Haines wins third term

By SHAUN McMAHON and STEVE KELLY INDEPENDENT MP Helen Haines secured a decisive victory in the seat of Indi at Saturday’s federal election, winning a third term on the back of strong grassroots support and a celebratory night with her volunteer team, affectionately known as the “Cockateers.” Dr Haines has 58.68 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred (TCP) vote, with nearest rival Liberal James Trenery on 41.32pc (TCP). The first preference vote was up on the 2022 election for Dr Haines with 43.14pc (37,514), a swing of 2.46pc, while Mr Trenery accumulated 30.89pc (26,858 votes). Next was Labor - Mitch Bridges with 7.96pc, One Nation - Athol Thomas (6.95pc), The Greens - Alysia Regan (3.3pc), Legalise Cannabis - Ben Howman (2.95pc), Family First - Michael White (1.79pc), Libertarian - Tim Quilty (1.61pc), and Independent - Mark McFarlane (1.42pc). It was a comprehensive win across many polling places for Dr Haines on election day, with the totals indicating many voters were happy with what the Independent has delivered over the last two terms - six years. Across Mansfield Shire, voting trends in the 2025 federal election reflected continued support for Dr Haines, with some variation between booths. At the largest polling centre, the Mansfield PPVC (CWA Hall), Haines led with 43.5 pc of first preferences, a slight increase from the previous election. Liberal candidate James Trenery followed with 35 pc, also up marginally. In Tolmie, Haines performed strongly with 48.2 pc, a swing of plus 6.9 points, while Trenery’s support dropped to 24.6 pc, down more than 11 points. One Nation’s Athol Thomas attracted 16.4 pc in Tolmie, indicating a right-leaning shift in the area. Jamieson proved more competitive, with Trenery leading on 41.4 pc, ahead of Haines on 31.3 pc, a fall of 7.7 points. This booth also recorded small gains for One Nation and the Libertarians. Bonnie Doon swung back toward Haines, who led with 37.4 pc after a 14.9-point increase, while Trenery fell to 33.7 pc, down 12.6 points. The regular Mansfield booth at the Sporting Complex mirrored the overall electorate, with Haines on 42.3 pc and Trenery on 27.4 pc. The Greens and Legalise Cannabis Party made small gains across most locations, while Labor consistently polled between 6 and 9 pc. In her winner's speech at about 9.30pm on Saturday, Dr Haines made strong reference to the 940 active volunteers across the electorate that stretches from Wodonga to King Lake and coined the term for them, the Cockateers. "I'm standing in front of you all again with such pride in my heart, such privilege to be re-elected as a member of the house of representatives in the magnificent federation seat of Indi," she said to raucous applause. "But the victory is not mine, the victory is yours, all of the people of Indi, those who voted for me and those who didn't because I know that having independent representation in the seat of Indi has not only made Indi a better place, but has made the nation a better place. "People have said to me tonight that it's so great that good wins," she said in relation to the recent nature of politics across the world. She acknowledged Anthony Albanese's return as Prime Minister and she said she's looking forward to continuing her work and she cited her strong relationships with other MPs in the house or representatives. Dr Haines referred to the scrutineers as the "guardian angels of democracy" for the work they do, and the extended campaign period was also noted. "We've been at this for a few months, we thought the election was coming a little earlier than it has and I've been saying to folks, I feel like I've been living in a perpetual Wednesday, but it's Saturday now, right," she said. "It is an amazing story we have to tell here, what started as a local movement with 12 people in the library up the road who just wanted an MP to listen to them, truly is now a movement right across Australia. "We have got so many people on the ground in Indi and so many others like us across Australia, thousands of volunteers, potentially millions of voters voting independent." She was happy her Independent colleagues have been returned, with the AEC having Zali Steggall, Allegra Spender, Zoe Daniel, Sophie Scamps and Kate Chaney ahead. "At the heart of our campaign, the heart is listening to the people of Indi and what matters to them and what they want to see in their representation," she said. "We listened across 12,257 meaningful conversations, we knocked on 15,721 doors, more doors in more towns that we've ever knocked on before. "I've got a new word and I'm calling it the Cockateers, I think it is officially a new word." Dr Haines promised to deliver the local impact that she promised constituents and the national influence that she said her supporters have collectively achieved. "I want to see us do better in housing, lower the cost of living, better health and childcare, the infrastructure we need to make sure we can continue to thrive," she said. "It truly is the biggest honour of my life to represent the people of Indi." Dr Haines spoke about the vision for the future, holding major parties to account, scientific action on climate change, and making sure it is a fair Australia. She said it's about making sure our aged care, mental health and childcare services are up to scratch and better, ensuring telecommunications work, and supporting a better democracy. Mr Trenery was disappointed with the loss but he said he enjoyed the campaign and meeting a lot of great people along the way. "There were several thousand people who supported us and we had more volunteers and signs out than we've ever had," he said. "It was not a good result for either country or Indi, from my perspective. "Overall we didn't move very far compared to the last election, and we'll wait for the final count but it looks like it's going to be the same, which is better than the national result. "We generated everything from within Indi and it was a real local campaign and not a lot of dollars or people coming from outside Indi."

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