Greens still refuse to concede defeat in Mayo
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The Liberal Party's Jamie Briggs is 2,000 votes ahead (ABC News)
There are still about 10,000 votes to be counted in the race for the federal seat of Mayo in South Australia and the Greens are refusing to concede defeat until all votes are counted.
The Australian Electoral Commission has begun tallying pre-poll and postal votes this morning, with Liberal Jamie Briggs 2,000 votes ahead of Greens candidate Lynton Vonow on a two candidate preferred basis.
A spokesman for the Liberal Party says they expect to do well with postal votes, but could lose some of the pre-poll votes to Family First candidate Bob Day and Independent Di Bell.
Mr Briggs claimed victory last night, but the Greens will wait to confirm a loss.
Mr Briggs says Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should lift his game.
"There is a real message in this result for Mr Rudd and that is to lift his game," he said.
However, the Liberals are tracking towards their lowest ever first preference vote in the seat, with a big swing to the Greens' Mr Vonow.
"The Liberal Party now are being seen as not having spoken up for the river, not having spoken up for pensioners," Mr Vonow said.
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan has told Channel Nine the Liberal Party can learn some lessons of its own.
"The heartland of the Liberal Party are absolutely opposed to their economic recklessness in the Senate," he said.
