Mr Ed Cocks is set to replace Mrs Giulia Jones in the ACT Legislative Assembly, the ACT Electoral Commissioner, Mr Damian Cantwell AM CSC announced today.

The names of the candidates who applied to contest the vacancy were as follows:

• Fiona Carrick (Independent)
• Ed Cocks (Canberra Liberals)
• Stephen Lin (Canberra Progressives)
• Amardeep Singh (Canberra Liberals)
• Sarah Suine (Canberra Liberals)
• Brendan Whyte (Independent)

The result of the countback, to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Mrs Jones from the ACT Legislative Assembly, is available from the Elections ACT website www.elections.act.gov.au.

The Canberra Liberals candidate for Murrumbidgee, Mr Cocks received a majority of preferences after Mrs Jones’ votes were distributed by computer count this afternoon.

The scrutiny tables set out the result of the count, showing at Table I the result of the distribution of the ballot papers, and showing at Table II the result in terms of the number of votes those ballots papers represent.

The computer count, which started shortly after 12:30 pm today, was completed in a few minutes.  By contrast, the last time a manual count was undertaken to fill a casual vacancy in the Assembly – the 2001 recount following the resignation of Mrs Kate Carnell – the count took two days to complete.

It is expected that Mr Cocks will be officially declared elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly on 22 June at 3:00 pm by the ACT Electoral Commissioner, Mr Damian Cantwell AM CSC.

Media and the public are invited to attend the declaration of the poll, however attendance is subject to Covid Safe provisions. This event will take place at the ACT Legislative Assembly, 196 London Circuit, Civic Square, Canberra City.