Federal Election 2022 live: 'Reach for the stars': PM-elect Albo wins as ScoMo stands down

Prime Minister-elect Anthony Albanese has emphatically claimed victory saying he wants Australians to 'reach for the stars' after an extraordinary election that saw huge surges to teal independents and the Greens, claimed the scalp of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and saw Scott Morrison stand down. 

Australia's next Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised to serve Australia after Labor won the election and Scott Morrison stood down as the Liberal leader after conceding defeat.

It follows huge surges to the teal independents and Greens that claimed the scalp of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

But Labor's result was far from a landslide with star candidate - former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally - somehow losing the safe seat of Fowler.

Addressing an excitable crowd, Mr Albanese promised to establish a First Nations voice to Parliament, enshrined in the constitution.

After walking onto the stage with his partner Jodie Haydon at the Hurlstone Park RSL to the Australian classic GANGgajang's Sounds Of Then, the Labor leader was greeted by cheers of "Albo, Albo, Albo".

"On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I commit to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full," Mr Albanese told the crowd.

Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese claims victory. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

He thanked Mr Morrison for calling him to concede the election and congratulate him on a Labor victory.

"Scott very graciously wished me well. And I thanked him for that and I wish him well. And I thank him for the service that he has given to our country as Prime Minister," the Labor leader said.

"I also want to acknowledge and thank Jenny Morrison and their two daughters for their contribution and sacrifice as well."

Mr Albanese has said he hopes his life's journey, from a childhood spent living in a council flat to becoming prime minister, will inspire other Australians to "reach for the stars".

"I want Australia to continue to be a country that no matter where you live, who you worship, who you love or what your last name is, that places no restrictions on your journey in life," Mr Albanese said.

He said a government he leads would work to ensure no-one was left behind.

"Because we should always look after the disadvantaged and the vulnerable. But also no-one held back, because we should always support aspiration and opportunity."

Labor Leader Anthony Albanese, his partner Jodie Haydon and his son Nathan Albanese celebrate victory. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images)

Mr Albanese has vowed to "end the climate wars" as he used his victory speech to hammer home a number of his party's key policy promises.

Among the Labor leader's other promises were to unite businesses and unions to lift wages and profits, to strengthen Medicare and prioritise women's economic security.

"I want an economy that works for people, not the other way around," he said.

He paid tribute to everyone who helped Labor achieve its historic win, including his shadow ministry and all the candidates who stood at this year's election.

"I want to thank all those who have worked so hard for this victory," he said.

"We stand on your shoulders, most rank and file members of the Labor Party will never ask for anything. They knock on doors, they make calls, they work so hard."

Mr Albanese thanked individual Labor staff members by name including campaign director Paul Erikson, as well as members of "the mighty trade union movement".

Outgoing Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the Liberal party faithful, telling them he had called Mr Albanese and conceded. 

"I have spoken to the leader of the opposition and I have congratulated him on his victory," Mr Morrison said. 

Mr Morrison said in the face of loss, it was “proper to acknowledge the functioning of our democracy”. 

“I’ve always believed in Australians and their judgement, and I’ve always been prepared to accept their verdicts. And tonight they have delivered their verdict. 

“I congratulate Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party and I wish him and his government all the very best."

Scott Morrison concedes defeat. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

Mr Morrison said while there were still many votes to count, it was important that the country “can move forward”, especially given the Quad meeting that will take place on Tuesday. 

“I think it’s very important that this country has certainty, and that this country can move forward,” he said. 

“I think it’s vitally important that there’s a very clear understanding about the government of this country.”

Mr Morrison said despite the Coalition not being able to pull off a second “miracle win”, the outgoing Prime Minister “still believes in miracles”. 

“And the biggest miracles three years ago were standing beside me, and here they are again tonight with Jenny and my daughters,” he said. 

“And there’s another great miracle I want to give thanks for tonight, and that’s the miracle of the Australian people.”

Scott Morrison kisses his wife Jenny as he concedes defeat. (Photo: SAEED KHAN / AFP)

Mr Morrison went on to say that Australians had shown a “tremendous depth of character and resilience and strength” over the past few years. 

“How great is Australia,” he said.

Mr Morrison then thanked his “brother” and deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg. 

“I can’t just call (Josh) a friend, I can refer to him as a brother,” Mr Morrison said. 

“It has been our great privilege together as the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister and Treasurer that we were able to work together to ensure australia come through this pandemic with one of the lowest death rates in the world, the strongest economies in the world, and one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.”

Mr Morrison said he is “looking forward” to Mr Frydenberg’s Kooyong count improving. 

Mr Frydenberg looks to have lost his Kooyong seat to Climate 200 independent Monique Ryan along with Tim Wilson who has lost his Victorian seat of Goldstein to teal independent Zoe Daniel. 

Josh Frydenberg speaks to his supporters at the Grace Park Hawthorn Club. Picture: David Caird

Mr Morrison says he will be handing over leadership at the next party room, as is "the appropriate thing to do". 

"And I want to thank all of those colleagues tonight for all of their great work in service of their country," Mr Morrison said. 

"You can feel proud of the service you've rendered."

Sky's Tom Connell said Labor would form government - even if it is with the help of the Greens - with the Coalition having no pathway to win. He said a hung parliament was still a possibility.

Labor HQ erupted into cheers and tears amid the news Anthony Albanese could be on track to form a government in his own right. 

The crowd erupts at Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese's election party. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Alternating between cheers of “Labor, Labor, Labor” and “Albo, Albo, Albo”, the crowd abandoned any restraint in their confidence of a win. 

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A swag of seats have changed hands including: Boothby (ALP gain), Chisholm (ALP gain), Goldstein (Independent gain), Griffith (Greens gain), Higgins (ALP gain), North Sydney (Independent gain), Robertson (ALP gain), Ryan (Greens gain), Wentworth (Independent gain) and Kooyong (Independent gain).

Several seats remain in doubt including: Bennelong (Liberal), Bradfield (Liberal), Brisbane (LNP), Cowper (Nationals), Deakin (Liberals), Fowler (ALP), Gillmore (ALP), Lingiari (ALP), Lyons (ALP), Menzies (Liberals), Curtin (Liberals) and Sturt (Liberals).

The teals have so far picked up four seats - Goldstein (Zoe Daniel), Wentworth (Allegra Spender), North Sydney (Kylea Jane Tink) and Kooyong (Monique Ryan) while the Greens have gained the Queensland seat of Griffith (Max Chandler-Mather) and Ryan (Elizabeth Watson-Brown).

Teal independent Monique Ryan looks set to take the seat of Kooyong. (Photo: Sam Tabone/Getty Images)

The teal independent who has ousted Josh Frydenberg from his Melbourne seat says the government did not listen so "we have changed the government".

Ms Ryan spoke through loud cheers in Kooyong: "We started because we wanted action on climate change and we felt that it was the most important challenge of our time," she said.

"It bloody well is. Our government was not listening to us, so we have changed the government."

Labor's Jason Clare said  'the teals are eating the Liberal Party alive' with the vicious fight proving the Liberal party's worst nightmare.

• Mr Frydenberg didn't quite concede Kooyong but he has admitted it will be "difficult" for him to retain the seat at this stage of the vote counting. "So while it's mathematically possible that we win in Kooyong, it's definitely difficult," he said. "But while votes are still being counted, I wanted to take this opportunity to be here with Amie to say a few thank yous."

Josh Frydenberg speaks with the vote looking likely he'll lose his seat.

• Labor may have won the election, but the party looks set to have lost its star candidate Kristina Keneally. The former NSW Premier and Senator was parachuted into the western Sydney seat of Fowler, but the ploy appears to have backfired, with local independent candidate Dai Le storming home with 53.9 per cent of the two party preferred vote. Keneally's failure to hold Fowler opens up a potential headache for Anthony Albanese, as it was anticipated she would take the Home Affairs Ministry.

• In a sign of just how dramatic tonight's federal election has been, seats that were never widely regarded to be "in play" are suddenly sitting on a knife edge. In Deakin, Liberal MP Michael Sukkar is trying to head off a surge in support for Labor's Matt Gregg, but the margin is tight: Sukkar's lead in the two-party-preferred vote is just 50.38 per cent.
  
  

• In Menzies, previously held by longstanding Liberal conservative Kevin Andrews, the margin is even tighter, with Keith Wolahan on 50.22 per cent, just ahead of Labor's Naomi Oakley on 49.78 per cent.
  
  

• In NSW, Gilmore is proving to be a tight contest, as expected, with the Liberals' Andrew Constance just ahead on 50.24 per cent, while Bennelong was too close to call, with Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy on an eye-watering 50.03 per cent.
  
  
• Labor has unseated Liberal MP Gladys Liu in the hotly contested seat of Chisholm in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. Carina Garland is set to become the new member, despite several electorate visits from Scott Morrison in an effort to sandbag the seat during the campaign. The seat was held by the Liberals on a razor-thin 0.5 per cent margin.
  
  

• In Queensland, the seat of Brisbane is looking to be a scrap between Labor and The Greens, while in the west, Ian Goodenough is also facing a tough contest in the seat of Moore. Mr Goodenough is currently leading the two-party-preferred vote on 50.3 per cent.
  
  

• After an early scare, Defence Minister Peter Dutton looks set to hold his Brisbane seat of Dickson he suffered a drop in his vote thanks to support going to the Greens' Vinnie Batten. He told supporters the Liberals had 'suffered a terrible day today' and 'there are colleagues around the country, good people, who have potentially lost their seats'.
  
  
• Liberal frontbencher Simon Birmingham has conceded his party is likely to have "paid a price" for the preselection of controversial candidate Katherine Deves. Ms Deves, who advocates for transgender people to be banned from competing in women's sport, was Scott Morrison's hand-picked candidate for the seat of Warringah. Senator Birmingham said on Saturday night he feared Ms Deves may have had a "contagion effect" on adjacent seats. "I think it sends a message about what Australians believe when it comes to issues of respect, of inclusion, of diversity," he said.
  
  
  
• Goldstein Liberal MP Tim Wilson has blamed an "unholy alliance" of his political opponents after losing his seat to teal independent Zoe Daniel.  
  
  

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Originally published as Federal Election 2022 live: 'Reach for the stars': PM-elect Albo wins as ScoMo stands down

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