Surrounded by an office full of supporters, the erstwhile 71-year-old MP was riding the crest of a 3.14 per cent swing back to him (two candidate preferred) with 80 per cent of the vote counted. Saturday's result has shored up an 8.5 per cent margin in Hume, making it a tough ask for any opponent.

Mr Schultz won 40,235 primary votes, or 53.58pc, to Labor's 24,522 (32.6pc), placing his margin back at 2001 levels going into his fifth term. He scored a 13pc increase in primary votes.

Asked whether this would be his final term, Mr Schultz would not commit.

"Who knows?" he said.

"I'm fit and as I say to my opponents, 'catch me if you can.'"

He said he's been asked many times whether he'd serve his full term, but it was a non-issue. "God willing", he would do so and he had not even thought about canvassing successors.

Mr Schultz praised Liberal leader Tony Abbott and the way he had captured voters. While there was plenty of counting still to come he was hopeful of a national Coalition victory.

He also fired a salvo at the "grubby" Labor Party campaign. Mr Schultz described as "reprehensible" a protest by Bob Stephens, husband of Senator Ursula Stephens, about his presence at Ss Peter and Paul's school library and hall opening on Friday.