King has been returned at the 2016 election with an estimated increase of 2.9 per cent of the vote. She now holds the seat with a margin of almost 7 per cent.

In an election that has turned out to be much tighter than even the already close context predicted, Ms King says that the altered demographic of Ballarat has helped Labor build a stronger base in the electorate, but that it remained a job for the local member to be a strong representative.

“I think that there’s absolutely no doubt that the damage has been done over the course of the past two-and-a-half years nationally in health has been one of the biggest issues here in this district,” says Ms King.

“I think people have seen it first hand and they understand that. They’ve seen the difference of what’s happening.”

Among a throng of supporters and Labor members at Ballarat Trades Hall, Ms King took to the stage to thank her family, staff and the supporters who worked the booths, door-knocked and made telephone calls in the cold weather of the past week.

Large television screens relayed the national results coming into the AEC tally room to an attentive and increasingly excited crowd of Labor fans, as the results pointed to a much tighter result than expected.

Ms King said that jobs and education were other issues that she felt Ballarat voters were concerned about, as well as leadership issues with the Coalition. She says she hopes to talk to CFA members about their concerns when she returns to Parliament.

This is the sixth time Ms King has won the seat. She has now held Ballarat for 15 years.

“Nationally I don't think the party could have asked more of Bill Shorten… when you think of where we were back in December, when people had basically written us off - to come this close is a pretty extraordinary effort.”