ABC South East NSW reports:
The Liberal candidate has issued a statement saying “with only 1,000 to 2,000 votes still to count, the result for Eden-Monaro is now clear.”
Statement from Fiona Kotvojs
With only 1,000 to 2,000 votes still to count, the result for Eden-Monaro is now clear. I have spoken with Kristy McBain and congratulated her on being elected as the Member for Eden-Monaro. I wish Kristy and her family all the best as she takes on this new role.
2020 has been a horrific year for all of us. Together we have been attacked by and fought fires, many of us faced flood, and we are still struggling through drought. Now we are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a year in which none of us wanted an election; we all have more important things to focus on than politics.
As always, there is one thing we must all focus on – and that is each other. The next few years will be tough for all of us. To get through, we must love, care for and respect each other. We must support each other regardless of difference. If we do this, our communities will grow and we will come out of this stronger. While not elected, for me, it was a privilege to stand as the Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro; to seek the opportunity to represent, and work for, the people of our community. Meeting and listening to peoples’ experiences across the electorate was an honour, and I appreciate everyone who took the time to share their stories with me - my life will never be the same. Thank you for giving me this gift.
To everyone who supported me in this campaign, thank you. Your contribution has been enormous and I will never forget it. You have built the strength of our democracy, you supported everyone to have the opportunity to participate in electing a representative in parliament, you supported a peaceful process in which we can each make a difference.
In particular, I would like to pay tribute to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Government for the leadership they are providing Australia at this extraordinary time. I thank the PM, Premier Gladys Berejiklian and their teams for campaigning with me over the past few weeks. Additionally, I would like to thank the members of the Liberal Party, particularly the Eden-Monaro FEC, who, as always, work tirelessly in support of our great cause.
In Eden-Monaro, it will come down to just a few hundred votes. To each person who took the time to consider and cast an informed vote (regardless of who it was for), you have contributed to our democratic process. May we never take it for granted, may we continue to value and uphold it, and may we always do the same for each other.
As you can appreciate, I put much on hold for the campaign, so I’m looking forward to returning to some normality and spending time with my husband, family and friends. As I said, this community shaped who I am and I will always fight for it, but right now I have some fencing to do.
VIDEO: Fiona Kotvojs speech from Saturday night. source
