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Anthony Albanese’s Labor government has won the election resoundingly, securing a majority with strong swings around the country, and Peter Dutton has lost his seat of Dickson. By Karen Barlow.

Albanese wins second term as Coalition loses leader

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivers his victory speech.

Credit: Lukas Coch

In a stunning rebuke to the ambitions of the Coalition, the opposition leader Peter Dutton will leave parliament, losing his seat amid a resounding win for the Albanese Labor government.

Labor is on track for a return of majority government, with Anthony Albanese the first leader since John Howard in 2004 to be returned to the office, and the first Labor leader to win a second term since Bob Hawke in the 1980s.

In one of Labor’s biggest ever victories, and with vote counting still under way, Labor scored a swing of 3.7 per cent and is likely to be returned with 86 members.

The Liberal Party went backwards in almost every territory and will be reduced to around 38 members. Not only has it lost the leader, but it’s set to lose potential future leaders.

Labor under Albanese has defied history, extending its majority in a second term.

Albanese emphasised unity in his victory speech.

“My fellow Australians, Australians have chosen the Australian Labor Party as their government,” he told a rapturous Labor crowd. “And our government will choose the Australian way, because we are proud of who we are and all that we have built together in this country.”

“We do not need to beg, or borrow or copy from anywhere else. We do not seek out inspiration overseas.

“We find it right here, in our values and in people tomorrow, we dedicate ourselves to your service. We renew the great responsibility and the opportunity of government and with pride and purpose, optimism and determination, with faith in the fair go and faith in each other. We return to the work of building Australia's future.”

At 10:30pm on election night, Labor was projected to win about 56 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, but this may change as more votes are counted.

Dutton says he takes full responsibility for the loss, and that the Liberal party will rebuild.

“Tonight, it’s an historic occasion for the Labor Party, and we recognise that,” he said in a gracious speech to the party faithful, flanked onstage by his wife and sons.

“I congratulated the prime minister and Jodie and Nathan, all the very best. And I said to the prime minister that his mum would be incredibly proud of his achievement tonight, and he should be very proud of what he's achieved.

“I also had the pleasure of speaking with Ali France, and Ali and I have been combatants for a number of elections now, but she was successful in Dickson tonight, and she will do a good job as a local member.”

The ABC’s chief election analyst Antony Green called the Labor victory at 8:25pm. The Labor primary vote was at 35 per cent as of 9:00pm, while the Coalition was at an historically low 31 per cent.

One Liberal MP described result for the Liberal and Nationals Coalition as “like a bloodbath”, while another tells The Saturday Paper that it “highlights that you should not let Peta Credlin and Tony Abbott run your campaign”.

All of the sitting independents such as Zali Steggall, Zoe Daniel, Kate Chaney and Monique Ryan are on track to retain their seats and there are a number of other possibilities for independents.

An emotional prime minister thanked his opponent Peter Dutton at the end of what he called a “hard fought” campaign.

He said Labor would never forget the trust Australians had placed in the party by voting for majority government.

“We take up this task with new hope, new confidence and new determination,” Albanese told the Labor crowd.

“You because together we are turning the corner, and together we will make our way forward with no one held back and no one left behind you.”

Introduced by Senator Penny Wong and flanked by his fiancée Jodie Haydon and son Nathan, Albanese noted how the election had been buffeted by events overseas, but did not name Donald Trump.

“When we look at everything going on around the world today, when we consider the changes that will shape the future of the global economy, when we think about our people and their smarts and skills, truly, there's nowhere else you’d rather be than right here in Australia.”

Albanese paid particular tribute to the deputy prime minister Richard Marles and Labor national secretary Paul Erickson for an “outstanding campaign”.

Dutton’s loss in Dickson, the most marginal seat in Queensland, will see the Liberal party in immediate search for a new leader. It is expected that Angus Taylor will be among those vying for the top job.

Conservative commentator Andrew Bolt ripped into the Coalition for hiding its best communicators, such as Andrew Hastie and Barnaby Joyce.

“This is a party that lost its guts and lost the election,” he told Sky News.

In some of the night’s remarkable results, the Coalition has not only lost its leader but frontbenchers such as Michael Sukkar and David Coleman, as well as member for Menzies, Keith Wolahan.

Teal candidates held their ground, with Monique Ryan successfully defending her seat of Kooyong against the Liberals’ Amelia Hamer.

The Greens suffered swings against them, and are tracking to lose the Queensland seat of Griffith, held by firebrand member Max Chandler-Mather, to Labor.

After high expectations for months of some form of minority government, Labor’s achievement in securing a majority was better than many in Labor were expecting.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers paid tribute to Albanese on the ABC’s panel.

“Well, my expectation is that to get the result that Anthony is expecting tonight, that he'll serve a full term and run again,” he said.

“I would back that absolutely 100 per cent and I think we make an effective team, and not just Anthony and I, but the whole cabinet, the whole party room.”

The former chief of staff to education minister Jason Clare, Scott Davies, says the result gives Albanese “huge power to do whatever he wants in terms of ministries”.

The result is far worse for the Coalition than the polls and insiders were expecting.

One Liberal MP explained the party’s loss: “choosing to run without proper policy development reflects arrogance”.

“The soul searching should include actually listening to backbench colleagues who may have an idea or two as to what’s actually happening in electorates. And an acknowledgment that Sky After Dark doesn’t reflect real Australia.”

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