Labor claimed victory and the Liberals conceded defeat in an “extraordinary” by-election victory in Aston, previously a safe Liberal seat held by former cabinet minister Alan Tudge.
Liberal candidate Rochina Campbell called Labor’s Mary Doyle to congratulate her on the victory just before 9pm after it became clear there was no way to undo the huge swing against the Coalition.
ABC political analyst Anthony Green had earlier called the Melbourne seat for Labour at 8.17pm after polling figures revealed voters had turned against Peter Dutton’s opposition in unprecedented numbers.
If the result is confirmed, it would be the first time in over a century that a federal government has claimed victory in a by-election in a previously opposition-held seat.
“This is a terrible result for the Liberals,” Green said as he called for Labor. “It is extraordinary.”
Labor’s Mary Doyle (pictured with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marlies) scored a historic victory at the Aston by-election, taking the seat from the Liberals and breaking 100 years.
Liberal candidate Rochina Campbell (pictured with Leader Peter Dutton) called Labor’s Mary Doyle to congratulate her on the victory just before 9pm after it became clear there was no way back from the huge swing against the Coalition
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the victory in a statement at 8.44pm and said he had called Ms Doyle to congratulate the mother-of-three on her historic win.
In two-party preference, Labor took 53.45 per cent of the vote while the Liberals took 46.55 per cent with a swing of 6.3 per cent that not even Labor supporters expected.
“Aston was painted red from start to finish,” Green said on ABC. “This is just an extraordinary result.”
Doyle gained 7.3 percent from the party’s big swing in the federal election in May last year, but retired Rep. Alan Tudge still held the seat by a margin of 2.8 percent.
Former minister Mr Tudge vacated the previously safe Eastern Suburbs seat when he retired in February, forcing Saturday’s by-election and giving Doyle a second run to victory.
While the count went on, Doyle was declared the winner on Saturday with an unassailable lead.
Premier Anthony Albanese (pictured with Mary Doyle) told the Tasmanian 120th Anniversary Dinner that he had spoken to Mrs Doyle and congratulated her on the historic win.
She celebrated the upset victory – which caught Prime Minister Anthony Albanese by surprise, who was in Tasmania when the result became clear – with cheering supporters at a Labor party gala.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marliss paid tribute to her achievement and told campaign staff: ‘There are precious few moments when you are in the presence of history.
“So soak it!”
He added: “Tonight is a huge endorsement of our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Albu is a great man. I know that and the Australian people know him too.”
The Prime Minister told the Tasmanian 120th Anniversary Dinner he was attending that he had spoken to Ms Doyle and congratulated her on the historic win. He will return to Melbourne on Sunday morning.
Mrs. Doyle was so attacked by fans of supporters that Mr. Marlies introduced her to an audience at Melbourne’s Boronia Bulls Club as Mary Doyle’s MP.
She said, “Wow.” ‘you guys. amazing. I’m Mary Doyle – you know, I like to be humble. I’m a suburban mom, and as of tonight, I’ll be the next member of Aston…
I think even the most optimistic of activists knew I was the underdog. What we have been trying to do has not been done for 100 years.
Aston has been a liberal since Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2 U topped the charts in 1990.
“We’re the underdogs—but oh boy, we’ve shown we’ve got big bite.”
The former union official and breast cancer survivor added, “I’ve been blown away by the support. I even wore Billy Bragg in one of my shirts!”
I am so grateful to everyone here tonight.
Finally, I want to thank the man who, like me, was raised Catholic and raised in public housing and also had excellent taste in music, the 31st Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese.
Anthony leads a government that Australians can be truly proud of, one that has hit the ground running trying to fix a decade of problems, neglect, planning and deceit from the Coalition.
“A man with whom I am proud to have made more than 100 years of history.”
Former union official and breast cancer survivor Mary Doyle (pictured) wins the seat previously held by Liberal Cabinet Minister Alan Tudge, a dramatic shift for Labour.
Jubilant Labor supporters (pictured) celebrated the historic surprise post-election job win for newly elected MP and mother-of-three Mary Doyle
Liberal Leader Peter Dutton, flanked by Campbell, admitted it had been a “tough night” at the post-election job in Melbourne.
“We will grow stronger from today’s experience and we will work towards the next election to make sure we are in a much better and stronger position,” said the party faithful.
“I would like to congratulate Mary Doyle and the Labor Party on their success tonight.”
But he warned: “We will rebuild and we will never surrender.”
Disappointed, Campbell — whose campaign has focused on the rising cost of living and local infrastructure — said she “should have respected the voters’ decision.”
She added, “Our democracy needs a strong opposition and the time will come, I think soon, when this country needs a strong liberal government.”
She thanked Mr. Dutton for his support “during a very difficult time for our party”.
Liberal supporters were clinging to hope of a major reversal when postal votes were counted and before balloting, but Green said the required swing was too great to be a realistic possibility.
Pre-polling votes managed to narrow the gap slightly but Labor maintained its lead, making it impossible for the Liberals to turn back.
The election was a disastrous result for the Liberals in a vote that was widely seen as a test of Mr Dutton’s leadership.
The election was a disastrous result for the Liberals in a vote that was widely seen as a test of Peter Dutton’s leadership (pictured in Mrs Campbell’s Liberal post)
Dutton later said a personal vote for Alan Tudge had taken the seat in the federal election but conceded: “We’ve got a lot of rebuilding to do.
We must listen to the messages and do the analysis. Labour’s dirty campaign has clearly been working. Tonight was not our night.
I have one test of my leadership and that is whether we can keep the party together for the last 10 months and we have.
“But Victoria is a very difficult market for us since 1998. There are a lot of issues on the ground for us in Victoria.”
Liberal federal MP Keith Woolahan said he had put out an appeal to his party to come together.
He told the ABC: “I think when we fight and that gets to the media, I think Victorians don’t notice it’s ridiculous.”
Mr. Wolahan stood by Mr. Dutton’s leadership, adding, “I’ve seen good and bad leaders in the most trying of circumstances and he has all the qualities of a good leader.”
His comments were supported by fellow Victorian Senator Jane Hume, who said she “couldn’t imagine there would be any mood in the party room for (a change of leader)”.
“There is no doubt that this is a hit but he is a leader with a strong team behind him,” she told the ABC.
By the end of the evening, with 71 percent of the vote counted, Doyle had 41.1 percent to Campbell’s 38.2 percent with the Labor vote up 8 percent.
In the two-party favored count, the swing to Labor was 6.6 per cent with Labor at 53.8 per cent to the Liberals at 46.2 per cent.
