A great win. Thanks to all who helped
Every member of the CDP, and our army of well-wishers, should be thanked for the pleasing result of Election 2007.
Special thanks to State Director, Phil Lamb who directed the successful campaign and organized the fund-raising, to his area co-ordinators who enlisted candidates and formed branches and ensured every poll booth was covered, to every candidate in both Houses of Parliament and to the army of thousands of people who letterboxed our mail and stood handing our “How to vote” cards, to our donors who made it possible to blanket the state with posters and radio and newspaper advertisements and to all of our prayer partners. It would not have been possible without you – our God’s army”!
Congratulations to the extremely hard working Fred and Elaine Nile over Fred’s re-election to Parliament. Fred’s vote was the best result since 1988. Compare his 4.1% with his vote when he stood for the Federal Senate in 2004 when his vote was 2.6% of the four and a half million votes cast. This year’s vote was higher than in any election in 1991, 1995, 1999, or 2003.
Our 57 lower-house candidates have secured 2.5% of the statewide vote, an increase of 0.8% over 2003. This is outstanding. They have already accumulated more than 79,000 votes at this stage in the count, compared to a full total of 66,000 in 2003, when 52 candidates were endorsed.
The CDP is now recognised by some of the media as the “real” cross-bench. They include also the Greens who did extremely well winning two seats in the Upper House but none in the Lower House. We have seen off the spectrum four other smaller parties including the Australian Democrats.
At the time of writing this, according to the analyst Gilbert van der Jagt,
“ABC election analyst Antony Green singled out Stephen Chavura (East Hills) as a CDP candidate who had achieved an excellent vote – currently 6.9%.
Other outstanding results currently include: 8.1% Toongabbie, 7.5% Mount Druitt, 7.2% Blacktown, 6.8% Londonderry, 6.7% South Coast, 6.4% Penrith, 6.3% Campbelltown, 5.9% Heathcote, 5.7% Wollongong, 5.7% Parramatta, 5.3% Castle Hill, 5.1% Smithfield, 5.1% Fairfield
In 2003, 13 out of 52 candidates (25%) received a primary vote higher than 4%, thus qualifying for public funding. So far in this count, 29 out of 57 (51%) of our candidates have achieved more than 4%.
In 2003, 9 candidates achieved 4-5%, and only 4 candidates received more than 5%. This time 14 candidates received more than 5% of the vote. This time, our top 9 candidates equalled or exceeded the best result in 2003.
CDP has not achieved more than 7% in a seat at a general election since 1991 (one seat), today equalling the performance of 1988, which also produced three seats with results of more than 7%..
In 2003, 5 out of 52 candidates achieved a result that had a strong influence on the final result, and in one case determined the result. At this election, it looks like the CDP result will have a strong influence, or even decide the result, in as many as 12 seats.
25 of our lower house candidates have set new records in seats where there is a history of CDP and CTA lower-house candidates.
If CDP is to become a significant political party, now is the time to re-form our management structure for the twenty-first century, to redraft our policies with more grass root input, to work with our party in other states to form a proper Federal approach for the next Federal election and to reinvigorate all of our branches and possible candidates for this year that lies ahead.
Thanks be to God for the victory that is our. Pray to God for the work that now lies ahead.
Rev The Hon. Dr. Gordon Moyes, A.C., M.L.C..
