Liberals in crisis after Josh Frydenberg loses seat in election chaos

The Liberal Party is in crisis with the PM set to be swept from office, the Treasurer losing his seat and only one man left standing as a potential leader.

The Liberal Party is in crisis tonight with Prime Minister Scott Morrison set to be swept from office and the heir apparent to take over the top job, Josh Frydenberg, set to lose his seat.

Mr Frydenberg has all but conceded defeat in the seat of Kooyong declaring he may now get more time to a better dad.

Flanked by his wife Amie, the Treasurer was moved to tears as he paid tribute to his family.

“So while it’s mathematically possible that we win in Kooyong, it’s definitely difficult,’’ he said.

“But while votes are still being counted, I wanted to take this opportunity to be here with Amie to say a few thank yous. Thank you to the people of Kooyong.

“Thank you to the people of Australia. Thank you to my party and to my colleagues. But most importantly, thank you to my family.

“They say in politics that politicians are the volunteers and our families are the conscripts, and a truer word couldn’t have been said. Because the fact is, I have been supported every single day of this job by the most remarkable partner in life, in my wife Amie.”

Josh Frydenberg with his wife Amie. Picture: David Caird

The fallout from the 2022 election could leave Queensland’s Peter Dutton the only man standing likely to take over the leadership, after facing a challenge from Labor’s Ali France is still in the race.

Mr Dutton has retained his seat after having held onto it for more than 20 years following his election in 2001.

It was a tight race, however. At 9.45pm on Saturday night, there were only 717 votes between Dutton and France, with more than 50 per cent of total votes in Dickson counted.

Mr Frydenberg’s primary vote in the seat of Kooyong was slashed after a bruising battle with Dr Monqiue Ryan.

The Australian’s Troy Bramston said what was unfolding had left the Liberal Party in its greatest crisis since World War II.

“The Liberal Party is experiencing its greatest crisis since 1944 — not losing government but losing its core base in affluent seats like Kooyong, Goldstein, Higgins, North Sydney, Mackellar and Wentworth,” he said.

“A crisis of identity, constituency, leadership.”

Peter Dutton faced a challenge in the seat he has held since 2001 to Labor's Ali France in a series of election night upsets

The good news continues for Labor in Lilley, where the ALP are projecting a four per cent swing, which would put Labor on a 2PP of 54.

They already hold that seat so that’s no change.

But something we are interested in: the Liberal held seat of Chisholm in Victoria. With 5000 primaries counted, Labor are projecting 52 per cent 2PP. So that’s looking like a win for the ALP.

Follow our live election blog for results of each seat as they are called throughout the night

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg was expected to be the next leader of the Liberal Party. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Higgins, the former seat of Peter Costello, has also fallen to Labor tonight, with Michelle Ananda-Rajah taking out sitting Liberal MP Katie Allen.

Another surprise appears to be coming with the NSW seat of Bennelong coming home strong for Labor with 11,000 votes counted, and ALP are predicting a 2PP of 54-46 to Jerome Laxale.

The Liberal Party have held Bennelong since 2010, but sitting MP John Alexander is retiring, with Simon Kennedy to replace him.

Despite the early good news, it’s not the clear Labor victory suggested by the earlier opinion polls.

“At the moment what I am seeing is a hung parliament,” the ABC’s Antony Green said tonight.

Originally published as Liberals in crisis after Josh Frydenberg loses seat in election chaos