LONG-standing MP Sussan Ley’s fiercest opponent in the Farrer electorate says she’s open to standing again in 2028.
Independent candidate Michelle Milthorpe said the campaign was “never about politics-as-usual”.
“We were a novice team, made up of locals who simply care about our community,” she said.
“We stayed positive, stayed focused, and always led with respect.”
With 96.66 per cent of the ballot papers counted so far, Mrs Milthorpe has received 44.22 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred count.
Mrs Milthorpe said the campaign faced challenges, including the “spread of misinformation and being denied the opportunity to correct the record”.
“We ran against a small group who continually circulated misleading claims, particularly around funding,” she said.
“I was fully transparent from the beginning about receiving a donation from Climate 200, and never misrepresented that fact.
“What’s disappointing is that the same level of scrutiny isn’t applied to major parties and their funding arrangements.”
Mrs Milthorpe expressed issue with being incorrectly labelled throughout the campaign.
“I ran as an independent, and to repeatedly be referred to in other ways was not only misleading – it was dishonest and insulting,” she said.
“It undermined the intelligence of voters and the integrity of the many hardworking people who supported this campaign.”
Mrs Milthorpe also shared her hope that future vote counts might better reflect the nature of the contest, after Saturday night’s count proceeded using a two-party-preferred method, despite earlier advice that it would follow a two-candidate-preferred approach.
“It meant that the live results didn’t give a clear picture of the actual contest,” she said.
“I’d like to see more consistency and clarity around how independent candidates are represented in the count – it helps voters better understand what’s really happening.”
Mrs Milthorpe was hopeful that Farrer would no longer be considered a safe seat, saying that increased competitiveness was essential to securing fairer representation.
While no firm decision has been made yet, Mrs Milthorpe was open to standing again.
“This campaign might be over, but I’m not going anywhere,” she warned.
“I’ll take some time to reflect, but I will always stand up for Farrer.”
