Aston by-election: Labor’s Mary Doyle defeats Liberal Roshena Campbell
Victoria’s Premier has called the Liberal Party a “nasty, bigoted outfit” following federal opposition leader Peter Dutton’s comments in the wake of the party’s bruising Aston loss.
Victoria
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Daniel Andrews has slammed comments made by federal opposition leader Peter Dutton in the wake of the party’s bruising loss in Aston.
Mr Dutton told ABC Insiders that people should be allowed to debate transgender rights, claiming the issue was important to many people in the outer suburbs and regional areas.
The Premier said those claims that families were “fundamentally motivated” by issues relating to transgender people were wrong.
“To say that in his finely tuned political judgement … no, that’s not an accurate read. And it tells you all you need to know,” Mr Andrews said.
“The Liberal Party are a nasty, bigoted outfit, and people have worked them out, and that might be why they keep losing.
“I think the people of Aston might also have remembered last year in the state election that the Liberal Party cuddled up and entered into a political partnership with racists, with extremists, with people who have no place in mainstream politics.
“Don’t pretend that you’ve got anything to offer other than your own insipid, nasty little version of bigotry.
“That’s what it is. And people have picked it from a mile away.”
Mr Andrews said new Labor Aston MP Mary Doyle was a great local voice and would be a “great champion for the people of Aston”.
“That’s what every community is absolutely entitled to,” he said.
Earlier today Anthony Albanese labelled Labor’s shock win in the Aston by-election a “historic achievement”, before ripping into Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
The Prime Minister joined the new member for Aston, Mary Doyle, in Bayswater on Sunday morning to celebrate her landmark victory.
The Liberal seat in Melbourne’s outer east turned red on Saturday night, marking the first time in over a century a government has won a seat from the opposition at a by-election.
“Mary Doyle’s compassion, dignity and common decency really shone through during the campaign,” Mr Albanese said.
“She wants to make a difference as the local member for Aston and I’m absolutely certain she will.
“We should recognise the historic achievement (of her) being the first candidate from the government to win a seat off the opposition in over 100 years.”
The Prime Minister said the people of Aston voted for a government which “gets things done”, criticising the opposition for becoming the “No-alition”.
“(Peter Dutton) has become an observer of Australian politics rather than a participant,” he claimed.
“He said no to manufacturing jobs. He said no to our plan for more social and affordable housing. He has said no to getting wages moving again. He has said no to renewable energy and climate change action.
“On the Voice to parliament and constitutional recognition, he’s not playing a constructive role.
“Last night, just as he is saying no to all the policies that are being put forward, Australians said no to him and the people of Aston said no to him.”
Speaking outside a local cafe in her electorate with the Prime Minister by her side, Ms Doyle said she would always listen to her constituents, whether or not they voted for her.
“I will always do the best I can for this area and I will always put locals first,” she said.
The former union official and breast cancer survivor held back tears as she thanked the Prime Minister for all his support during the campaign.
“I’m so excited to join your inspiring Federal Labor team as the member for Aston,” she said.
Mr Albanese said he knew it would be “difficult” to claw back the seat from the Coalition, who have held it since 1990, but had confidence in Ms Doyle as an “extraordinary individual”.
“In uncertain times, the people of Aston have put their faith in our government,” he said.
Ms Doyle will be sworn in on Budget Day in May.
Meanwhile, Mr Dutton acknowledged the Liberal Party brand has “suffered terribly” in Victoria and has accepted responsibility for its failings.
He said there was plenty to rebuild in Victoria and a need to analyse the seat of Aston, evaluating “what people are motivated by” and “what caused them to vote Labor”.
“We didn’t win the seat, so by definition we have a lot of work to,” he said.
“There are issues that we need to address within the division here in Victoria.
“That is a statement of the obvious and that has been going on for a long time. I intend to do everything I can from a federal level to be able to rectify that.”
He said the Dutton-run Liberals stood for aspiration, entrepreneurialism, small businesses, national security and “cleaning up a Labor mess”.
“We’ve gone backwards since John Howard’s high-water mark in ‘96.
“Do we have a lot to rebuild in Victoria? Of course we do, and I accept responsibility for us not winning the by-election.
“Ours is now an opportunity to rebuild. We will do that over the course of the next couple of years and we will go into the next election in a position that will see us win it,” Mr Dutton said.
At last year’s federal election, Ms Doyle – who was Labor’s candidate – gained a massive 7.3 per cent swing against outgoing Liberal Alan Tudge, who eventually managed to hold on to the seat on a 2.8 per cent margin.
Saturday’s by-election was sparked after Mr Tudge announced his resignation from politics in February.
The seat of Aston, created in 1984, was held by Labor until 1990. But the party failed to ever claw it back, and it was previously considered one of the Liberal Party’s safest seats in Victoria.
“The people of Aston have spoken. They want to strengthen a government prepared to face the challenges of today and build for a better future,” he said.
“Mary Doyle will be a powerful voice and fantastic champion for the people of Aston.”
At her victory party in Boronia on Saturday night, Ms Doyle said she was proud to have broken history.
“We were the underdog, but boy have we shown that we have a big bite”, she told the Labor faithful.
Ms Doyle, who teared up as she spoke of her children, said she was looking forward to working for the people of Aston.
“I hope I won’t let you down. I promise to do as well as I can,” she said.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the win was a “huge endorsement” of the Prime Minister.
A defeated Mr Dutton said it was a “tough night” for the Liberal Party in Victoria.
“There’s a lot of work that is ahead of us to listen to the messages that have been sent to us today from the people of Aston, but listen to them we will,” he said.
“We will grow stronger from today’s experience and we will work toward the next election to make sure that we’re in a much better and stronger position by the time of the next general election.
“We gather together now, we rebuild, and I promise you we never give in.”
Insiders from both parties said Mr Dutton’s unpopularity was a key reason for the loss.
But the decision to run Roshena Campbell, a Brunswick local and Melbourne City councillor, in Aston ultimately proved fatal, according to sources.
“Our candidate was high quality but not the right fit for Aston. Everyone knew she was from the inner city, when the suburbs are very different,” one source said.
Ms Campbell, lauded by many for her gracious concession speech, thanked the people of Aston for telling their stories over the five week campaign.
“Tonight was not our night, but our democracy needs a strong opposition,” she said.
“The time will come, I think soon, when this country needs a strong Liberal Government.”
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