The Andrews Government has had a decisive victory in last Saturday’s State election and will govern for the next four years with a sizeable majority in the Legislative Assembly.  

Bendigo West MP Maree Edwards has been elected for a fourth term with a comfortable majority. At the time of writing, Ms Edwards had secured 46.73% of the primary vote and an impressive 65.45% of the two-party preferred vote. 

When speaking with the Times this week, Ms Edwards said that she was thrilled with her win. Commenting on the fact that there was a swing against her of around 3%, Ms Edwards said, “I expected that I would be elected with a slightly reduced majority, as the 2018 elections were a high watermark. It’s probable that no election will ever exceed those results.”

Back in 2010, when Ms Edwards was first elected, Bendigo West was considered to be a marginal seat. “It’s now one of the safest seats,” she said. “On Sunday morning, it was the ninth safest seat in Victoria; this figure may very well change as counting continues.”

According to Ms Edwards, hard work and commitment has turned Bendigo West from a marginal to a safe electorate. “I’ve always pushed hard to get good outcomes for the electorate,” she said. “I’m passionate about delivering for the community, and it’s the sort of job you can’t do without passion and empathy. I consider it a privilege to be elected for a fourth term; it doesn’t happen very often.”

Ms Edwards will remain Speaker of the Legislative Assembly until the new Government takes office. As part of her duties, she is responsible for organising a sitting day in December where new MPs are sworn in, and other formalities take place. This will be a busy time for her. “Following that, I’m looking forward to a Christmas spent with children and grandchildren,” she said.  

Will Ms Edwards remain Speaker, or will she take up another role in the new Labor Government? “That remains to be seen,” she said. “There will be a caucus meeting at some stage, and decisions will be made then.”

The Liberal Party’s candidate Ken Price polled 24.32% of first preference votes, with the Greens candidate James Searle winning 12.47% of first preferences. Of the six other also-rans, only one candidate attracted more than 5% of the vote: Wayne Taylor of the Legalise Cannabis Party.

This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 2 December 2022.