Fielding exits Senate




Steve Fielding has not been reelected to the upper house. 

Family First's Steve Fielding is well and truly out of the Victorian Senate race.

Senator Fielding, who came to power on the back of Labor preferences at the 2004 federal election, will not return to the upper house after July 30.

Australian Greens candidate Richard Di Natale will almost certainly replace him, having gained very close to one quota of the votes required to get elected.

More than 547,000 upper house ballot papers in Victoria have been counted so far.

The Coalition has secured two quotas of votes, enough to re-elect Liberal Michael Ronaldson and see the debut of the Nationals' Bridget McKenzie.

Labor has also secured two quotas of votes, shoring up the re-election of Kim Carr and Stephen Conroy.

At this stage, the sixth Victorian Senate seat up for grabs is likely go to the Coalition.