As the country wakes to a new-look national government led by Labor and with more Independents replacing Liberal MPs, in the western NSW electorate of Parkes, Mark Coulton and the National Party hold an unassailable lead. 

Although the count continues, Labor has claimed government and at 7.30am this morning (Sunday 22 may) held 75 of the 151 seats available in the House of Representatives, just one short of the required majority. 



The loss of key Liberal seats, mostly to what has been referred to by political commentators as "tidal wave of Teal Independents" who this morning have seized 10 seats, means the Liberal/National Party coalition has so far regained just 51 seats – 26 fewer than in the previous election in 2019. 

Although Scott Morrison will step down as leader of the Coalition and Anthony Albanese is celebrating a Labor victory, there has been a serious swing away from both major parties. 

Less than one third of the Australian population have given their first – or primary - vote to either Labor or Liberal and more Independents than ever will have their say in the nation's parliament. 

What this new-look government truly means in terms of re-setting direction and any eventual action on the key issues which brought them to power, like living costs and climate change, is yet to be revealed. 

Out here in Parkes, voters will be wondering what the power shift will bring to the bush. 

Parkes voters pick Coulton

Voters in Parkes have stood behind their standing member, Mark Coulton (National Party) with the initial two-party preference count quickly revealing Coulton's unbeatable lead. 

Source: AEC Tally Room

In case it's not clear, the table above shows Mark Coulton (Nationals) with 37,413 votes, Jack Ayoub (Labor) with 15,655; Deborah Swinbourn (Pauline Hanson's One Nation) 5,552; Peter Rothwell (Liberal Democrats) 4,622; Derek Hardman (Indigenous-Aboriginal Party) 3,902; Trish Frail (Greens) 3,456; Petrus Van Der Steen (United Australia Party) 1,997; Stuart Howe (Independent) 1,776; Benjamin Fox (Informed Medical Options Party) 1,290 votes.

Three of the 88 polling places are yet to have their results counted, however at 7.30am the two-way contest showed both Coulton on 67.63% of the votes, up already from 66.91% in 2019, and Jack Ayoub on 32.37%, down slightly from 33.09%. 

Although polling night gives an indicative count and the results of pre-polling and postal votes will only begin to trickle in later today (Sunday 22 May), 82,303 votes have already been counted of the the 109,133 eligible registered voters across the electorate. 

In Parkes, 75.42% of voters turned out although 8.07% cast an informal or invalid vote, a 2.21% increase on the last election.