It might need been the shock packet of the evening, however Labor picked up as early as January that it had a sniff in Dickson.
Early within the night – hours earlier than Anthony Albanese raised employees’ rights, housing, gender equality, childcare, the NDIS and Indigenous reconciliation because the priorities of his second-term Labor authorities – the hundreds-strong crowd at his election evening social gathering grew round-eyed as outcomes from Dickson began pouring in on the tv screens.
Amid sudden giant swings in seats Labor had barely talked about within the marketing campaign – Banks, Hughes and Bonner – the gang turned agog as large numbers began going their approach in Dickson.
Individuals within the room remembered that Dutton had trailed early in 2022, earlier than coming again to win. In 2025, Labor individuals had briefly whispered about taking Dickson, with a serious marketing campaign effort and critical heavy-hitters deployed there for quite a few visits – however late within the piece, expectations have been tamped down.
Because the ABC’s Antony Inexperienced referred to as Ali France to win over Dutton, a cheer erupted from the Labor red-shirted trustworthy that was practically as raucous and joyful as when the veteran psephologist referred to as the election itself for Albanese.
Labor had been optimistic about holding on to authorities, whether or not in slight minority or majority, however the size of victory – that will but continue to grow – shocked even some pollsters within the room. Seats fell like dominoes. The Coalition, already partially hollowed out after 2022, is decreased to a shell; protected seats cannoned to Labor, the average wing of the social gathering decimated, Dutton dropping not solely the election however his job.
“Today, the Australian people have voted for Australian values. For fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all,” Albanese bellowed to the room of supporters, elevating his fingers in triumph. “For the strength to show courage in adversity and kindness to those in need.”
‘We’re going to be happier quickly’
Labor individuals screamed as seats have been referred to as. The likes of Bennelong, a razor-thin seat that had been marked as notionally Liberal after a boundary redistribution, was returned to Jerome Laxale by a commanding 60-40 margin; Bridget Archer, the favored Liberal average, ejected from Bass; Anne Urquhart, the Labor senator who chanced her arm by operating for the protected Liberal seat of Braddon, helped wipe out the Coalition from Tasmania; Deakin, Bonner, Forde, Menzies, the kind of Liberal seats Labor hadn’t actually talked up, projected to maintain falling their approach.
Seats held in opposition to stiff challenges that Dutton had focused together with his cost-of-living pitch – Gilmore, Hawke, Hunter, McEwen, Lyons, Paterson and Shortland – all did not fall. Most got here again to Labor with elevated margins.
On the stage, hours earlier than the outcome was referred to as, a technical coordinator gave a short rundown of some logistics for the evening. Starting her remarks and making an attempt to get the gang’s consideration, she jokes that individuals are already feeling joyful, “I’ve got a funny feeling we’re going to be happier soon tonight.”
Labor individuals had briefed out in latest days that Dutton was extra unpopular than Morrison – significantly in key Tasmanian seats – and that an elevated majority was on the playing cards.
One senior Labor supply says the social gathering had knowledge from early this yr that Labor might take Dickson. That effort was hidden in plain sight, Albanese visiting Dutton’s seat on the primary and final days of his election marketing campaign. In an interview with Guardian Australia final month, we requested if he was simply making an attempt to “troll” Dutton.
“We’re very serious about it,” he informed us.
‘A man who shows what real strength is’
Within the room, Labor individuals hugged, screamed, danced and cried. “It’s time” shirts have been a standard characteristic; as have been towering pyramids constructed of cans of “Albo Ale”.
Albanese sipped from a glass of water as he gave his speech, laden with references to “Australian values”, “kindness”, saying Australians had “chosen optimism and determination”. The direct comparisons didn’t need to be made, individuals knew what he meant.
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Labor individuals put it all the way down to Dutton’s unfavourable marketing campaign, his tradition wars, his lack of constructive imaginative and prescient for the nation, his confused and complicated coverage providing. When Dutton’s concession speech was broadcast to a quiet room, a whole lot within the crowd waved their fingers in mock goodbye to the Liberal chief.
When Penny Wong got here on stage after Dutton’s speech, she referenced “our 26 million people from more than 300 ancestries”, and Australia’s Indigenous historical past.
She described Albanese as “a man who shows what real strength is. A man of courage, a man of compassion. A leader with the conviction of who we are.”
By the point of Albanese’s remarks, the gang was delirious. His dialogue of “the Australian way”, of centring progressive values of equality and fairness, and recommitting to renewable vitality and reconciliation, set the stage for what a second-term Labor authorities will seem like.
Albanese didn’t make new coverage guarantees tonight. Labor’s current coverage slate, whereas decried by some as humble, will take time to implement. Persevering with the vitality transition, making certain the central housing insurance policies truly construct some homes, and persevering with work towards closing the hole on Indigenous life outcomes, will take sufficient effort and time.
There was no promise or dedication, as there had been in 2022, to implement the Uluru assertion from the guts; as a substitute, a dedication to “reconciliation” was the closest Albanese got here. Jim Chalmers, talking afterward the ABC, stated Labor approached its second time period with “humility”; Albanese spoke of Australia turning a nook, hinting at higher days forward.
Returned with an elevated majority, Albanese enters a lofty pantheon of Australian politicians. He claims a chunk of historical past, the primary PM re-elected since John Howard; he’ll grow to be, in his second time period, one of many greatest heroes within the Labor mythology.
Albanese turns into arguably probably the most influential political determine since Howard, with a mandate for his insurance policies, and a possibility to mattress down the reforms of his first time period and to take his Labor mission additional, with newer and bolder reforms.
It’s unclear the place the Senate will sit. Regardless of the Greens going backwards within the Home of Representatives, Albanese will probably nonetheless have to barter with minor events within the higher home – however Albanese will probably take pleasure in one of the vital progressive parliaments ever.
His place in historical past might be determined by how he makes use of these numbers delivered to him by Australians tonight.
