Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sunday: If you were busy on Saturday and missed out on all the election news, we'v'e got you covered. Our rolling coverage began yesterday morning and ended when the big result was announced. You can view what happened on the big day below.
8.30pm: Barnaby Joyce has claimed the seat of New England. Tell us your thoughts on the election below. What do expect from our new member?
8:15pm: Barnaby Joyce looks set to become the Federal member for New England and is sitting pretty with 52 per cent of the vote. His closest rival for the top job is Independent Rob Taber with 14.7 per cent with the results of 19 polling places still to be returned.
8pm: Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has arrived at Barnaby Joyce's election party in Tamworth to the surprise of Mr Joyce's supporters and attending media. More to come.
7.55pm: Barnaby Joyce told a live cross to Channel 7 in Tamworth that he looking forward to spending more time at home. He was also congratulated on his campaign.
Mr Joyce is sitting comfortably with 53 per cent of the vote with 35 per cent of the votes counted.
7.30pm: 20 per cent of the total vote has been counted and Barnaby Joyce is still in the lead with 54 per cent. Rob Taber has moved slightly ahead with 13.53 per cent of the vote.
7:15pm: Almost 9000 votes have been counted and we're not even through half of our polling venues yet. But still Barnaby Joyce is leading the field and is followed by Independent candidate Rob Taber at 12.6 per cent.
7pm: It's the waiting game as our candidates anxiously wait for the votes to be counted. If you're after electorate-by-electorate results as they come in just click here to view our interactive map.
As of 6.45pm Barnaby Joyce was leading the tally with almost 60 per cent of the counted vote with 22 out of 107 polling places counted.
6pm: The polling booths have closed and counting has begun.
4pm: IS THIS the remotest polling booth in New England?
Black Mountain Public School, about 25km north of Armidale, has just 148 registered voters.
Paul Wood was handing out how-to-vote cards for Nationals' candidate Barnaby Joyce.
"I've come from Queensland to help, I'm an acolyte of Barnaby Joyce and I am manning the booth here in what I think is the smallest booth in the region," Mr Wood said.
He is also the driver and owner of the Barnaby Bus, a caravan he hand-painted and drove around the electorate in the lead-up to today's election.
"I did the Barnaby bus to add a bit of humour to the election, it's been just so boring," he said.
A trickle of residents had voted at the school and a highlight of the day had been the cake-and-tea stall, organised by the P&C, which had raised just over $100.
2pm: While the number of voters heading to the polls has slowed volunteers for the various parties are using the time to chat about local issues.
The hot topic at Ben Venue Public School in Armidale was sporting facilities including a synthetic running track and which local candidate would support the venture.
1pm: As the candidates travel across the electorate campaigning for the region's top job, there's something missing on this election day and that's Tony Windsor. Click here to find out his thoughts on the election and who will replace him as the member for New England.
12.30pm: Jamie McIntyre has cast his vote in Tamworth while Pat Schultz voted in Armidale.
11am: Australian Youth Climate Coalition New England members Taylor and James are at Armidale City Public School encouraging voters to think about which party will consider climate change should they be elected. They are two of hundreds of volunteers across the country at polling booths talking to voters. AYCC has employed the help of Nemo the fish to follow Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott today to encourage them both to think about the Great Barrier Reef.
10:30am: There were lengthy lines for the polling booths at Tamworth public school this morning but voters had plenty of tasty treats to feast their eyes on. The school P&C were on hand with a fundraising bake sale while the supporters of the candidates were outside handing out how to vote pamphlets and making sure their candidates messages were heard.
Barnaby Joyce supporter Barbara Hodgson told The Northern Daily Leader she believed a change in government was necessary.
"I would like to see a change of federal government to the coalition," she said.
"I think the government from the Labor party has not been very effective and I would like to see the coalition be the ones in power."
Greens supporter Phil Spark said he was supporting the party because he believed in their policies.
"They're really good people and they're all about sustainability, they're considering the future seriously."
10am: It's been all-action at the polling booths for a couple of hours now. Barnaby Joyce is handing out how to vote cards in Armidale. He will spend the morning travelling around the electorate before voting at his old school at Woolbrook where he was school captain in 1979.
THE BACK STORY:
FOR the first time in 12-years the race for the federal seat of New England is without Tony Windsor. The Independent MP announced his retirement this year sighting health concerns and his family as the reasons to stand down from Saturday’s political race.
The shock decision followed a year of high drama in the electorate with the sudden resignation of Nationals New England candidate Richard Torbay in March and the preselection of Queensland Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce as his replacement.Mr Joyce has been named as the standout of the nine candidates to contest the election, with the bookies putting him as the red-hot favourite to win.
A Nationals' candidate has not held the seat since Stuart St Clair who lost the election to Tony Windsor in 2001 after three years in the hot seat.
Margin: Independent 21.5% versus Nationals
Profile: The New England electorate is the largest highland area in Australia and covers around 59,344 square kilometres from the Queensland border to the Gunnedah, Liverpool Plains and Tamworth council areas. The main towns in the electorate include Armidale, Barraba, Bundarra, Deepwater, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Guyra, Inverell, Manilla, Quirindi, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Uralla, Walcha, Werris Creek and parts of Delungra and Urbenville. With cattle sheep, grain, forestry, dairy, mining, tourism and Lucerne some of the big ticket industries in the area.
THE CANDIDATES
Phillip John Girle – Palmer United Party: The Inverell Shire councillor was a late addition to the political race, replacing Sydney-based party candidate Paul Teerman, but luck appeared to be on his side with Mr Girle appearing first on the ballot sheet.
Brian Charles Dettmann – One Nation: He stood as a candidate in 2007, 2010 and has returned again this year to take the party’s message to the electorate.
Pat Schultz – The Greens: Mrs Schultz is a community worker in mental health and a member of the Greens since 1999 she’s been a candidate in several elections and has thrown her had back into the ring.
Rob Taber – Independent: Armidale businessman Rob Taber has said he decided to run as an Independent after becoming frustrated about the way the election was panning out. Mr Taber cited key issues for the region as including renewable energy, coal seam gas mining, agriculture and disadvantaged youth.
Jamie McIntyre – Independent: Glen Innes local Jamie McIntyre will run as an Independent after his 21st Century Party was not registered in time for the poll. He had lead a high profile campaign across the New England electorate.
Barnaby Joyce – The Nationals: The New England local was preselected as The Nationals candidate earlier this year after the shock resignation of Richard Torbay. He is a former senator and member for Maranoa in Queensland.
Richard Witten – Citizens Electoral Council: Mr Witten is a farmer from Barraba he has stood for the CEC on several occasions and this is his second time for New England. Born and bred in Barraba - which has found itself in different electorates as boundaries shift - Mr Witten has been a member of the CEC for about 20 years.
Stephen Hewitt – Country Labor: Mr Hewitt is from Armidale and is a self employed handyman. He recently moved back to the electorate has been described as an ordinary bloke who came forward to run in New England because he wanted the electorate to have a choice about who represents them in Parliament.
Aaron Evans – Christian Democratic Party: Mr Evans is running for the Fred Nile Group.
