One of the last seats to be called in the Victorian election sees Legislative Council member Lee Tarlamis likely to be pipped at the post as a Labor representative for the South East Metropolitan Region.
Of the five SE Metro seats, two a piece will go to to Labor and the Liberals, with the fifth almost certainly falling either to the Greens of the Australian Sex Party.
Mr Tarlamis told Neos Kosmos on Thursday: “Whilst the count isn’t finalised, and below the line votes are flowing in my favour, I believe it will be difficult for me to retain the seat on behalf of Labor”.
Elected in 2010, Mr Tarlamis is a former staffer for Daniel Andrews.
Helped by complex preference swaps, the Shooters and Fishers Party, the Democratic Labour Party, Australian Country Alliance and Sex Party are close to being elected into the Victorian upper house, despite some scoring less than three per cent of primary votes in their regions.
Labor are on track to win only 13 upper house seats, meaning micro-parties and the Greens will hold the balance of power,
The final outcome of the upper house preference flows will not be known until December 17.