Liberal candidate Steve Brooks with some of the members of his campaign team early on Saturday night.
Liberal candidate Steve Brooks was disappointed with the result but proud of the campaign he fought for the seat of Nicholls.
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The Liberal vote was below his expectations, although pleasingly he did poll the highest in his home town of Cobram.
“Around 20 per cent would have been the starting point, so not as good as we’ve hoped,” he said.
“It effectively is a four-cornered contest with the Nationals, Labor and an independent, plus a not insubstantial vote for the freedom parties, so it was a pretty fractured election.”
Mr Brooks said the close result reinforced that no seat was safe and members had to continue to work hard for their electorates.
Mr Brooks said he was not contemplating a future in politics.
Campaign over: Liberal Steve Brooks casts his vote on election day.
“I didn’t run to get a job, I ran because I would be the most effective member as a member of the Liberal Party,” he said.
“I’m not sitting here planning to get another job in politics, it is something I would consider as long as I saw the same value as I saw in representing the seat of Nicholls.”
He said the result nationally, including the rise of moderate independents and Greens in Queensland, was something the major parties needed to take heed of.
“We need to work out as a party what we take away from this and how we need to improve,” he said.
“Independents and minor parties are a symptom of disaffection with the major parties but they are not a solution.”
Mr Brooks said his campaign was short on time and resources but a team of volunteers helped to craft a credible campaign that focused on the main issues in the electorate.
“I’m very proud of them and the campaign we ran,” he said.
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