The campaign to win the election might be over but Team Ted took to the streets again this morning to thank voters for their support.
The returning MP said Saturday’s result had left him both humbled and elated.
“It’s so good just to get back to work, there’s so much more I want to do,” Ted O’Brien declared from the side of Maroochydore Road.
“I cannot thank the people of Fairfax enough, for putting their faith in me for another term, I won’t let them down.”
With nearly 80 per cent of the votes counted, Ted O’Brien is sitting on 64.73 per cent of the Two Party Preferred (TPP) vote, representing a swing in his favour of 3.86 per cent.
In fact, on his Primary Vote alone Ted O’Brien won the seat of Fairfax with 52 per cent – a swing of 3.52 per cent, which is the highest of any Liberal MP in Queensland. He also won every single one of the 41 polling booths across the electorate, including the joint and pre-poll booths.
“It’s an extraordinary result nationally, and here in Fairfax I’m just left a little speechless,” Mr O’Brien said.
“To have that much support shows that what we’ve been doing hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
“I promised from the outset to be the Sunshine Coast’s man in Canberra – not Canberra’s man on the Sunshine Coast and I will continue to keep that promise.”
Mr O’Brien also admitted to being more than a little relieved when the Morrison Government was returned.
“When it became clear we’d held Government, getting a homeless shelter for men here on the Sunshine Coast was one of the first things I thought about,” he said.
“It’s heartbreaking to think around 200 people are sleeping rough on the Coast every night and yet there is no emergency accommodation for men between Brisbane and Maryborough.
“But now thanks to the LNP government and the vision of Pastor Dale Dowler and The Shack Community Centre that will no longer be the case.
“Of course a re-elected Morrison Government also committed $500,000 to a Nambour CBD renewal program and $75,000 for CCTV cameras to upgrade security around the Brightwater Lakeside Park.
“Plus the additional $91.4 million committed to Bruce Highway upgrades for the Maroochydore Road and the Mons Road Interchanges is secure, bringing to $241million the Liberal National Government’s funding for that Bruce Highway project.”