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ACT election 2016: live coverage, polls and results

Clare Sibthorpe


 

Tram. Health. Rates. Education. Integrity.

These were the big campaign issues, Christopher Knaus wrote as a pre-election guide.

Now that we know which party actually has to deliver their promises, here's a recap of Labor's platform (and the Liberals, if you want to see the announcements Canberrans were less keen on).

While we're on this topic, what did all the minor parties want again? Katie Burgess covers them here.

Twitter user @arwon has produced a quick map of the #actvotes swings.

Results are in - what happens now?

Let's check in with our chief political reporter Kirsten Lawson about how the night has gone.

Missed Barr's speech?

Reporter Andrew Brown tweets some highlights:

And that's a wrap!

Thanks for joining us online tonight.

It has been a pleasure bringing you live coverage of the 2016 ACT election.

For now, here's the latest state of play:

  • With 78.1 per cent of the first preference vote counted, ACT Labor led the Canberra Liberals 39 per cent to 35.6 per cent on Saturday night
  • Despite the Liberals hopes of winning outright, they actually lost ground in the first preferences, with a 3.3 per cent swing against the Opposition
  • The Greens held on 10.6 per cent, with a tidy 3.2 per cent of the total vote going to the Australian Sex Party
  • Labor likely to secure at least 11 seats, with the Liberals also on 10 with a likely 11th in Brindabella and a possible 12th in Murrumbidgee, and the Greens on one seat and in the hunt for up to two more.
  • After Mr Hanson conceded defeat, Mr Barr confirmed he expected to return to government with the help of the Greens in the "coming weeks".

We'll be back tomorrow with more news, analysis and the latest numbers.

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Some late night analysis from our chief Assembly reporter Kirsten Lawson

Beers, cheers and fist pumps

Canberra Times photographer Rohan Thomson effectively sums up the cheerful mood of re-elected Labor leader Andrew Barr and Greens' leader Shane Rattenburry.

Andrew Barr makes a victory speach

Andrew Barr makes a victory speech. Photo: Rohan Thomson

Shane Rattenbury arrives to cheers and applause at the official Green's event

Shane Rattenbury arrives to cheers and applause at the official Green's event. Photo: Rohan Thomson

Andrew Barr arrives with his partner to cheers and applause at the official function.

Andrew Barr arrives with his partner to cheers and applause at the official function. Photo: Rohan Thomson

Meanwhile, Jay Cronan captured Canberra Liberals leader Jeremy Hanson looking less than impressed.

Canberra Liberals Jeremy Hanson at the Election Party .Photo Jay Cronan

Canberra Liberals Jeremy Hanson at the Election Party. Photo: Jay Cronan

The winners have declared victory, but the count continues.

One advantage of the ACT's Hare-Clark electoral is that it maximises voters' power by allowing their single vote to help get more than one candidate elected.

A downside is the complex process of processing preferences will go on for days, and is expected to take until next Saturday.

Here's a video that breaks it down for you:

 

And here's an amusing illustration by Canberra Times cartoonist David Pope published in the Canberra Times during the 2012 ACT election.

 

 

The Canberra Times published this cartoon by David Pope during the 2012 ACT election.
The Canberra Times published this cartoon by David Pope during the 2012 ACT election. Photo: David Pope

It's been a long day. What have we learned and where do we go from here?

I'll let our chief ACT Assembly reporter Kirsten Lawson and senior reporter Markus Mannheim cover that for you.

 

Chief Assembly reporter Kirsten Lawson joins Markus Mannheim and gives us her take on tonight's ACT election result

Posted by The Canberra Times on Saturday, October 15, 2016

It seems Canberra is not the only city following the ACT election in twitter world. Who would have thought?

#actvotes is now trending in #Perth https://t.co/sqh1IDVYDE

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Party members shocked by swing against Liberal, with many banking on anti-light rail votes

Within a few breaths of conceding defeat at the Southern Cross Club in Woden and referencing party founder and former Prime Minister John Menzies, opposition leader Jeremy Hanson was beer in hand, surrounded by family and party faithful, reports Henry Belot.

The mood among supporters was initially bright, boosted by a sense that four years of Labor and Greens government was coming to an end. But by the time Mr Hanson arrived on stage, those dreams has fallen away.

"It is likely now that it will be a continuation of a Labor and Greens coalition in Canberra. That is a disappointing thing, but tonight is not the night to dwell on that," he said.

"Asking Alistair to go Gungahlin to argue against the tram was always going to be a hard ask and he made the case exceptionally well, even though that has not been enough in terms of the result tonight."

Canberra Times photographer Rohan Thomson took this great snap of a jubilant Andrew Barr preparing to claim victory.

How is twitter reacting?

The hashtag #actvotes has dominated twitter feeds over the election campaign in anticipation for the big vote.

With election day drawing to an end, here's some of tonight's social media reaction.

 

What the results mean for the ACT health system

If light rail was the No. 1 issue for many voters, health ran a very close second in the election campaign, with numerous tit-for-tat funding announcements in the past couple of months.

Here's Canberra Times health reporter Daniel Burdon speaking.

Andrew Barr given hero's welcome

Christopher Knaus has more on the elated Labor function.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has confirmed that Labor and the Greens will form government this week, describing Saturday's victory as a "fundamental rejection of a narrow-minded conservative agenda".

Mr Barr was given a hero's welcome at the Labor party's official function, and his speech was bolstered by chants of "four more years" and "build the tram".

"I can confirm that Shane and I will work together to form a new progressive government in the ACT. We don't yet know the final makeup of the Assembly, and these negotiations will continue into the next week," he said."But I can confirm, having spoken with Shane, there is absolutely no doubt that we will form a government in the coming week."

Shane Rattenbury and Andrew Barr will continue leading the Labor-Greens coalition.
Shane Rattenbury and Andrew Barr will continue leading the Labor-Greens coalition. Photo: Rohan Thomson
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So Canberra's getting a light rail. But what else?

Likely a $500 million boost to the Canberra Hospital, a further $150 million for the city's women's and children's hospital and $15 million for Calvary Public in Belconnen, writes Daniel Burdon.

We'll keep the political analysis and reaction rolling in.

Back to the drawing board...

...for both main parties, writes senior reporter Markus Mannheim.

Fewer than 24 hours before the polling booths closed, Malcolm Turnbull lauded Canberra's light-rail network.

That's right: the night before what was supposedly a referendum on whether this city should go ahead and build it, the Prime Minister told an urban-design awards ceremony that the rail plan was one of a handful of projects that would "enhance our cities' built environments ... and leave a lasting legacy for future generations".

It was likely nothing more than a political oversight.

Read more here.

Labor and Greens to stay friends

Andrew Barr says he will form government with the support of the Greens. "Having spoken to Shane [Rattenbury] there is absolutely no doubt we will form a government in the coming weeks."

Missed Barr's speech?

Reporter Andrew Brown tweets some highlights:

Cheers at one function, boos at another

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