Labor wins state election in stunning landslide victory
Daniel Andrews vows to hit the ground running after sweeping back to power in a bloodbath state election, saying he’ll seek expressions of interest to build the North East Link tomorrow. He’s also taken a swipe at his political opponents as the Liberals start to unpick what went wrong.
Victoria State Election
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Daniel Andrews has spent the morning doing the rounds of television and radio after Labor’s stunning state election victory last night.
The Premier last night declared he would not rest on his laurels and would keep “delivering for all Victorians”.
This morning he was doing a victory lap of interviews, taking a pointed swipe at his political opponents in the wake of the Liberals’ huge defeat, after former Liberal premier Jeff Kennett called for state Liberal president Michael Kroger to resign.
RECAP: ALL THE ELECTION DAY ACTION HERE
GEELONG: ANIMAL JUSTICE PARTY TO STEAL SEAT
KEY SEATS: LABOR FEASTS ON THE EAST TO WIPE LIBS
ANALYSIS: BACK-TO-BASICS CAMPAIGN PAYS OFF FOR LABOR
PLUS, FULL COVERAGE IN TODAY’S SPECIAL 18-PAGE ELECTION EDITION OF THE SUNDAY HERALD SUN
Mr Kroger rebuffed Mr Kennett’s call after the party’s state election obliteration. This morning Mr Andrews seized the opportunity to weigh in, calling for Mr Kroger to stay on.
Speaking on ABC’s Insiders program, Mr Andrews said: “Swanning around the suburbs that you’ve never been to in your Burberry trench coat lecturing people about the cost of living — people pick fakes and they pick nasty fakes from a long way off.
“I hope that he’s the Liberal Party president for life.”
Mr Andrews vowed to hit the ground running in his second term in power, asking for expressions of interest to build the North East Link from tomorrow.
The morning after his stunning election victory, Mr Andrews said he did not want to waste a moment delivering the vision he promised to voters.
He said Parliament would be recalled before Christmas to deal with several immediate priorities, including improving nurse-to-patient ratios.
The government will tomorrow ask for engineering and construction companies to come forward to help build the $15.8 North East Link, connecting the Eastern Freeway with the Metropolitan Ring Road.
‘DEARIE ME’: SHOCK AS UNI STUDENT ALMOST BECOMES MP
Bayside Brighton almost delivered the biggest shock of yesterday’s election with a 19-year-old university student — still on L-plates — on the cusp of claiming the blue-riband seat.
Declan Martin summed it up with a one-word tweet last night - “wow” - as Labor recorded a 6.9 per cent swing.
The urban and regional planning student had agreed to run in what was thought to be an unwinnable seat.
But early counting swung in his favour and he last night told Nine News that he had been forced to sit down to combat the shock of almost landing a seat in parliament.
“Dearie me,” he said when asked of the near victory.
“When I took this one, I was expecting two or three per cent either way but certainly this has been an absolute shock.
“I have been drinking water and trying to sit down as much as possible all night.”
The 19-year-old, born in August 1999, ran a campaign on $1750 — the political equivalent of the smell of an oily rag.
He last night canvassed the possibility of carpooling to parliament with neighbouring MP Nick Staikos while he’s on his learners permit.
But in the face of monumental change, Mr Martin confirmed one thing wouldn’t change: living at home with his parents.
“They’re not trying to kick me out just yet, I’ve got a couple of years left at home yet,” he said.
Liberal candidate James Newbury is likely to cling to the bayside seat, having claimed 52.83 per cent of the two-party preferred count at latest count.
Mr Newbury will replace retiring MP Louise Asher in the seat never held by Labor.
ANDREWS TO SHAKE-UP CABINET
Mr Andrews also revealed he would make changes to his Cabinet, which are likely to be decided in the coming days.
“(Victorians) have resoundingly endorsed our positive and optimistic plan for the next four years,” he said.
“I’m also very proud and pleased that the Victorian community have comprehensively rejected the negativity, the fear, the spite, that small brand of nasty politics that was on offer and was rejected in record terms.”
Flanked by wife Cath and their three children in his electorate of Mulgrave last night, Mr Andrews said voters had accepted his positive agenda and massive infrastructure spend, and “rejected the low road of fear and division”.
“We will govern for all Victoria ... regardless of how you voted, we will have better schools, we will have better hospitals,” he said.
Mr Andrews said the Labor Party had stuck to its progressive agenda and been rewarded for that.
“We are the most progressive government in the nation, we are the most progressive state in the nation,” he said.
“We live our values, we keep our promises and we get things done.”
The ALP looked set to take a swag of seats from the Opposition in Melbourne’s east and in some regional areas, with a big swing towards it — including in Liberal heartland.
The Coalition was smashed in Melbourne’s southeast where Labor MPs extended margins, and senior party figures feared a bloodbath once all votes are counted.
The Greens were struggling to take territory from the ALP in the inner city in a night of big wins for the government.
The emphatic victory means the government has a commanding majority that will allow it to deliver a massive suite of infrastructure promises and keep its social agenda in place.
Polls closed at 6pm after a tough month-long campaign dominated by crime, cost-of-living issues, expensive transport promises and the Bourke St terror attack.
Writing for the Sunday Herald Sun today, Mr Andrews said he would keep his promises to build more infrastructure, and recalled making a solemn promise in 2014 to deliver on his promises.
“Four years on, I make that very same pledge: we will not let you down,” he writes.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy called Mr Andrews shortly before 9pm to concede, telling the Premier it was a “stunning night for him and his party”.
Liberals were already starting to point the finger at federal colleagues who they say damaged the party brand when they dumped prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in August.
Mr Kroger said yesterday the federal ructions were “a factor”, while Opposition health spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge blamed the party’s administrative section shifting further to the right of the political spectrum.
Mr Kennett called for Mr Kroger to resign live on TV for overseeing a poor campaign.
Mr Guy urged his party to stay united, saying that it had to focus on the Labor Party and the things that matter to Victorians, not on itself.
“For the next parliament, as a party, we need to stick together, we need to stay united and we need to stay focused on our opponents and on the game ahead, not on ourselves,” Mr Guy said.
“Our time in the sun will come again.”
A TALE OF TWO ELECTION PARTIES
Last night, former Labor premier Steve Bracks said the east of Melbourne had turned hard towards the ALP and “the swings to Labor are stronger than anyone anticipated”.
On Saturday, Mr Andrews said Victoria needed “a strong, stable majority Labor government” so that it could keep investing in major projects and his wish was delivered by voters.
Billions of dollars of promises have been showered on voters over the past month, continuing the trend of Labor being a big-spending government and investing in road and rail.
The Premier said voters cared more about what the government was doing for them and their families.
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MORE COVERAGE IN TODAY’S SPECIAL ELECTION EDITION OF THE SUNDAY HERALD SUN
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