Miranda Devine: Labor, Teal independents wipe out generation of leaders

The Liberal Party shindig was a downcast affair, as seat after seat fell to independents or to Labor, wiping out a generation of leaders, Miranda Devine writes.

Scott Morrison declared “I still believe in miracles” as he conceded defeat and congratulated Anthony Albanese.

His supporters at the Liberal Party shindig at the Fullerton Hotel at Martin Place on election night chanted “ScoMo”, but the party was a downcast affair through the night, as seat after seat fell to independents or to Labor, wiping out a generation of leaders, including the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

“The government gave an outstanding performance though the pandemic, provided economic security during a time of crisis,” said former Liberal Senator Michael Baume.

“But no good deed can go unpunished and here we are.”

As the party faithful sipped white wine and ate chicken tikka canapes while waiting for the arrival of Scott Morrison, there was bitter muttering about the success of the Teal independents.

The curated group of female independents bankrolled by multi-millionaire puppet master Simon Holmes a Court, appeared to have decapitated much of the moderate leadership of the federal Liberal party.

Scott Morrison concedes the election with his wife Jenny and daughters Abbey and Lily by his side. Picture: Jason Edwards

“I’m incredibly disappointed in the Teals,” said former NSW Liberal leader Kerry Chikarovski.

“Because they’ve taken out all the people who believe the same thing as they do.”

NSW Lobbyist and moderate faction powerbroker Michael Photios branded the success of the Teals a “disaster”.

“It’s gutted the party’s talent [and] a significant bank of progressive liberalism,” he said.

“The independents won their seats convincingly without experience or a serious machine. That points to a substantive long-term problem. To lose Josh [Frydenberg] is just a disaster.”

But former Morrison staffer Mattew Versi saw a “silver lining” in the loss.

“It will accelerate the PM’s move to shift (the party) away from the leafy green inner suburbs and appeal to the aspirational outer suburbs.”

One long term Liberal staffer, who spent the day in the electorates of Paterson and Shortland, said “dislike for Scott Morrison was disproportionate. We live in such perilous times. Fear translates into anger. When people are afraid they get angry”.

Liberal supporters were left bereft over the election loss. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The room applauded Frydenberg when he appeared on big screens in the ballroom to give a pre-emptive concession speech after 10pm. He said he was proud that at his last press conference as Treasurer he could announce an unemployment rate at 3.9 per cent “after the biggest economic shock since the Great Depression.”

But he said holding his seat of Kooyong against the insurgent teal independent Monique Ryan was “definitely difficult”.

Back at Kirribilli House the PM was still crunching numbers and writing his speech in his study across the harbour as the party grew more boisterous.

The atmosphere at the prime ministerial residence where he had been holed up all evening with his family and closest advisers was more tense than it had been Friday night on the PM’s RAAF plane from Perth to Melbourne.

Staff had danced in the aircraft aisles Friday night to Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” and Shannon Noll’s “What about me”, as the PM watched with amusement and a Mexican themed dinner of enchiladas and sangria was served.

But, having cancelled a planned visit to the marginal Melbourne seat of Chisholm on Saturday, the PM flew home to Sydney as the rain set in and the mood was quieter.

In his Kirribilli study, Mr Morrison pored over numbers with his principal private secretary, Yaron Finklestein, the former Crosby Textor polling guru.

Next door his family watched TV in the living room. The campaign felt like 2019, the PM had said, only he had more baggage.