Millicent Spencer
Reason Party Leader Fiona Patten has conceded her upper house seat of Northern Metropolitan.
The Victorian Electoral Commission is set to calculate the upper house results on Wednesday – but Ms Patten currently holds just 3.6 per cent of first-preference votes while her main competitor Adem Somyurek holds 4.8 per cent.
Ms Patten has held the seat for eight years and said the result was “disappointing”.
“It’s been such an uplifting, enlightening privilege to serve the voters of this vast and diverse population, and to have achieved progressive change,” she said.
“I certainly won’t die wondering.”
Ms Patten said she was proud of the legislative changes her team achieved including passing assisted dying legislation, extending protection for minors in state care, legislating exclusion zones around abortion clinics, and advocating for drug law reforms by pushing for medically supervised injecting rooms.
“Politics and public policy have always been for me about evidence and first principles including equality of opportunity, accountability, transparency, effectiveness, and compassion,” she said.
“These are the things I think about most when I reflect on my involvement in the Parliament.
“Victoria now leads the nation in progressive politics and with assisted dying and safe access zones in particular, has initiated national change.”
Ms Patten said her biggest regret was failing to get the legalisation of cannabis and the bill to outlaw preference harvesting over the line.
Ms Patten said she leaves the incoming parliament with “some homework”.
“The government made a number of commitments to me that I call on the 60th parliament to make sure they keep their word on,” she said.
“They committed to change the recital of the lord’s prayer with a more secular and inclusive approach.
“They committed to review caps on electoral expenditure [and] they committed to establish a portfolio to end loneliness.”
Ms Patten said she also would like to see the government respond to the three inquiries from the Legal and Social Issues Committee which she chaired from 2018 – 2022, including the Inquiry into the Criminal Justice System, the Inquiry into the Use of Cannabis, and the Inquiry into Homelessness
“There is much unfinished business I am still passionate about and for which I will continue to advocate,” she said.
“I’ll pick myself up (after a bit of rest, recovery, and a short course in chemo) and will continue to fight for decent change, in one way or another, as I always have.”
As Ms Patten departs from her seat, former Labor MP, now Democratic Labor Party candidate, Adem Somyurek is predicted to take the seat.
Mr Somyurek was contacted but declined to comment on Patten’s concession, instead referring Star Weekly to his tweet.
“Whilst it’s gracious of candidates to concede before the counting is concluded I’d urge caution. LC [Legislative Council] counts are complex,” Mr Somyurek wrote.
“Every point of elimination may throw up surprises which change the dynamic of a count.
“I’ll wait till the button is pressed before I claim victory.”
