Once might have been an accident, Andrew Wilkie says, but there was no luck in his election to the seat of Denison for the second time.
Mr Wilkie declared victory in the Hobart-based seat shortly after 8.30pm (AEST), saying he'd out-campaigned political parties large and small.
The one-time Iraq war whistleblower leapfrogged from third spot and 21 per cent of the vote to win the seat due to preferences in 2010, but he had hit 38 per cent with more than 70 per cent of the vote counted on Saturday night.
With Labor preferences flowing his way, despite the party's how-to-vote card putting the Liberals ahead of him, the seat was his.
"It might be said (Labor) lost it by accident the first time, but this time they lost it because they were out-campaigned, and they lost the community," he told AAP at the Battery Point pub where he celebrated the win.
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"The overarching thing was people were sick to death of politics, politicians and political parties.
"They're sick to death of toxic politics, nasty politics, dishonest politics."
They were also overjoyed with the $1 billion Mr Wilkie brought to the electorate during his time of influence in the hung parliament.
He says he will still wield influence despite the coalition's lower house majority.
"They might think they've got the numbers and they can ignore me," he said.
"But they need to be very careful because history shows that a competent independent can wield quite a bit of influence in Canberra and I will be a very loud voice holding the government to account."
The independent beat a strong campaign from Labor's Jane Austin, Liberal Tanya Denison and the Greens' Anna Reynolds in a seat Labor held for 23 years before 2010.
"Some people might argue I've become a professional politician, but I hope I never do become a professional politician," he said.
