Keith Wolahan, the ousted one-term Liberal member of parliament representing Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, has urged his party to prioritize the needs of city dwellers following a significant defeat in both Victorian and national elections.
Mr Wolahan, who retained one of the party’s limited seats in metropolitan Melbourne, has been defeated.
Menzies
to Labor's Gabriel Ng.
“It was evident that our party faces challenges among residents of urban Australia, where the majority of the population resides,” he said during the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday.
We must focus our minds on this as never before.
[Menzies result]
Mr Wolohan stated that maintaining the seat for three years was the highlight of his life, though he refrained from formally conceding defeat.
The Liberal Party now holds only a few seats throughout the Melbourne area, as opposition leader Peter Dutton’s attempt to win over votes from outer suburban Victorians did not succeed.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decisive electoral win on Saturday evening
has resulted in Labor gains nationwide, particularly noticeable in Victoria, where the Liberal Party was anticipating strong electoral success.
Mr Wolohan emphasized that we should recognize the cities we currently inhabit, rather than those we once lived in or believe ourselves to be living in.
Given the shortage of metropolitan representatives in the party room, I believe we should rely on our rural and regional colleagues—whom I hold in high regard and whose work I greatly appreciate—for their insights into life as city dwellers.
One shouldn't rely solely on their perceptions; instead, they should consider the viewpoint of others.
Mr Wolahan expressed his hope that the Liberal Party's electoral review would be both "thorough" and "detailed."
Another significant surprise for the Liberals has taken place in the eastern Melbourne constituency of
Deakin
Where MP Michael Sukkar has lost his seat due to a swing of over 4 percent to Labor's Matt Gregg.
[Deakin results]
The Liberal Party is likewise encountering letdown in the electorate of
Aston
in Melbourne's east.
The previously secure Liberal constituency unexpectedly went red as Labor’s Mary Doyle emerged victorious in the 2023 by-election, and it seems she has repeated her success this time around, with Liberal candidate Manny Cicchiello lagging behind.
[Aston results]
In
Kooyong
in the city's inner east, teal independent Monique Ryan appears to have retained her seat following a tough contest against first-time Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer.
On Sunday, Dr Ryan stated that we basically have a gutted opposition. Therefore, it's crucial now more than ever that the crossbenchers step up to ensure the government addresses the issues our communities care about.
Ms Hamer has not admitted defeat just yet, which Dr Ryan described as "totally understandable" considering the significant number of postal votes still awaiting tallying.
[Kooyong results]
Liberal member of parliament representing the electorate of
Wannon
In the western part of the state, Dan Tehan stated on Saturday night that his party needed to conduct an extensive review of all that has happened.
Mr Tehan maintaining his hold over his large electorate stands as one of the few victories for the Coalition following the election results. Other successes include Liberal Members of Parliament keeping their respective seats such as
La Trobe
and
Casey
also, with the Nationals securing victories in rural constituencies like
Gippsland
,
Mallee
and
Nicholls
.
Victorian seats in doubt
The seat of
Wills
In Melbourne’s northern region, the race remains closely contested with Labor's Peter Khalil currently ahead.
The Greens had high hopes of securing the seat thanks to the prominence of their former Victorian leader, Samantha Ratnam.
[Wills results]
The neighbouring seat of
Melbourne
is still too close to predict because of a shift toward the Labor Party.
In Melbourne, Green Party representative Adam Bandt from the seat of Bourke appears to be leading over Labor candidate Sarah Witty as approximately two-thirds of the ballots have been tallied so far.
[Melbourne results]
In
Goldstein
In Melbourne’s inner south, incumbent teal independent Member of Parliament Zoe Daniel marked her victory on Saturday evening; however, Liberal opponent Tim Wilson has not yet admitted loss.
[Goldstein results]
"The Liberal Party left nothing untouched in their efforts against us... and we stand here today to celebrate," she said to her supporters, who responded with thunderous applause.
The ABC vote tally suggests that Ms Daniel is poised to win; nevertheless, over 20,000 ballots remain uncounted.
On Sunday, she stated in an announcement that the outcome was "clearly tight" and it would take "a few days" for the result to be validated.
In the seat of
Flinders
In the Mornington Peninsula, the AEC decided to focus on preferences between Liberal MP Zoe McKenzie and independent candidate Ben Smith instead of following the usual Liberal-Labor preference count, with the outcome still hanging in the balance.
Previously, the Liberals held this seat with a 6.2 percent lead.
[Flinders result]
Labor is ahead in
Calwell
In the city’s far northwest, the AEC has decided against its usual Labor-Liberal preferencing strategy, opting for a change due to significant backing for several independent candidates.
In Victoria, there are 15 centers for tallying votes, where the count has restarted on Sunday morning.
The Premier links federal Labor's achievements to state-level matters.
Victoria's Premier Jacinda Allan stated that the election outcomes represented a resounding victory for the wider Labor movement as well as for the country.
She stated that voters acknowledged Labor's emphasis on supporting working families, along with investments in road and rail infrastructure and construction initiatives.
The outcomes from yesterday aren’t due to external factors in Victoria; rather, they stem directly from actions taken within Victoria—such as investments in housing development, the Airport Rail project, and the Suburban Rail Loop. Additionally, these results reflect efforts directed towards enhancing healthcare and educational services for families, along with initiatives aimed at offering substantial assistance with daily living expenses.
Victorians understand this is what we represent, they recognize that federal Labor shares these values as well. They can be assured that with Anthony Albanese and my administration, we will advocate for their interests daily.
But the seat of
Bendigo
—the leader's home city—is generating curiosity as its outcome goes against the general trend in favor of the Labor Party.
A spokesperson for Labor characterized the race as "very tight," indicating that a conclusive outcome wouldn’t be expected before Tuesday.
[Bendigo result]
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