By JO HARRISON
Caption Marshall 1: Former Northern Tablelands MP Ray Chappell, who lost the seat for the National Party in 1999 to Richard Torbay, congratulates Adam Marshall after he claimed victory on Saturday at the Armidale Ex-Services Club.
Inset caption Marshall 2: The newly elected Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall thanks his supporters. He celebrates with Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner.
THE Northern Tablelands seat has returned to the National Party after an emphatic victory in last Saturday’s by-election to Adam Marshall.
Mr Marshall claimed 63.2 percent of the primary vote, giving The Nationals one of the biggest by-election swings in NSW history, of more than 30 percent.
The 14-year Independent reign over the Northern Tablelands by former member Richard Torbay has been relegated to the history books after Mr Torbay resigned earlier this year under the cloud of an ICAC investigation.
Mr Marshall’s nearest rival, Independent candidate and Mayor of Armidale Jim Maher achieved 13.9 percent of the primary vote, followed by Country Labor candidate Herman Beyersdorf with 9.7 percent, Dora Koops (Greens) 4.4 percent, Katherine Nicholson (Independent) 4.4 percent, Bill Bush (Independent) 2.8 percent and Silvana Nero (Christian Democratic Party; Fred Nile Group) 2.1 percent.
“The Nationals are well and truly back in the Northern Tablelands,” Mr Marshall said.
“It’s a huge vote of confidence in the party, and really shows just how far we’ve come in the past few years.
“I am very humbled by the support I have received from the electorate.
“I don’t take any of this for granted and I’ll work hard to repay the faith the electorate have placed in me today.”
Mr Marshall said that the plunge in support for independents at the by-election showed that Tony Windsor’s support for the Gillard Labor Government had alienated voters in the Northern Tablelands.
“What we’ve witnessed here today is a huge shift away from Independents to the Nationals, and Tony Windsor should take notice” Mr Marshall said.
The combined Independent vote at the by-election collapsed to 22 percent, its lowest since 1995.
Independent candidate Jim Maher is now looking to the Nationals to deliver on their promises they made during the campaign.
“As Mayor of Armidale I will be particularly looking at issues like the Armidale Hospital and the other promises made in relation to our local government area,” Jim Maher said.
“As an Independent who entered the race only three weeks out the result was pretty good – unfortunately I didn’t have the resources to do what the winner was able to achieve.”
