Andrew Barr’s Labor holds on to power in the ACT as Greens vote collapses

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has extended Labor’s rule in the nation’s capital to 27 consecutive years, as the Greens vote collapses.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has described his election victory securing a seventh Labor term as “extraordinary”, as he extends his party’s political reign in the nation’s capital to 27 consecutive years.

With his party on track to secure 10 seats compared to the Liberal Party’s eight, Mr Barr declared he is confident he will be able to “form a progressive and stable government” with a crossbench of Greens and independents.

Expressing his gratitude to his candidates, staff and supporters amid an outbreak of calls of “four more years”, Mr Barr vowed to use his mandate to support economic growth, further climate action and continue work on the light rail.

“From here, we will take the progressive, practical and proven policies we have taken to the election and enact them in government,” he said.

“With the support, I hope, of a progressive crossbench that sees value in investing in public housing, health and education.”

Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee conceded defeat, declaring that Canberrans had “voted for change, but perhaps not quite enough to get us there”.

Ms Lee addressed Liberal supporters shortly before 9.30pm on Saturday, after her party enjoyed an early swing on election night that failed to materialise into the numbers required to end 23 years of Labor rule.

“It looks like, and again not being confirmed, but it looks like between them Labor and the Greens may get to 13 which, of course, is our magic number,” Ms Lee said.

“And I congratulate and acknowledge them because no matter how you cut it up, 27 years, whether we like it or not, is an incredible feat.

“And in cementing this win, if it is confirmed, Canberrans have voted in sufficient numbers to continue to give Labor and the Greens the opportunity to govern for our city.”

Touching on the ACT’s progressive political leanings, Ms Lee thanked her field of candidates for “putting your hand up to wear blue, when it’s not easy to do at times”.

Under the Hare-Clark system winning a majority in the 25 seat Legislative Assembly is notoriously difficult, with Mr Barr now forced to walk a narrow path to government with the support of the Greens and independents.

With about 75 per cent of the vote counted, the ACT Greens are facing a total collapse of its representation in the Legislative Assembly and a swing of 1.2 per cent against the minor party.

The party’s numbers have fallen from the high-water mark of six seats after the 2020 election, although the party’s leader Shane Rattenbury and Ginninderra member Jo Clay look likely to hold on to their seats.

Mr Rattenbury shrugged off the fall in numbers, declaring that while the party’s “numbers may change … our determination is constant”.

ACT Greens leader and ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury. Picture: Richard Dobson

“It is no coincidence that Canberra is the most progressive place in Australia,” he said.

“I do particularly want to take this moment to reflect on the fact that with the Greens in the balance of power, we have done so much.”

Mr Rattenbury also reflected on the power-sharing agreement between Labor and the ACT Greens, which has been in place since 2008, saying that the party’s victories were sometimes “invisible”.

“When the Greens share government, it is challenging,” he said.

“Our victories are often a bit invisible. We very publicly bear the responsibility when the government doesn’t go so well. We’ve seen that. That is our reality.”

Independents for Canberra lead candidate Thomas Emerson is also on track to be elected, winning 0.6 of the quota required to earn a seat, or 10.2 per cent of the vote.

Independent Fiona Carrick also looks likely to be elected in Murrumbidgee, winning 0.7 per cent of the quota required or 11.7 per cent of the vote.

As the vote tally continued to narrow with Labor now sitting on 34.5 per cent of the vote, compared to the Liberals’ 33.2 per cent, Mr Emerson said it was too early to commit his support to either political party.

“I think it will be a disservice to all of the people that we spoke to, community members, experts along the way, to develop our policy positions, our priorities, to make some sort of declaration without having spoken with either prospective leader,” he told the ABC.

“So look, the commitment we made from early on was that we would negotiate in good faith, have those conversations be really clear with community, that what we’ve heard needs to be acted on, and so I’m not in a position to declare some kind of position.”

Labor ministers Yvette Berry and Tara Cheyne are also on track to hold onto their seats in Ginninderra, and Labor backbencher Michael Pettersson also looks likely to be re-elected.

Ms Lee, deputy Liberal leader Leanne Castley and Liberal member Jeremy Hanson are also set to be re-elected.

Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

Opposition transport spokesman Mark Parton has also reached the quota to be re-elected to the seat of Brindabella and fellow Liberal member Peter Cain is on track to be re-elected to Ginninderra. Liberal candidate Deborah Morris is also on track in Brindabella.

Mr Barr, who has also won the quota to be re-elected with 21.6 per cent of the vote, has promised voters experience and continuity in a political pitch stressing the risk of a political change.

The only member of Scott Morrison’s pandemic-era national cabinet has urged Canberrans to keep the nation’s capital “progressive” and has repeatedly attacked his opponents for their conservatism.

Mr Barr has also pledged to double the number of hours of free preschool for three-year-olds, introduce free public transport on Fridays and build a new 2000-seat theatre and aquatic centre.

In contrast, Ms Lee has run a campaign centred on “bread and butter” issues such as the cost of living, promising to cap the annual increase of residential rates to 2.2 per cent, build a new urban centre in Kowen and 125,000 new homes by 2050.

Greens leader Shane Rattenbury, who is the ACT’s Attorney-General under a power-sharing agreement with Labor, has declared his desire to lead the nation’s first Greens government as chief minister.

Mr Rattenbury has put forward an extensive policy platform including a pledge to build 10,000 public homes, a rent freeze, a plan to accelerate the building of the light rail to Mawson in the city’s south and a promise to establish four GP clinics offering 160,000 free appointments.

Mr Emerson has sought to replicate the success of the teals at the federal level, seeking to establish a strong cross bench of independents in the Legislative Assembly.