Labor totally smashed it in the federal election! Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is all set to lead the government with a huge majority after the Coalition and Peter Dutton had a rough night. Labor was declared the winner by 9News less than half an hour after the polls closed in Western Australia. They scored one of their biggest victories ever, with a whopping 90 seats projected by Nine at 11 pm.
Political editor Charles Croucher confidently stated, “Nine projects the election is won by Labor. The Liberal Party and the Coalition have no chance. Albo is getting another shot, and Labor is taking the win.” Peter Dutton even conceded defeat, losing both the election and his own seat of Dickson to Labor. Tough break, mate.
Albanese, the first PM to be re-elected after serving a full term since John Howard in 2004, was over the moon about the result. He saw it as proof of his well-run campaign and the success of the last three years of Labor government. He gave a heartfelt victory speech, tearing up as he thanked the Australian people for voting for fairness, opportunity, courage, and kindness.
The Coalition had no shot from the start, unable to get the swings needed to secure key seats for government. Labor, on the other hand, was on fire, gaining significant swings all over the country from Leichhardt to Bennelong to Bass. With over half the vote counted, Labor’s primary vote was at 34.67% – a solid swing of over 2%. The Coalition, on the other hand, was struggling at under 31%, a drop of more than 4% from the last election. Ouch.
But wait, there’s more! More than a third of the country didn’t stick with the major parties, opting instead for the Greens, independents, and other minor parties. The blue vs. red showdown is a thing of the past, according to Nine’s national affairs editor Andrew Probyn. The Greens, however, had a rough night, losing all three inner-Brisbane seats they won in 2022. Even Adam Bandt’s once-safe seat of Melbourne is too close to call with over 50% of the vote in.
Albanese really hit the nail on the head when he talked about Australians choosing optimism and determination in the face of global challenges. It’s a tough world out there, and it looks like Aussies are ready to tackle whatever comes their way. Bring it on!