By Margaret Maccoll
Independent Sandy Bolton got straight to work this week relinquishing her roles on various boards while she awaited the official count for the Noosa electorate with cautious optimism.
Ms Bolton attributed her anticipated toppling of long-term LNP incumbent Glen Elmes to identifying the community’s long-term problems and showing people she could deliver.
“Together with hundreds of amazing supporters, we took the fight up to the big parties with a really spectacular grassroots campaign,” she said.
“The vote of the major parties declined dramatically in Noosa.
“It seems clear that, without fundamental change, they will continue their decline in the electorate.”
If the count goes her way, Ms Bolton has plans to change the way electorate offices operate.
“We want a dynamic team and we’re looking at developing a model to take the whole community along for the ride,” she said.
Ms Bolton said as a councillor she made use of technology such as Facebook to host forums and establish groups and hoped to do something similar in conjunction with using traditional forms of communication.
While the counting of postal and preferential votes may continue until next week, there were indications on Saturday night a change was imminent. The ABC’s election analyst Antony Green called the election for Sandy Bolton in the evening.
Ms Bolton’s supporters, including some Noosa councillors, celebrated at Zabe Espresso Bar at Tewantin while a sedate group of Mr Elmes’ supporters watched the televised election coverage.
On Saturday night, Mr Elmes thanked his long-term campaign supporters, his staff and family who stood by him during his 11 years in office.
“I’ve put my family through a lot the last 11 years,” he said.
“I just want to say how grateful I am for their support and love, I really do.”
This week, Mr Elmes was not taking phone calls. His office staff were clearing out the office, and said he was awaiting the results of the election count and might or might not release a statement.
