals, one Green and a seat for Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party.

In Docklands, 1371 votes were cast for the seat of Melbourne.

The breakdown was: Australian Greens 422; Liberal 327, Peter Hanlon 18, Liberal Democrats 21, Aussie Battler Party 4, Australian Labor Party 425, Animal Justice Party 24, Fiona Patten’s Reason Party 44 and there were also 86 informal votes.