Election 2019: Helen Haines keeps Indi independent as Cathy McGowan's successor wins
Helen Haines is set to make history by becoming the first independent to succeed another in Federal Parliament, replacing Cathy McGowan in the northern Victorian seat of Indi.
But the former nurse and health researcher would not say whether she would support a Coalition minority government, and indicated action on climate change would be key to winning her support.
Dr Haines fended off a challenge from Liberal Steve Martin to secure 51.6 per cent of the two-party-preferred vote, with 79 per cent of the result counted at midday on Sunday.
She was chosen to represent Ms McGowan's Voices for Indi group in January, after a selection process during which the group's members put several candidates through hours of questioning.
Interviewed on ABC TV on Sunday morning, Dr Haines stopped short of pledging support for a Coalition government, but said her role would be to work with the government of the day.
She nominated an increase to the Newstart allowance and action on climate change, including a target of 50 per cent of all energy coming from renewable sources by 2030, as key issues for her.
Cathy McGowan and Helen Haines were all smiles at the Voices for Indi election night function. (ABC News: Iskhandar Razak)
"What is clear is that our emissions in Australia are still going up and that the policy put forward by the Coalition at this election is not robust enough to address that.
"So I'll be very, very determined to work with the Government, whether it be in minority or majority, to address that in a way that has real impact on climate," she said.
'I want real action on climate'
Dr Haines was one of seven high-profile independent candidates to sign a joint agreement to cooperate on climate policy in the new parliament.
Others to sign the statement included Wentworth's Kerryn Phelps, Clark's Andrew Wilkie and Zali Steggall, who defeated Tony Abbott in the Sydney seat of Warringah.
Dr Haines took her place on an "orange throne" at her election night party. (ABC News: Iskhandar Razak)
She said her opposition to the Adani coal mine — a key election issue in Queensland — would not be swayed by the strong support for the Coalition in that state.
"It was very clear to me, when I was campaigning around Indi, that the young people in particular in Indi were saying no to Adani,"she said.
"But what I would say is that we have to support the people affected by the transition to clean energy … and I believe that Australia is able to do that."
Dr Haines also campaigned on the need for a national rural health strategy and more investment in regional infrastructure.
She said she would hold a Coalition government to account on more than $100 million in projects the Liberal Party promised for Indi during the campaign.
"I will be working very closely now to ensure that every single one of those promises is delivered to the people of Indi," she said.
Indi had been held by conservative parties since the 1930s until Liberal Sophie Mirabella lost it to Ms McGowan, a former Liberal staffer, by 439 votes in 2013.
Dr Haines said it was still too early to make decisions about supporting a Coalition minority government. (ABC News: Iskhandar Razak)