NewsBite

Super Saturday: Labor wins Longman, Braddon, Fremantle and Perth; Rebekha Sharkie wins Mayo

A jubilant Bill Shorten says ‘four from four’ by-election result is a vindication of his policy agenda.

Sid Maher and Ben Packham
3 min read
12:00AMJuly 29, 2018.
Updated 10:23AMJuly 29, 2018
Print
Labor leader Bill Shorten and Longman candidate Susan Lamb celebrate victory.
Labor leader Bill Shorten and Longman candidate Susan Lamb celebrate victory.

Bill Shorten has entrenched himself as Labor leader for the next general election and piled pressure on contentious government policies such as big business company tax cuts, winning four out of four ALP seats up for grabs in the Super Saturday by-elections.

The fifth by-election in last night’s string of polls, that of Mayo in South Australia, was won comfortably by Rebekha Sharkie who beat Georgina Downer comfortably after the star recruit failed to lift the Liberal vote.

A jubilant Opposition Leader claimed the results as a vindication of Labor’s policy agenda.

“Friends, can I say that tonight is another sign post into the destination that matters for Australians. A Labor government after the next general election,” Mr Shorten said.

“I promised the Australian people, we will continue the work of putting together a policy agenda for the next national Labor government, a program which will reward the confidence and the support of working class and middle-class Australians.”

Mr Shorten’s most decisive victory was in the outer suburban seat of Longman, north of Brisbane, where Labor’s Susan Lamb was comfortably returned despite having One Nation direct preferences to the LNP.

In a worrying result for Malcolm Turnbull, the LNP’s Trevor Ruthenberg received only 26 per cent of the primary vote — a swing against the government of 10 per cent on first preference votes.

One Nation polled more than 15 per cent of the vote despite leader Pauline Hanson taking a cruise in the last week of the campaign and candidate Matthew Stephen facing questions over the payment of bills by a business he ran.

The two party preferred swing against the government in Longman was 4.2 per cent.

The result will concern Coalition strategists because the seat is representative of other seats in the state and the fact that the government holds eight seats in Queensland by margins of 4 per cent or less.

In Braddon, Labor’s Justine Keay had won more than 52 per cent of the two party preferred vote to look like winning the seat over Liberal candidate Brett Whiteley.

Preferences from local fisherman Craig Garland were decisive. He polled 11 per cent of the vote in another strong showing for an independent candidate.

In Mayo, Ms Sharkie gained a 9.8 per cent primary vote swing, while Ms Downer suffered a swing against her of 1.4 per cent. However most of Ms Sharkie’s swing appeared to come from Labor which suffered a swing against it of 7.3 per cent.

In Western Australia, Labor retained the two seats on offer. The Liberals did not contest either Perth or Fremantle.

In Fremantle, Josh Wilson, who was forced to resign during the dual citizenship fiasco, was returned with 66 per cent of the two party preferred vote.

In Perth, former staffer to Kevin Rudd, Patrick Gorman was elected with 62 per cent of the two party preferred vote.

The by-elections were seen as a major test of Mr Shorten’s leadership, with Labor powerbrokers particularly looking at the result in Longman as an indication of his ability to win seats in Queensland.

Labor frontbencher Ed Husic said Mr Shorten had answered his critics. “Passed, tick,” he told the ABC.

Labor campaign heavily against the big business tax cut, deriding it as a $17bn tax cut for the big banks.

Labor also attacked the Coalition’s health spending record in a campaign the government said was a lie.

Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne dismissed the poor showing by the LNP in Longman as a result of local factors including the fact that its candidate Trevor Ruthenberg was forced to apologise after saying he had received the wrong military medal.

Labor’s Justine Keay used her victory speech to attack Malcolm Turnbull and the government.

“As my wonderful friend, Susan Lamb in Longman said tonight, not just in Longman, but in Braddon, in Mayo, in Perth, in Fremantle, have sent a very clear message to Malcolm Turnbull.

“It is people before the banks. Hospitals before the banks. Our schools before the banks.

“And if he doesn’t listen now, he will never, ever listen.’’

More Coverage

Bloodbath is a nightmare for PM
Simon Benson
‘It’s all over Red Rover’
Rosie Lewis
People before banks, PM told
Matthew Denholm

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

More related stories

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/super-saturday-labor-wins-longman-braddon-fremantle-and-perth/news-story/5cb6e2693253b6d4d560dc21b37f5634