How Anthony Albanese became prime minister despite lower primary vote for Labor than 2019 election

Anthony Albanese has led Labor to a federal election victory with a lower primary vote than the party recorded in its 2019 defeat.

With 66 per cent of primary votes counted across Australia, Labor wins 32 per cent of primary votes to the Coalition’s 35 per cent.

The Greens won 12.9 percent of the vote in the primaries and the Independents 5.5 percent.

Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party has won 4.2 per cent, while Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has 4.9 per cent and the Liberal Democrats 1.7 per cent.

In 2019, Labor Party and then-leader Bill Shorten was defeated with 33.34 percent of the vote in the primaries.

The main changes in this year’s election results are a swing towards the Greens, who have seen a rise in popularity from 10.4 per cent in 2019 with preferences towards the Labor Party.

Independents have also seen a wave of support from 3.37 percent in 2019.

This is largely courtesy of the 22 ‘independent’ candidates who set out to snatch votes from leading Liberal seats by offering a focus on climate policy.

Six of them won seats in Sydney and Melbourne at the expense of the Liberals.

One of the LNP’s senior remaining moderates, Simon Birmingham, said on Sunday morning he hoped the party could attract more women following Scott Morrison’s resignation on Saturday night.

“I will be keeping an eye on whoever takes on that role (of party leader) to ensure we bring more women into the Liberal fold so we can ensure our party reflects modern Australia in its ranks,” she said.

Independent independent Dai Le is also seeking to knock out Labor home affairs minister Kristina Keneally in the seat of Fowler where she was parachuted in.

The former New South Wales premier moved from Scotland Island on Sydney’s northern beaches to Fowler before the election and said she would stay there if she lost.

While she has not admitted defeat in the seat, Senator Keneally praised her opponent’s campaign on Saturday night.

‘I know we are here tonight to celebrate, and yet as we are gathered here tonight, the outcome in Fowler is still not entirely clear, and I want to congratulate Dai Le and Courtney Nguyen for the campaigns they ran,’ she said. .

A 1.89 per cent swing was also for One Nation in 2022, with Pauline Hanson set to take her Queensland Senate seat.

In the Lower House, the Greens won three seats in Queensland to join leader Adam Bandt in Melbourne, where they won 52 per cent of the primary vote, ahead of Labor on 25 per cent.

The Greens will pick up Labor’s Teri Butler’s Griffith and Liberal Julian Simmonds’ Ryan in the so-called “green slide” and are ahead in Brisbane.

While Albanese’s appointment as prime minister is almost certain, it is less clear whether Labor will be able to govern in its own right or whether it will need the help of an expanded cross-party group.

The cross-party group is looking to double its size and Labor may have to work with the Greens or Independents.

Speaking to almost 1,000 party faithful at Labor’s election night event in Sydney’s inner west, Albanese said he was honored by the victory.

“No matter how you voted… the government I lead will respect each and every one of you every day,” he told the crowd.

“We can have an even better future if we take advantage of the opportunities before us.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, leader of the Aotearoa Labor Party, said she looked forward to working with her new Australian counterpart.

“Australia is our most important partner, our only official ally and our only economic market relationship, and I believe our countries will work even more closely,” he said.