Mackenzie philosophical about outcome

Rob Mackenzie.

By Jeremy Sollars

Goondiwindi-based Independent Southern Downs candidate Rob Mackenzie is disappointed but philosophical about the outcome of last weekend’s Queensland election.
Mackenzie came fourth out of the six candidates, raising just under 17 per cent of the primary vote, behind One Nation’s Josh Coyne and Joel Richters of the ALP.
The man who some locals hoped would cause an upset in the usually safe LNP seat says it became clear to him last Saturday night that his hopes were dashed, saying he received fewer preferences than he’d expected from One Nation and ALP voters.
Mackenzie and One Nation’s Josh Coyne agreed to swap preferences, and Joel Richters directed his second preferences to Mackenzie, but it now appears many One Nation and ALP voters did not follow their how-to-vote cards.
Speaking to the Free Times on Monday, Mackenzie said he had hoped for a consistent flow of preferences but in the end it wasn’t to be.
But he was happy that the LNP margin in Southern Downs would be shaved back significantly and credited at least in part his own candidacy in doing so.
“I went into this with three aims – to have a go, to give people another option and to make (Southern Downs) a marginal seat, all of which I believe I achieved,” he said.
“I just thought that if by some miracle I came in second place, I’d pick up a preference flow which might have got me over the line.
“Obviously, a lot of people have opted to tick the boxes of the major parties once again and that’s their democratic right.
“A lot of people thought this was the election where an upset was going to happen, not just here but elsewhere.
“Independents performed pretty badly across the state, which is disappointing – I think I got the second or third highest primary vote for an Independent, so at least that’s something.”
Mackenzie was particularly pleased with his local result in Goondiwindi, where the LNP primary vote share dipped from around 70 per cent at the 2015 state to around 30 per cent last weekend.
“Warwick and Stanthorpe were always going to be a tough ask for me,” he said.
He said life would now return to normal, running his security and home-brewing businesses, and serving on the Goondiwindi Regional Council.
“I’ve been to two funerals today (Monday) so that helps put it all in perspective,” he said.
(SIDEBAR)
Counting of votes in the Southern Downs electorate was continuing at time of printing of the Free Times this week.
At that time, 83.42 per cent of the primary vote had been counted, and the primary vote standings are as follows:
* James Lister (LNP) – 41.27 per cent (11,831 votes)
* Josh Coyne (One Nation) – 20.19 per cent (5787 votes)
* Joel Richters (ALP) – 16.89 per cent (4840 votes)
* Rob Mackenzie (Ind) – 16.67 per cent (4777 votes)
* Antonia van Geuns (Greens) – 4.07 per cent (1167 votes)
* Jay Nauss (Ind) – 0.91 per cent (262 votes)
* Total enrolled electors – 35,622
* Total informal votes – 3.54 (1052 votes)