McKew claims victory in Bennelong
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22852311-29277,00.html?from=public_rss

December 01, 2007 09:36am
Article from: AAP

A WEEK after voters went to the polls, Labor star recruit Maxine McKew has officially claimed the Sydney seat of Bennelong, making history as the person who knocked off prime minister John Howard in his own electorate.

Despite leading Mr Howard from the outset, Ms McKew has been reluctant to claim Bennelong, saying it was too close to call.

Today in Sydney the former ABC journalist and now parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet finally claimed Bennelong as a Labor seat - the first time it has been out of Liberal hands since it was established in 1949.

"One week after the polls opened I can now say that in Bennelong we are 2100 votes ahead, we have 51.25 per cent of the two party vote, so we are comfortably ahead," Ms McKew said at Gladesville Public School.

"I can formally say that Bennelong is now a Labor seat for the first time."

Mr Howard is only the second sitting prime minister to have lost his seat, after Stanley Bruce was defeated in 1929.