Labor expected to win Macnamara, form majority government

Labor is on track to form a majority government after late counting by the Australian Electoral Commission showed the party well in front in the key Melbourne seat of Macnamara.

Winning the seat would give Labor at least 76 seats – a majority in a 151-seat chamber – in the lower house, with a good chance of also taking the seat of Gilmore in NSW.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to form a majority government.Credit: James Brickwood

Labor’s candidate for Macnamara, Josh Burns, had been in a close race against the Greens’ candidate Steph Hodgins-May and the Liberals’ Colleen Harkin since the May 21 election.

Counting on Monday evening showed Harkin getting in front of Hodgins-May on the back of preferences from minor parties including the United Australia Party and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

Burns had won 31.8 per cent of the primary vote, a one per cent improvement on his 2019 result with Hodgins-May narrowly behind on 29.7 per cent – a lift of 5.5 per cent – and Harkin on 29.1 per cent, which was a near 10 per cent fall.

But with just 2600 votes left, the AEC showed the contest was between Burns and Harkin to take Macnamara, which includes much of Melbourne’s inner south-eastern suburbs.

The ABC has projected that Labor’s Josh Burns will win the Melbourne seat of Macnamara, which would give Labor a majority government.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

After preferences, Burns was in front 62.3 per cent to Harkin’s 37.7 per cent, a swing to Labor of 7.4 per cent.

A win in Macnamara gives Labor a majority government, its first majority on the floor of the House of Representatives since Labor’s 2007 election victory with Kevin Rudd as leader.

In Gilmore on the NSW South Coast, Labor MP Fiona Phillips held a lead of almost 150 votes over Liberal challenger Andrew Constance, who is looking to move from NSW state parliament into federal politics.

Absentee, provisional and declaration polls counted on Monday strongly flowed to Phillips, who was behind Constance by almost 250 votes on Sunday evening.

Anthony Albanese was sworn in as prime minister last week after Labor gained enough seats to form government in majority or minority.

The Coalition currently holds 57 seats, independent candidates hold 10 and the Greens hold four, while other candidates hold two. One more seat, Deakin in Melbourne’s south-east suburbs, remains in doubt but Liberal frontbencher Michael Sukkar was on Monday night holding a 619-vote lead over Labor candidate Matt Gregg.

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.