Sydney seat back in play as election counting narrows

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Sydney seat back in play as election counting narrows

The final result in a federal metropolitan seat remains on a knife-edge as further vote counting puts the outcome back in doubt.

The Sydney seat of Bradfield had previously been called for Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian over independent challenger Nicolette Boele following a closely fought contest.

However, absentee and postal vote counting has narrowed the gap, with Ms Kapterian ahead by 80 votes as of Wednesday afternoon.

The margin led commentators to put the seat back in doubt after previously declaring the Liberals had won it.

More than 1000 votes are yet to be counted in the electorate previously considered a Liberal stronghold.

An automatic recount by the *********** Electoral Commission will be triggered if fewer than 100 votes decide the outcome.

Ms Kapterian had been the presumed winner of the seat and was in the Liberal party room on Tuesday when Sussan Ley was elected opposition leader.

The coalition has just 41 confirmed seats in the 150-seat House of Representatives. Labor has 93, the Greens have one and other independents and minor parties have 11.

Bradfield is one of four seats – including Flinders and Calwell in Victoria – that remain uncalled.

The complexity of the count in the Victorian seats means it could be some time before the final two candidates in the electorates are known, which will determine the winner.

A two-horse race is also taking place in the Queensland seat of Longman, with incumbent coalition MP Terry Young only 122 votes ahead of Labor challenger Rhiannyn Douglas.

Vote counting also continues for the Senate, with the final seat in each of the six states still up for grabs.

Jacqui Lambie and One Nation’s Lee Hanson, the daughter of party founder Pauline, are in a close contest for the final seat in Tasmania.

One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts is on track to reclaim his Queensland seat.

Labor could pick up an extra seat in South Australia, with 21-year-old Charlotte Walker potentially set to become the youngest senator elected to parliament.

Labor’s Michelle Ananda-Rajah, who lost her lower house seat of Higgins after it was abolished, could be set for a comeback in the Senate, with Labor in the lead for the final Victorian slot.

As of Wednesday, Labor had 28 seats in the 76-seat Senate.

The coalition had 26, with the Greens on 11 and six on the crossbench.

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