The six ‘giant killer’ independents who destroyed Scott Morrison’s government
Six usually safe Liberal seats. Six accomplished women running as independents. Six body blows for Scott Morrison’s government that could have been avoided.
Federal Election
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Six usually safe Liberal seats. Six accomplished women running as independents. Six body blows for Scott Morrison’s government that could have been avoided.
Anthony Albanese will become prime minister tomorrow, but the most striking feature of election night was the wave of victories for the so-called “teal independents” challenging sitting Liberal MPs across the country.
While Labor and the Greens picked up plenty of seats, this group of six dealt the most pain to the Liberals, ripping away chunks of its heartland.
And in an even bigger blow for the Liberal party, the failure could have been avoided as these women were exactly the kind of politicians the Coalition should have embraced.
Monique Ryan was labelled “the giant killer of this election” by ABC News anchors early on Sunday morning, with her on the cusp of beating Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong.
Mr Frydenberg – widely seen as a leadership contender – was the highest profile victim of the night, and his looming loss has important ramifications for the Liberal Party’s future. It leaves outgoing Defence Minister Peter Dutton as the clear favourite to take over from Scott Morrison.
Dr Ryan has yet to formally claim victory and Mr Frydenberg has not conceded – he’s waiting until more postal votes are counted – but it seems to be a matter of time.
She told the ABC that “independents are here to stay”.
“We felt that the government wasn’t listening to us, and so we have changed the government,” Dr Ryan said.
“We have come together as a community and expressed what we want, and I think that this is going to be a permanent sort of a change, not just a protest against one thing.”
Allegra Spender, the daughter of former Liberal MP John Spender and fashion designer Carla Zampatti, took Wentworth from Liberal Dave Sharma.
Wentworth was, until quite recently, a reliably safe Liberal seat, but that changed with the resignation of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
In the aftermath of his knifing it was claimed by an independent, Kerryn Phelps. Mr Sharma subsequently won it back. Now the Liberals have lost it again.
“You look at the values of this community. We are socially progressive, we are environmentally focused. They were not reflected in the parliament, and were not reflected in the Liberal Party, which has moved to the right. And this is about coming back to the values of the community, to be honest and actually represent them,” Ms Spender said today.
She said she hoped the election results showed “you can’t ignore women anymore”.
“It’s saying in a positive, in a very constructive way, that we want the parliament to represent our community in its fullest terms. We want the parliament to be the best of us, to work with everyone, with respect. These are the values the community seeks.”
Sophie Scamps’ successful campaign against Liberal MP Jason Falinski in Mackellar, held by the party since 1977, was one of the more surprising wins for the contingent of independents.
The former athlete and GP campaigned on climate change, integrity and health. She said her victory proved voters wanted to be “genuinely represented” in parliament.
“What a night! We did it Mackellar! We made history together, and now it’s time to start creating a better future together,” she told her supporters this morning.
Zoe Daniel, a former ABC journalist, knocked off assistant minister Tim Wilson in Goldstein after a bitter campaign that included human excrement being smeared on signs.
“What we have achieved here is extraordinary. Safe Liberal seat, two-term incumbent,” Ms Daniel told her celebrating supporters on Saturday night.
Goldstein had never been won by anyone other than the Liberal Party. If you include the earlier period when it was called Balaclava, it had been Liberal since 1945.
Mr Wilson, for his part, blamed his troubles on an “unholy alliance” between GetUp!, the Labor Party and the Greens, among others.
Kylea Tink took North Sydney from another moderate Liberal MP, Trent Zimmerman, marking the first time the Liberals haven’t held the seat since 1996.
On election night, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said Mr Zimmerman was the victim of a “contagion effect” and was being “punished” for the views of other candidates.
He was quite obviously alluding to Katherine Deves, the controversial Liberal candidate in neighbouring Warringah, whose extreme views on transgender people plagued her colleagues throughout much of the campaign.
And Kate Chaney claimed the WA seat Curtin, once held by Julie Bishop, unseating conservative MP Celia Hammond after a single term.
Curtin was previously held by an independent, Allan Rocher, for just one term between 1995 and 1998. Otherwise it had been Liberal since 1949.
Ms Chaney is another example of an independent from a Liberal family, incidentally; her grandfather, Fred Chaney, was a minister in the Menzies government and her uncle was a senator.
Her impressively funded campaign included a $350,000 donation from Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 organisation.
‘Stick it up your jumper’
Speaking of Mr Holmes a Court and his financial support for the teal independents, the millionaire popped up during Channel 9’s election night coverage, speaking to the network’s panel from Kooyong.
This was somewhat awkward, because one of Nine’s panellists was Liberal Senator Jane Hume, whom Mr Holmes a Court confronted at a pre-poll location last week, ignoring requests to leave her alone.
“Do you regret the scenes at the pre-poll booth in the last week of the campaign involving one of our panellists here, Jane Hume?” asked anchor Alicia Loxley.
“Look, Jane has for a long time spread lies and mistruths about me. I’ve asked her publicly to withdraw, and she won’t,” Mr Holmes a Court said.
“I asked her in a public forum. Probably wasn’t the place to do it, but I’m looking forward to that retraction of lies from Jane Hume.”
“That didn’t answer the question. Do you regret the scenes?” Loxley pressed.
“Unfortunately. Those who have seen the full video will see really what went on. I think, as I’ve said to Jane, I gave my apology. I don’t think that was an appropriate place for it, but I hope we can get a resolution and she can withdraw the lies as we come out of this election,” he responded.
Ms Hume called his apology “a ‘sorry, not sorry’”.
“If you see the full video, it was a set-up. Simon, it was pretty disgraceful behaviour. I hope it took some paint off your celebrations tonight,” she told him.
“Looking forward to getting your full apology, thanks, Jane,” Mr Holmes a Court shot back.
“Stick it up your jumper,” Ms Hume said.
"Stick it up your jumper!"
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) May 21, 2022
The panel has been left stunned following a tense exchange between millionaire investor and founder of Climate 200, Simon Holmes and Liberal MP Jane Hume.#AusVotes | LIVE on @Channel9pic.twitter.com/TsQnRtBsG5
Originally published as The six ‘giant killer’ independents who destroyed Scott Morrison’s government
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