Independent Climate 200-backed “teal” candidate Nicolette Boele has secured the tightest of victories in the former Liberal Party blue-ribbon seat of Bradfield in north Sydney, winning by just 26 votes.
The result comes after a recount and is the final seat to be decided weeks after the he federal election ended.
It also means one more teal MP will be added to the lower house, after the defeat of Zoe Daniel in Melbourne.
Boele edged out Liberal contender Gisele Kapterian, overturning an earlier eight-vote deficit in the initial count.
That thing margin triggered a full recount, as required when the gap falls below 100 votes.
Tipping the Balance on the Crossbench
Boele’s win brings the number of crossbench MPs in the House of Representatives to 13.Labor will hold 94 seats—the highest number of seats of any Labor Party in history—while the Coalition finishes with a low 43.
The slim margin of victory may prompt the Liberal Party to consider a challenge in the Court of Disputed Returns, although no legal move has yet been confirmed.
Boele Promises Accountability and Reform
Boele, a clean energy and finance professional who grew up in Bradfield, framed her campaign as a community-first alternative to party politics.“I’m running as an independent because I believe it’s us, not the major parties, who are best placed to solve the challenges we face—rising bills, the housing crisis, and a supermarket shop that’s become far too expensive,” she said during the campaign.
“If elected, I‘ll draw on my experience in finance, clean energy and government to hold the government to account. I’ll advocate for common-sense reforms that improve the lives of people in our community and across the country,” she said.
