With 2000 votes to be counted, Josh Burn claims victory
Josh Burns has claimed victory in the marginal three-way contest of the Melbourne seat of Macnamara, making him the fifth federal Jewish MP in the 46th Parliament of Australia, and Labor’s third Jewish MP.
Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles, Josh Burns and Labor leader Anthony Albanese
The final result is expected to be declared this week.
As of today with roughly 2,000 votes still to be counted, Burns led Liberal Kate Ashmor on a two-party preferred basis at 56.15%-43.85%, a lead of 11,767 votes. This represented a 4.94% swing to Labor, defying the nationwide swing to the Liberals.
Burns also finished 7.62% ahead of the Greens’ Steph Hodgins-May on primary. Hodgins-May came within 1000 votes of winning Melbourne Ports in 2016, but with her primary vote just 0.02% higher than 2016, and Labor’s 5.26% higher, she was eliminated in third place.
Burns succeeds Michael Danby in the now renamed seat formerly known as Melbourne Ports, who retired at the federal election after 21 years as the Member for Melbourne Ports.
Other Jewish MPs re-elected were Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and fellow Liberal Julian Leeser, and Labor’s Mark Dreyfus QC, Dr Mike Freelander with South Australia Senator Stirling Griff.
Burns, the first Member for Macnamara, told J-Wire: “To the people of Macnamara who placed their trust in me – thank you. This has been a long journey and I am extremely grateful for your support.
But the credit for our win does not belong to me.
It belongs to each and every one of hundreds of people who gave their time, passion and effort to campaign for a fairer future.
We offered a hopeful and positive plan for Macnamara and I am proud that it was endorsed.
Across our country, it was a hard night for the Australian Labor Party and its true believers.
Despite that result, those who helped put forward our courageous and ambitious agenda of reform can – and should – hold their heads high.
Ultimately, though, we respect the decision of the Australian people.
I offer my congratulations to the Coalition, and my best wishes to my opponents Kate Ashmor and Steph Hodgins-May. Both are people of integrity and talent, and I know both will continue to serve our community.
To all the volunteers from all sides of politics who devoted their time and effort, you did our democracy proud.
To my team, I will always be grateful for your tireless efforts and professionalism. You ran an outstanding campaign, and all deserve to own our result.
For now, we in the Labor movement must regroup.
We act with humility. We rebuild. And we devote every day to working as hard as we possibly can – our country deserves no less.”
We have another opposition backbench MHR just like the last one. Little changes in Macnamara (former Melbourne Ports). I long for the days of the late Clyde Holding and the late Frank Crean when we had high profile ministers and shadow ministers to represent we Macnamara constituents.
The Truth betold
Wet behind the ears Burns was beaten badly by lib Kate Ashmor on *primary votes but he had to rely on anti semites Greens to get him over the line such moral courage not !
Labor -Greens -Get Up -antifa bedfellows but they lost and Australia and the Jewish community dodged a huge bullet !
*See Bill Rubinstein statistics posted here a few weeks ago
Josh Burns easily won the election. A big factor is that he was better organised and tapped into the entire electorates interests, not just those of Caulfield. We have a preferential voting system, not first past the post.