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July 21st, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda Preferences have put the Labor party in the box seat to retain its more than a century-long grasp on the seat of Melbourne, despite achieving a lower primary vote than at the last state election.
With two thirds of the vote counted late on Saturday, Labor’s Jennifer Kanis was leading the Greens’ Cathy Oke 51.38 per cent to 48.62 on a two-party preferred basis, or by about 750 votes.
The bookies and political commentators had been tipping the Greens would win and snatch their first lower house seat in the Victorian parliament.
At 36.37 per cent, the Greens’ primary vote was hovering around four per cent higher than the almost 32 per cent polled at the November 2010 state election, while Labor’s primary vote of 33.32 was down about two per cent.
But in the 16-candidate field, Labor received preferences from most of the other candidates including the Sex Party’s Fiona Patten (who had 6.61 per cent of the primary votes counted), independent Liberal party member David Nolte (on 4.70 per cent) and head of the African Think Tank, Berhan Ahmed (4.18 per cent).
Independent Stephen Mayne, who had about 4.75 per cent of primary votes, directed his preferences to the Greens.
A beaming Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said he was gratified Labor had finished strongly after many people talked down the party’s chances.
“Labor is in front, I think you’d much rather be Jennifer Kanis than the Green candidate,” he told reporters at the Labor by-election party in Flemington.
“We have got to get the final numbers but I think Melbourne voters today have endorsed a local member in Jennifer Kanis, who won’t just be a commentator, a spectator, but someone who can deliver real things.
“It’s been a long and difficult campaign but I think we’re going to pull a victory out of it.”
Ms Kanis said she was exhausted but she would continue working hard, hopefully as the local member.
Federal Melbourne MP Adam Bandt said the Greens had achieved their highest primary vote in a Victorian election.
“Melbourne has turned Green,” he told the Greens’ camp in North Melbourne.
“If we don’t win it tonight we’re coming back in 2014 and we’ll win it then.”
Ms Oke said it had been a positive campaign and the result was too close to call.
Mr Andrews dismissed Greens’ suggestions Labor had only won off the back of conservative preferences.
“This is not the United Kingdom, we have a system and the system means that preferences matter,” he said.
“Parties don’t determine preferences, voters do when they mark their ballot papers.”
Counting of postal votes and early votes began on Saturday night but further postal votes are expected to arrive from across the state next week. Counting will continue on Monday.
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