Mr Hastie told reporters after Mr Turnbull’s victory that he supported the new leader and did not think the leadership turmoil would have an impact on his election chances.
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Just after 9.20pm on Saturday – wth a little mor than 61 per cent of votes counted – Mr Hastie had a two-party preferred vote of 55 per cent of compared to Labor candidate Matt Keogh with 44 per cent.
Mr Hastie and his wife Ruth plan to buy a house in the electorate to raise their baby Jonathan, but he will have to campaign again next year at the federal election.
Mr Keogh would not say if he would move out of the area if he lost the by-election or whether he would run for the seat of Burt, which will apply from the next federal election and take in parts of Canning and Hasluck.
Former SAS captain Andrew Hastie celebrated his victory with breakfast with his family on Sunday, reaffirming his promise to create a taskforce to tackle the drug ice within 30 days of being sworn in.
He also paid tribute to Mr Randall in his speech.
“This is a decision about Andrew Hastie versus the other candidates”.
“And as an apprentice of politics myself I have learnt what it is to be a member of parliament through the life’s work of Don Randall”.
Opinion polls taken before Abbott’s ouster indicated the Liberals would hold Canning, albeit with a greatly reduced margin — amid public discontent with a government marred by internal divisions and slowing economic growth.
“I have learnt many lessons from him from his service and leadership”.
Speaking on the Ten Network, Social Services Minister Scott Morrison dismissed talk of a leadership change as “incessant insider speculation” and said he knew nothing of it.
“It’s about a by-election to replace a very popular member, who, sadly, died”.
“It’s a better result than we would have expected at the beginning of the campaign”, he said. “And that’s what we’re aiming to do”.
Labor’s primary vote gains came mainly at the expense of the Liberals and Palmer United, who benefited from drawing the top square on the ballot paper.
A lawyer by trade, Mr Keogh grew up in Canning however, was unable to vote in the byelection because he hasn’t lived in the electorate long enough.
“And I’m hoping that today if I’m elected I’ll be able to fight for the people of Canning”.
Labor leader Bill Shorten was content with the swing.
The story Canning byelection: Liberal candidate Andrew Hastie wins as Matt Keogh concedes first appeared on The Sydney Morning Herald.
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The by-election was triggered by the sudden death of Don Randall, who suffered a suspected heart attack in July while visiting his constituents in Boddington.
