Lui claims Cook but the ALP is not yet over the line

Anxious candidates across the state are awaiting the final counting of postal and absentee votes as ECQ staff work overtime to sort through the backlog.

One Nation, KAP and the LNP are waiting for the final tally to determine how many seats the ALP will have to form a majority.

The ALP has claimed the contentious seat of Cook stretching from Mareeba in the south to the PNG border in the north, however One Nation sources say the counting will not finish until Tuesday night when the final postal votes are counted.

ALP candidate Cunthia Lui’s claim on the seat of Cook is premature with One Nation getting close.

The final postal and absentee numbers will have an impact on preference flows to the One Nation candidate Jen Sackley, who seems set to overtake the lead of the Labor candidate Cynthia Lui.

KAP candidate Gordon Rasmussen said either his preferences or those from the LNP would help One Nation get across the line.

“The staff at the Mareeba ECQ office have been outstanding with the counting and very helpful to scrutineers and I thank them for their great effort,” said Mr Rasmussen.

“Their integrity has never been in question but I am concerned about the reports of suspicious activities on Cape York Peninsula which happens after every election on the Cape.”