Haines retains

HELEN Haines has been returned as the Independent member for Indi, receiving a resounding swing of 7.41 per cent of the two candidate preferred vote, as of Monday morning. Dr Haines' vote increased to 58.8 per cent of the two candidate preferred vote, from 51.39 per cent in 2019, according to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). "I'm truly grateful to the people of Indi for putting their trust in me to represent them again into this next parliament," Dr Haines told the Mansfield Courier on Saturday night. "It's been a really tumultuous three years for our electorate, and I've been proud to serve as the member for Indi and I'm ready to serve again. "I'm absolutely overjoyed and thrilled to not only win, but to have such an increased majority on many, many booths." The member for Indi received 40.99 per cent of the first preference vote, significantly outpolling Liberal Party challenger Ross Lyman, who received 30.91 per cent. She received swings across almost all polling booths in Indi, including double–figure percentage swings in regional centre booths like Yea, Wodonga Central and Mansfield. As of Sunday morning, Indi postal votes and votes from the AEC mobile team had not been counted. Dr Haines put the successful result down to Indi voters valuing strong Independent representation. "The people of Indi know that an Independent speaks for the people, that I am not a rubber stamp, that I'll stick up for them every single time, that I don't take orders from party bosses," she said. "I know the people of Indi well because I'm out among them. "They've seen how I work and they've seen the results in this community." Dr Haines said she would continue to push for a federal integrity commission and action on climate change, and particularly highlighted the need for greater health infrastructure in the North East. "I want to see us on the border get what we need, get the funding from the Federal Government and our two state governments on a new hospital – a single site hospital on the border," she said. "I want to see our small rural hospitals get the funding that they need. "They're the things that I've always fought for – I always will." Dr Haines declined to comment on any agreement with the Labor Party in the event of a hung parliament, saying it was too early to discuss with votes still being counted. When her win was called around 9:30 on Saturday night, Dr Haines spoke to a room filled with orange–clad volunteers at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre, thanking them for their work. "To win a seat as an Independent in the House of Representatives, it takes hope, it takes skill, it takes clever, brave people doing the work in their community," she said. "It takes moving out of your comfort zone and having the conversation, it takes knocking on a door when you've never knocked on those doors before." According to Dr Haines, their campaign had 1845 signed–up volunteers, 559 volunteers handed out how–to–vote cards on election day, and they had knocked every door in Wodonga and Wangaratta. She said her campaign had 1251 donors, and they sold $37,000 worth of merchandise, most of it made by volunteers.