Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips has opened up on the strain of her achieving her goal of being re-elected after securing her third term on the back of a lengthy and draining campaign leading into last Saturday’s election.

Phillips managed to not only hold off Liberal candidate Andrew Constance but secure a swing of just under 5% to Labor as part of the nationwide trend which resulted in Anthony Albanese being returned as Prime Minister with a majority government.

For the 55-year-old Gilmore MP, the slings and arrows of public life in an election campaign are part and parcel of the role but she is relieved it is now over.

“I was just elated,” she said when asked about the moment she realised the seat had been retained last Saturday night.

“I've had an opponent for quite some time, over a year, and I’ve had a lot thrown at me.

“I've just really tried to stay focused on what I've had to do, which is support our communities but everything has been a really big strain on me, personally, so just to know that that part is over is very good for me and my team.”

Phillips, who was contesting her fourth federal election after losing in 2016 and then winning the next three, said she never questioned if it was all worthwhile.

“I always say you would really want to do this role because going through elections is really, really hard,” she said.

“And I do want to do it. The moment I stop enjoying it, I won’t be doing it.”

“There's lots of different things we do as the federal member and it's a big electorate too - it takes in three local government areas, three state members and just to get across that area is huge.”

Phillips was surprised by the overwhelming nature of her victory given the bookmakers had installed Constance as an early favourite before a YouGov poll in the lead-up to the vote indicated that the tide had changed in her favour.

“Honestly I really thought it was going to be close and I had a quietly good feeling on pre-poll but you can never tell so I always like to err on the side of caution so I was pleasantly surprised on the night,” she added.

As polling closed late in the afternoon, Phillips spent some time with her family before joining her small army of Labor faithful to watch as the official results started filtering in.

Now, she says, her priority is to deliver on her promises of strengthening the local economy, alleviating the pressures of the cost of living crisis and helping facilitate Australia’s switch to renewable energy.