by Yvette Brand
After one of the longest, and most complex vote counts in the seat's history, Liberal candidate Mary Aldred finally claimed Monash last week and declared she was ready to work her heart out for the community.
Ten days after polls closed, Ms Aldred secured the seat and defied a national trend against the Liberal Party by increasing the Liberal margin in Monash by 1.15 per cent.
Ms Aldred now holds the seat with a 4.05 per cent two-candidate preferred margin, up from the 2.9 per cent pre-election margin held by former member Russell Broadbent.
"Its a humbling result that not only we retained this seat for the Liberal Party but built a small swing into that," she said.
Ms Aldred said it was a "furphy" the Teals ran a campaign based on making Monash marginal - "if they had been involved in this community they would know it was marginal."
Ms Aldred said the election had its challenges with more than $1 million being spent on the Teals campaign (independent Deb Leonard), Labor on the ascendency on a national level, and, the incumbent running again as an independent.
She said she didn't anticipate the fall of party leader Peter Dutton, and consequentially Monash bucking a national trend to maintain its historic Liberal hold.
"I have never taken this seat for granted and I didn't take my campaign for granted.
"I guess I ran a very locally focused campaign. I was a genuine local, whether that was chair of the basketball league, community aged care or Committee for Gippsland, they (voters) knew I'd roll my sleeves up and do the job.
"I will now work my heart out for the next three years representing this community," she said.
Latest two candidate preferred figures show Ms Aldred on 55,347 votes (54.05 per cent) and Mr Fletcher on 47,050 votes (45.95 per cent.)
Asked if the long counting process had been frustrating, she said "after 538 days campaigning, what's another seven."
"It gave me a pause time to catch up on life admin," she said.
Ms Aldred said she wanted to have a strong voice for Monash and "get cracking" straight away in standing up for the region.
Her first job was a quick trip to Canberra last Tuesday for a party room meeting to determine the next Liberal leader.
She said it was pleasing to have two well credentialed candidates for the leadership battle in Sussan Ley and Angus Taylor and she would welcome Ms Ley's return visits to Monash after several visits supporting her during the campaign.
"Now we go forward as a united team and I look forward to playing a constructive role to hold the Labor government to account."
Ms Aldred said she would hit the ground running to ensure the Labor government's commitments were delivered and top of the list would be the $3 million road network planning promise for Warragul and Drouin.
"We have major congestion issues in Warragul and Drouin and there are significant safety issues because of a lack of investment in these roads. And, we also have to have competitive routes to market for our produce.
While a new West Gippsland Hospital is a state government project, Ms Aldred said her advocacy for the project, dating back to her work with Committee for Gippsland, had been genuine and long term.
"I will continue that advocacy. It is a state funded and run hospital but I will work with Member for Narracan Wayne Farnham to ensure that funding is delivered and at a federal level secure more funding for health and medical training to Monash Health," she said.
During the campaign, Ms Aldred engaged with small business owners, farmers, veterans, young people, health and disability groups and community groups and is keen to convene round tables to gain their input into what was needed to make Monash stronger.
"I live in this community and I am passionate about this region but I also want to make a national stand for jobs and industries."
Ms Aldred's move into politics has been a somewhat natural one, with her interest heightening during her time as Committee for Gippsland chief executive officer.
But, she grew up with politics and in a very political aware family where current affairs and politics was always well discussed around the dinner table.
Her late father, Ken Aldred, was a Liberal Party Member of Parliament for 18 years, over two terms until 1996.
"I admired his commitment to the community. He died almost a decade ago and I miss him every day and it would be lovely to share this with him but I am sure he is smiling."
Ms Aldred's election also places her the first female member in the history of the seat - Monash and formerly McMillan - the significance of which is not lost on her. "But I put myself forward because I believe I was the best candidate to represent the community, that was my drive - and I won't be the last woman."
Ms Aldred is the seat's first new member in more than 20 years, following the long serving reign of Liberal Russell Broadbent, who served his last 18 months in office as an independent after he quit the party.
Mr Broadbent was first elected to the seat (formerly known as McMillan) in 1996. He lost the seat to the ALP's Christian Zahra in 1998.
At the 2004 election Mr Broadbent was returned in McMillan and has retained the seat, renamed Monash in 2019, at every election since.
Ms Aldred said Mr Broadbent had given a "significant record of service" to Monash.
"Russell and his wife Bronwyn have served the region well, they're good people and I wish them well," she said.