25 year veteran Queensland Senator for The Nationals, Ron Boswell, was today officially declared the winner of the 5th Senate position in Queensland following the close of counting for the half Senate election held on the 24th of November 2007. Senator Boswell said that he felt incredibly privileged to have been elected for an 7th term in the Senate representing the people of Queensland. During the campaign, I admitted to being one of the best worriers in the Coalition, I can now stop worrying, at least for a few days. I am very pleased and humbled by the result, Senator Boswell said. We ran a strong Senate campaign for The Nationals on a joint Coalition Senate ticket with the Liberal Party, and the result speaks for itself. The strong outcome for The Nationals in gaining the 5th Senate position out of 6 represents a vindication of the decision to run a tight, united ticket with our Liberals partners. I have been in the Senate now for around 25 years, and although I have now officially stepped back from the leadership of the Partys Senate team, I still have much to offer my new Leader, Senator Nigel Scullion, as the Deputy Leader. My focus will now be on working to ensure the best possible outcomes for our Partys constituency in the regions, in small business and in Australian families throughout the country, representing their interests, their values and their aspirations as we move forward. I would like to take this opportunity to especially thank my wife, Leita, and my family, who have put up with my addiction to politics for so many years, and all of my supporters for their help in getting me back to Canberra. Representing Queensland in the Senate is an incredible privilege, and I look forward to continuing to provide the strong representation that Queenslanders expect and deserve, Senator Boswell said. ENDS Media Contact 02 6277 324407 3001 81500428 714 779