Vic: Labor targeting doubtful seats

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2006
Vic: Labor targeting doubtful seats

MELBOURNE, Dec 5 AAP - Labor is hoping to clinch three of the five lower house seats
that are still in doubt following last month's Victorian election, Premier Steve Bracks
said today.

But Labor's hopes for control of the reformed upper house hang in the balance as results
may not be known with certainty for another week.

A recount is underway in the outer metropolitan lower house seat of Ferntree Gully
which the Liberals have snatched by a handful of votes from Labor.

Mr Bracks also conceded another outer suburban seat, Kilsyth, was likely to be lost
to the Liberals.

"Of the five seats that are counted out, we expect to gain three and we'll probably
lose two, but one recount will determine that," he said.

The final tally could give Labor as many as 56 seats in the 88-seat lower house, leaving
the Liberals with 22, The Nationals nine and one independent.

Meanwhile, Labor's hopes of holding 21 seats in the 40-seat upper chamber rest on internet
millionaire Evan Thornley claiming the final place in the southern metropolitan region.

The premier's star recruit, who has already been given a position as parliamentary
secretary in charge of national reform, is in a tight race with the Liberals' David Southwick.

Counting in the upper house seats has now turned to the below-the-line checking of
individual voter preferences.

"It's going to be very close run. I'm still hopeful. But we won't know probably, believe
it or not, until about Wednesday of next week," Mr Bracks said.

Mr Bracks said he was waiting on the outcome before considering whether to re-allocate
the parliamentary secretary role.

AAP nl/gfr/imc/bwl

KEYWORD: POLLVIC BRACKS

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