Re-elected Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says he’s humbled by the vote of confidence he received from locals in the federal election on Saturday.
As counting continued on Sunday, Mr Chester received more than 53 per cent of the primary vote and a two-party-preferred result of 70 per cent, which was one of the biggest wins in Australia.
“It is incredibly humbling to receive such a strong vote of confidence from the community I love, and I am excited about the opportunity to continue representing Gippslanders in Federal Parliament,” Mr Chester said.
“This result would not have been possible without the support of my incredible team, including my staff, family and volunteers, who help me every day in a job that is both demanding and complex.
“I just want to say a simple thank you to Gippslanders, and I promise to do my best to make sure our interests are well represented in Canberra.”
Mr Chester said the overall result was ‘incredibly disappointing for regional Australia’ with the Albanese Government returned for a second term.
“I congratulate the Prime Minister on his win but urge him to do more to help us and actually listen to the concerns of rural and regional Australians, which were completely ignored by the Labor Party during his first term,” Mr Chester said.
“Sadly, our nation is more divided in geographic terms than ever before, with the Labor Party dominating the metropolitan areas and showing no regard for the issues in rural, regional and remote areas like Gippsland.
“I will be doing everything I can to fight for a fair share of resources for regional roads, community infrastructure and critical services in health, aged care, childcare and disability services.”
Mr Chester congratulated his fellow candidates and their volunteers for a strong campaign.
“As I visited many booths yesterday, I was struck by the civility and decency of volunteers and the voters who exercised their democratic freedom. We are fortunate to live in the greatest country in the world, but there’s plenty of work to be done,” Mr Chester said.
“Our democracy is incredibly precious, and the Australian Electoral Commission conducted the election with professionalism and integrity.
“My commitment is to keep working for the benefit of Gippslanders and securing the infrastructure and critical services we need for the future.
“One of the main reasons why I wanted to continue as the Member for Gippsland is to help all young people growing up in our region to achieve their full potential and to let them know that anything is possible if they work hard, and are passionate about their studies, or the jobs they do.
“We grow great food and fibre in the regions, and we also grow great kids!
“We should never sell ourselves short, and we should be proud of everything our region contributes to the nation.”
