Labor has secured a second term in government, claiming victory in the federal election in a repudiation of Peter Dutton’s leadership.
While the vote count is still too early to determine how many seats Labor will pick up, it is the only party able to form a government, as the coalition’s vote plummets.
With the victory, Anthony Albanese has become the first prime minister since John Howard to win back-to-back elections.
Labor has had a surge in support in marginal seats in Queensland and Tasmania, while also gaining ground in Victoria, a traditionally strong state for the party.
Labor is ahead in Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson in Queensland, with projections he will be booted from parliament after 24 years in federal politics.
It’s also projected Labor will take the seats of Bonner in Queensland and Bass in Tasmania from the coalition.
The Albanese government had also had an uptick in votes in battleground seats such as Gilmore on the NSW south coast.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said voters had comprehensively rejected the policies of the coalition under Mr Dutton’s leadership.
“The nuclear stuff was bad for Peter Dutton. He made an egregious error on the Sunday night of the final week, saying he would be comfortable having a nuclear reactor in his suburb,” he told ABC.
Dr Chalmers said the prime minister was set to enter the pantheon of Labor heroes with the election win.
But coalition senator James McGrath has brushed off concern the results were on track to be one of the worst performances for the opposition at an election.
“It is going to be tough, it is going to be very tough … we have to wait until the numbers come in,” he told ABC TV.
Mr Albanese watched the results come in from Sydney, with Labor holding its election night function at the Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL, the same location of its 2022 victory party.
Mr Dutton is spending election night in his home city of Brisbane, as the coalition has its official function at the W Hotel.
Greens leader Adam Bandt was holding his election night in Melbourne, but the party is also set to go backwards with the seats it holds in Queensland.
Coalition campaign spokesman James Paterson admitted anger from voters against US President Donald Trump had been a drag on support for right-wing parties.
“One fact I think we can all acknowledge and recognise is the Donald Trump factor. It was devastating in Canada for the Conservatives where the Canadian Conservative leader lost 20 points over the course of a few months,” he told ABC, referring to the country’s recent election.
“That has been a factor here.”
