Federal election 2019 results: Every electorate winner in Victoria
The Liberal Party has defied predictions of a bloodbath in eastern suburbs heartland, but three key seats still hang in the balance. SEE ALL THE LATEST VICTORIAN RESULTS
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Victoria provided the worst return of any state for the Morrison Government, but the Liberal Party limited a swing to Labor that was threatening to loosen its hold on power.
With three quarters of votes counted, Labor will pick up Dunkley, as well as the new seat of Fraser, and is a good chance to claim the battleground seat of Corangamite. Chisholm is tonight too close to call.
But the Liberal Party defied predictions of a bloodbath in its eastern suburbs heartland, with the statewide swing against the government reaching only 3.2 per cent.
SCROLL DOWN FOR SEAT BY SEAT ANALYSIS AND LATEST RESULTS
Deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg, the party’s most senior Victorian, has been hailed for his key role in bringing the party together in the wake of last year’s leadership coup.
He said today that he “always knew it was tight” in Victoria, and that the government was starting from behind.
“We thought all along that a number of these seats would be in the balance … but we were always in the race,” Mr Frydenberg said.
He praised the party’s “fantastic local members” including Jason Wood, who managed to achieve a small swing in his seat of La Trobe, which Labor had heavily targeted.
Mr Wood told the Herald Sun it was with “great pride and honour” that he would continue to be a voice in parliament.
“I work every day for my community, for their safety, and for everything that matters to them,” he said.
The seat of Indi, in the state’s north east, will have a new independent MP in Helen Haines, who held off Liberal and Nationals challengers to replace Cathy McGowan.
She said she would not be “operating as a bloc” with the crossbench, but added she did “see eye-to-eye” with other independent MPs on climate change.
Less certain was the future of Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson, who yesterday was not giving up hope of staving off a challenge from Labor’s Libby Coker.
CORANGAMITE
BANNOCKBURN, LORNE, TORQUAY
Labor is in the box seat to win the surf coast seat of Corangamite but the final result may not be known for several days.
Changes to electoral boundaries had made Corangamite a notional Labor seat, even though it has been held by Liberal MP Sarah Henderson since 2013.
After 75 per cent of votes had been counted today, Ms Henderson had suffered a 1.79 per cent swing against her.
It put her almost 3000 votes behind Labor’s Libby Coker, who so far has 36.36 per cent of first preference votes in her second crack at the seat.
A Liberal source said Ms Henderson’s performance was better in pre-poll votes, and with almost 40,000 to count, she could hang on to the seat.
Ms Coker said she was “a very impatient person” but knew she would have to wait for a final result.
Independent candidate Damien Cole was also polling well with a primary vote of 5.35 per cent.
CHISHOLM
BOX HILL, BLACKBURN, BURWOOD, ASHWOOD, GLEN WAVERLEY
The key marginal eastern suburbs seat of Chisholm is on a knife-edge after Labor had expected to romp home.
With more than 73 per cent of votes counted, Liberal Gladys Liu led Labor’s Jennifer Yang by just 169 votes.
The Liberal Party had a notional 2.91 per cent margin going into the federal election.
But the desertion of sitting MP Julia Banks — who quit the party to run as an independent candidate in Flinders — appeared to have dashed the government’s chances of hanging on to the seat.
Ms Liu had a primary vote of 43.26 per cent, a 3.83 per cent swing against the Liberal Party.
Those votes mostly flowed to independent and minor party candidates including Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party, United Australia Party and Labour DLP. Ms Yang’s primary vote was 35.20 per cent today.
HIGGINS
PRAHRAN, TOORAK, MALVERN, CARNEGIE, GLEN IRIS
Leading paediatrician Katie Allen is well placed to replace Cabinet minister Kelly O’Dwyer in this blue-riband seat, despite a big swing to Labor.
While Dr Allen had not claimed victory yesterday, she said she was “humbled by the support” she received from voters and would be “honoured to represent this community”.
With almost 70 per cent of votes counted, 47.85 per cent of first preference votes went to Dr Allen, and the Liberal Party believes she would also be favoured by postal and pre-poll votes.
High-profile barrister Fiona McLeod, who was parachuted into the seat by Labor in the wake of Ms O’Dwyer’s decision to leave parliament, won a 9 per cent swing but it appeared she would fall short.
Jason Ball, in his second tilt at the seat in Melbourne’s inner southeast, saw his primary vote go backwards to 22.64 per cent.
Dr Allen unsuccessfully challenged for the state seat of Prahran last year.
She thanked Ms O’Dwyer for her friendship and work as “an amazing representative for the people of Higgins”.
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