NATIONALS candidate for Calare Andrew Gee has retained his seat of Calare at Saturday's federal election as his Coalition party claimed an unexpected victory.
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He said his focus now will be on pushing for projects including more health facilities in the electorate.
"I have a lot of local projects I am keen to get off the ground," he said after an emphatic win in the federal seat on Saturday night.
"It's issues like greater funding for aged care facilities. It's something I'm very passionate about. There are a number of others."
In a statement Mr Gee said he had several key objectives.
"The issues that I want to work on over the next term of government include continuing drought relief, a community legal centre for the Calare electorate and even more local road funding for projects..." he said.
"[Also], more capital funding for our aged care facilities, making the Family Court cheaper and easier to use, funding for local water security projects, better road and rail links to Sydney, continuing to clear up mobile phone black spots and a range of other local infrastructure projects right around the electorate."
On the local front, Canowindra voters gave 52.82 per cent of their first preference votes to Mr Gee and The Nationals, despite a 12 per cent swing against the incumbent member.
There was a 22 per cent swing towards Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Sam Romano, who received 22.65 per cent of first preference votes.
Despite a war of words with Mr Gee, Jess Jennings placed third with 134 or 12.59 per cent of first preference votes at Canowindra's booth.
The Liberal Democrats' Stephen Bisgrove placed fourth with 4.51 per cent of the vote, ahead of Greens' candidate Stephanie Luke.
Shuyi Chen for the Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) and Beverly T Cameron from the United Australia Party received 1.88 per cent and 1.69 per cent of the vote respectively.
Mr Gee outscored his opponents at all of the 96 booths in Calare except for one in Dr Jennings' home city of Bathurst and one in Lithgow, both won by Dr Jennings, plus a booth at the Sydney Town Hall which only had 20 voters but Mr Gee was narrowly beaten by Greens' candidate Stephanie Luke.
