Victorian Labor Party set to win seat of Werribee in by-election

Labor appears set to retain the Victorian seat of Werribee, despite experiencing a significant decline in voter support within its traditional stronghold.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Werribee ALP candidate John Lister. Picture: Jake Nowakowski.

Labor appears set to retain the Victorian seat of Werribee, despite a significant decline in voter support in its traditional stronghold in Saturday’s by-election.

ALP candidate John Lister has a slim lead over Liberal contender Steve Murphy, as the Victorian Electoral Commission continues tallying postal votes.

As of the latest count, Mr Lister has secured 21,323 votes (50.71 per cent). Mr Murphy trails closely with 20,730 votes (49.29 per cent).

With about 79.7 per cent of the votes counted, the seat ­remains too close to call. Labor leads the Liberals by just 593 votes on a two-party-preferred basis, having recorded a majority of the 2,300 postal votes added to the count on Thursday.

The Liberal Party has yet to concede but the results suggest Labor will retain the seat it has held since 1979, despite a collapse of support in the west that translated to an estimated 17 per cent decrease in its primary vote share.

The swing against Labor in Werribee has raised concerns among federal Labor MPs about potential repercussions in the upcoming federal election.

Mr Lister maintains a slim lead over his Liberal opponent. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Following the by-election, triggered by the retirement of former treasurer Tim Pallas, Premier Jacinta Allan acknowledged that the government must take stronger action to tackle cost-of-living pressures, rising crime and the lack of infrastructure in Melbourne’s west.

The latest results came after Ms Allan struggled to provide clear answers regarding the timeline for the first home construction linked to the contentious Suburban Rail Loop project.

Ms Allan was in Broadmeadows in Melbourne’s north yesterday for a TAFE announcement, but quickly found herself on the receiving end of a barrage of questions about the mega-project.

The state government’s decision to double down on the project has reportedly stirred tensions in the party. Some MPs, speaking on the condition of anonymity, accused Labor of having the wrong priorities.

Ms Allan was unable to specify when the state’s ‘value capture’ plan would commence to help finance the initial phase of the $34.5 billion rail loop from Cheltenham to Box Hill.

Ms Allan abruptly ended the discussion. “No, I’m done on the SRL. No, we’re done,” she said.

The Albanese government announced on Wednesday night that it had officially released the $2.2bn in funding pledged during the last federal election.