Fadden by-election: LNP candidate Cameron Caldwell retains Gold Coast seat as Labor concedes defeat

The LNP has secured a majority of the vote to retain its seat of power in the Fadden electorate months after the opposition suffered a huge blow when it lost the Aston by-election.

The LNP candidate and Gold Coast City councillor, Cameron Caldwell, is likely to claim the majority of the vote and become the next Fadden MP.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the LNP victory shows how much the Sunshine State wants change.

“Earlier this week a Labor senator said that in an election this would be an indication of how the LNP is doing in Queensland,” said Crisafulli.

“In Cameron Caldwell, half of his adult life is devoted to this community.

And at a time when Queenslanders are hurting the cost of living and house prices, the juvenile delinquency crisis, the health and hospital crisis, Queenslanders have never felt so let down by the Labor brand and I spoke loudly.

“But there is a fourth element. Australians have never been more in need of calm, deliberate and stable leadership than at this time and period and in a period of uncertainty. They will look for someone whose equities fit the challenges ahead.

“And today is the first step towards ensuring that Peter Dutton becomes prime minister.”

Labor candidate Letitia Del Fabbro conceded to Mr Caldwell shortly before 8pm on Saturday and called him to congratulate him on his new member of Fadden.

“We knew this was going to be an uphill battle, it sent an important message to the LNP not to take the Gold Coast for granted,” Ms Del Fabbro said.

“I think we can build on this experience to build Labor on the Gold Coast.”

Sky News political analyst Tom Connell called the LNP victory around 7.30pm on Saturday as the party sees a 3.44 per cent swing to Mr Caldwell in a two-candidate projection.

LNP MP Karen Andrews told Sky News she was surprised to see a wave at her party.

“I didn’t think there would be a switch to LNP,” said Ms Andrews.

“I thought we would lose the margin in the primaries, as we have a popular prime minister who now scores higher than in the election.

“I think it’s been a solid result for the LNP.”

Agriculture Secretary Murray Watt said it appears the ALP mood is stable.

“It’s a pretty small swing to LNP… and a very small swing to government,” Watt told Sky News.

“I’m pretty okay with that result. It’s a very solid LNP chair, we’re not going to get cocky about this one.

“I think we know we still have work to do on the cost of living and we plan to do that.”

ABC also confirmed that the LNP is expected to win around 7:50 p.m.

Mr Caldwell does against Labour’s Letitia Del Fabbro, Greens candidate Scott Turner and Sandy Roach of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party.

The LNP had maintained a margin of 10.63 percent on the two-party preference in the last election in 2022.

But when former coalition minister Stuart Robert left federal parliament in May, the by-election for the seat of Fadden, on Queensland’s northern Gold Coast, was triggered.

Mr Robert had said his 16 years in politics ‘have not been smooth sailing’.

The win will come as a relief to LNP supporters after the side sensationally lost its once safe seat to Aston. following Labor’s historic victory in March.

The Labor victory with Mary Doyle marked the first time in a century that a sitting government had claimed an Opposition seat in a by-election.

The AEC recorded 131,340 eligible voters registered at the end of voter rolls for the June 19 Fadden by-election.

Mr Caldwell is now expected to resign from Gold Coast City Council, where he has served as a councilor for more than a decade.

The city’s planning boss will most likely be replaced by the city council, as the next local government election is less than 12 months away, meaning no midterm elections are required in his division.